Tuesday, September 07, 2010

In Which We All Lost Our Stomachs

This morning has been a doozy. The stomach flu has at last been forwarded to our address and it has held nothing back. It first found me Friday and has made a stop with each member of our household over the last few days.

I would have to say that I am thankful it hit me first. Jeremiah stayed home from work and took care of me and assumed the role of housewife for a day. He put me to shame in accomplishing things around the house, but I'm so thankful he was home. I was able to get tons of rest - I just didn't realize I was charging up for what will forever be known as Barf-fest 2010 - Family Edition.

Sunday was Kenley's turn and she took the opportunity to let it all out during Primary. I just happened to be in the Primary as a last-minute substitute when all of a sudden I heard some kid cough/burp/vomit and looked up and realized it was my little multi-tasker. She left a trail all the way to the hallway bathroom. Fortunately she came home and watched TV for a couple of hours and then felt better.

Yesterday Jack walked up to me in a panic just as I had answered the phone. It was obvious he was about to puke and I was trying to rush him to the toilet bowl. He hit everything but that. He also insisted that he was done throwing up and kept moving around until he had to throw up again - all over his carpet.

Jeremiah spent the whole day cleaning our storage room and by the time we were ready to eat our late dinner his stomach was rolling. I advised him to stay near the toilet and wait until he felt better to eat. While Kenley, Isaac and I were eating he was retching (rather loudly) in the bathroom.

I sent Isaac to bed with a bowl and left the light on in his bathroom with the toilet lid wide open. Call it 'mother's intuition' or call it 'reading the writing on the wall' - either way he was going to puke, and I knew it. Unfortunately I didn't know that Kenley would - possibly for the first time ever - heed our instruction to close the lid after using the toilet so that the baby can't get into it, and so when Isaac made his dash for the toilet he hit the lid. The best part? This happened in the night, but Isaac didn't want to wake me, so he just let it sit there.

Then Jack insisted he felt okay this morning so I gave him milk - which he let turn into cheese in his stomach before projectile vomiting it all over my bed. To top it all off, both Kenley and Jack wet the bed (Jack's water-proof mattress pad happened to already be in the laundry) and while I was off to buy toilet bowl cleaner & Lysol Hewitt woke up, and according to Jeremiah, "He pooped up to his armpits."

Today's Facebook post:
Today I am thankful for hot running water, a washing machine, disinfectant spray, toilet bowl cleaner, a carpet shampooer and my mother...who only laughed a little.

I don't have such a charmed life today, do I, Mom?

4 comments:

Jenkins Family said...

That sounds real rough. I've been hearing about this bug from the whole neighborhood! Good luck!

Katie said...

I'm so sad for you, but that was some really funny stuff there. Hope everyone's better today!

tammy dixon said...

That sounds rough. Hope you all start feeling better soon.

Alisha said...

Well laughing is inevitable when you tell the stories. I think we would all feel more sympathy for you if you left out all that clever wit.

However, I do sympathize because just yesterday I woke up and ran for the bathroom. Only, I had to wait and wait and wait on the cold bathroom floor. Each time I thought the urge had passed I would get up, feel dizzy, and then sit back down drenched in sweat. Suddenly it all hit. I have never before had to vomit into a trash can from a seated position. Why? Because of the rush of fluid coming out the other end! I hope that I NEVER have to do that again.

Cross your fingers - no one else has vomited yet. However, if they do I am glad that I got it first.

Oh to be a mom.