(sigh)

So hard to come up with titles for a Blog. We'll just go with (sigh). Eli went to bed Monday night. We had a good day. I don't recall him being extra whiny or not wanting to eat. At 12:30 I got up because Dylan was calling for me. He was scared of the dark. Seriously! It's always dark at night and if you were asleep you wouldn't know it was dark. Well, that's what I wanted to say, but I didn't. I just reassured him there was nothing in the dark and it was ok to be scared but he should pray to ask God for peace and he just needed to figure out how to deal with it. Something along those lines. About 30 minutes later, he called again. He couldn't go back to sleep. I just told him there wasn't anything else I could do and he was just going to have to lay there.

Within another 15 minutes I got the chance to get up again. Sleep was not on the agenda for the night, at least for the kids and I, anyway. Eli was crying. It was the cry you know you need to go find out what's wrong. I didn't turn on the light but I could see he was standing in his bed. I reached down to pick him up and he was wet. I thought, wow did I do that bad of a job putting on his diaper that he already leaked out or did he really drink that much. And, then...it hit me...the smell. It was definitely not pee. I moved him to the changing table to take off his clothes, turn on the light, and assess the damage. He had vomitted everywhere. It was on his bed, pillow, Mr. Moo, the bumper pads in the crib, all over himself, in his hair...oooh grosse. So, I started to take off his clothes and he proceeded to throw up again. I got his clothes off and put him in the floor where I put on a new onesie and then he did it again and I fortunately caught it with his pillow. Oh, yes...the pillow. Because I would a whole lot rather wash a pillow in the washing machine than try to clean the floor and forever have that stiff carpet feeling. I did manage to catch 98% of it and then I started trying to talk a little louder in the monitor. "Chris, are you there? CHRIS can you hear me? CHRIS CAN YOU hear me? CHRIS I COULD REALLY USE SOME HELP!" Well, that didn't work. So by this time, since Eli has been screaming and now I've been talking very loudly, Dylan is awake complaining that Eli woke him up. I have puke all over me. Eli still has it all over him. I have plenty to clean up and Chris is oblivious. So, I walk quickly and loudly (mind you) to our bathroom where I turn on the water and sternly say, "I could REALLY use some help here. Didn't you hear me calling?" He's still oblivious. What's going on, he says. So, I politely explain in a hurry and say, "You have to give him a bath while I try to clean up his room. I clean up his room, start a load of laundry, get the rest of the dirty clothes out in the garage so it doesn't stink up the house, set up the pack-n-play in our bedroom with towels and blankets all around on the floor just in case he decides to do it again and then bring fresh clothes for him to put on. Eli is so tired. You can tell he is completely drained of all energy. I put on his clothes and lay him down in the pack-n-play, he rolls over to his sleeping, rear in the air position and he's out within seconds. Wow! What a night. Oh, and now I can feel my own stomach churning. It's going to be a great night.

We wake up Tuesday morning and Eli has not vomitted all night. Woohoo! Oh, no, though...my stomach has not forgotten it's still churning. And...here goes my problems. I spent the morning racing to the toilet and then just laying limp on the bed but then I realize I have to get Dylan to school. Oh great! I feed him some oatmeal and Eli a little apple juice with some water which quickly comes back up. No more food for him. I take Dylan to school while trying to avoid talking very long with the teachers. I actually make it there and back with no problems. Eli and I are happy to just lay in bed all morning and do nothing. That's how my day was. I only changed out of my pajamas because I'm not sure how Dylan's preschool teachers would have reacted. No, I didn't shower because I didn't care. I was nice enough to brush my teeth, though.

Wednesday morning, Eli was in a much better mood but still not real mobile but that didn't last long. He didn't want to eat anything and suddenly all he wanted to do was lay on me and whine. He still wasn't feeling well. He didn't throw up but he wasn't ready to get down and play, yet either. About 2 hours before church I was trying to decide whether to take him and risk it or stay home. He helped make up my mind. His diapers started getting really runny and yucky. Well, I was honestly happy. Not that I didn't get to go to church, but happy that it wasn't puke. Diarrhea is contained in a diaper. It's easily cleaned up. Yes, it stinks, but This...I can handle. So, yes that's what we've been doing for 2 days now. We are helping ensure White Cloud diapers stays in business. But, I AM NOT COMPLAINING.

I do however have one complaint about this whole situation. My family (all 4 of us) just had this same experience in October. So, shouldn't there be a rule about how often one family has to endure the stomach bug. Like, maybe only once every 6 months would be a good start. Whoever makes up those rules should really think about it. :)