Mucus, Vomit, Diarrhea, and Laundry

So this is a post I have been composing in my head each night as I sit with whichever child I happen to be up with. This is my post about why I have not posted in the last three weeks (you will understand shortly).

WARNING: Mildly graphic descriptions follow; parents of young children will be fine--others read at your own risk.

It all started on Easter. We were headed to sunny California for Spring Break with our neighbor Rebecca and her two children, Alicia and Luke. We decided to leave in the afternoon and get there in the wee hours of the morning (with hopes that the children would sleep through most of the end of the trip). We were doing fine until Vegas when Shaylee starting puking her guts out (literally). We thought she had eaten too much Easter candy and had some mild motion sickness. Well, she's a bad shot, and we stopped at several gas stations in Vegas for 409, more paper towels, and more plastic bags ("Do you want 1 or 2?" "Did you just hear me tell you I have children throwing up in the car? How about 15 or 20? A whole handful?"). Anyway, we got her some pepto & dramamine and continued on our way. Little did we know . . .

Monday morning she was feeling better, but when we talked to Dennis in St. George, he was sick. This does not bode well for our trip. We spent a lovely Monday on the beach, and Tuesday morning I took Shaylee over to Disneyland for her dance exhibition. She went in with her teacher, Misty, then hung out with her friend & her friend's mom for the day.

Good thing I didn't end up buying a ticket and staying--Devin had the flu and was throwing up. Ugh. Wednesday morning dawned with Devin feeling well, so we headed to the tidal pools. Aspen was in a foul mood, so we headed back only to have her retch all over the car (explains the foul mood). By that evening, Luke was sick as well.

Thursday was beautiful and glorious and I think we spent 8 hours on the beach without a sick kid in sight.

That night, Connor (who got in my bed around midnight) started throwing up around 2:30 a.m. What a night! Rebecca spent the day on the beach with the kids and I spent the day rocking my sick baby, who threw up every time I moved. I've discovered a blessing of small bathrooms: when I had to go to the bathroom (hence requiring me to move), I could sit on the toilet and hold Connor over the sink to puke. Nice visual. Anyway, that afternoon he had not thrown up for quite awhile, so I decided to get in a shower with him. Bad move. He threw up all over me (hair and everything, gross). Good thing I was in the shower. We still thought he was done (the other kids had not thrown up for more than 12 hours, and he was at about 15 hours, so he should be done, right?).

We decided to stick with our plan to leave that afternoon, once again driving all night and arriving in Utah Saturday morning. He was not done--kid #3 puking in the Suburban. I told Dennis I did not care what the cost was, we were having the car detailed. We found a guy who only charged $90 and came to the house and had it done in a little over an hour. What a great way to clean up your car after a long trip!!!

So that was week one. Of course, Luke had been sick with a head cold all week, which Connor came down with on Sunday, which turned into bronchitis, which Dennis, Aspen, and I then contracted. Lovely. We spent a week coughing our brains out.

That was week two. Sunday night Aspen started throwing up. We thought it was from all the mucus stuck in her lungs while she was laying down. Then came the diarrhea. Ugh.

Monday night, Aspen threw up in bed around 9:45 p.m. just as I was brushing my teeth. I got her up, showered, changed, sheets changed and put in the laundry, and back to bed. I was finally in bed around 11 p.m. Devin came in at 3 a.m. to inform me Connor had thrown up. Poor Dennis had to be up at 5 a.m. to leave for work down near Manti, so I was trying to take care of everything. I got Connor up and cleaned up, then lay him on a towel on Dennis while I changed his sheets. He threw up all over Dennis. I got both of them cleaned up, and sheets changed and in the laundry, and Connor back to bed. I lay in his room on the floor by the crib. He threw up again around 3:45 a.m. I had him in a diaper only laying on a towel (good thinking, Mom). I got him cleaned up and went to check on Aspen. She had thrown up all over herself and was sleeping in it. Gross! I had to wake up poor Dennis again to have him hold Connor so I could clean up Aspen. I got her up, showered, changed, sheets changed and in the laundry (what would I do wihtout a washer and dryer?) and back to bed. Then I was up with Connor who was wide awake until 6 a.m. I fell into an exhausted sleep only to wake up at 7:55 a.m. and realize I was supposed to teach piano lessons at 8 a.m. I called and cancelled.

Tuesday night was blissfully uneventful, and I was feeling so good Wednesday morning after a full night of sleep that I worked out, lifted weights, and in general had a great day.

Wednesday night Connor was up puking again, so I was up (unfortunately, I had taken some NyQuil for the bronchitis and was somewhat out of it). Last night, both kids were up again. Why is it they only puke at night? Why am I so tired? And cranky? Hmmm. . .