It Was Bound to Happen Sooner or Later

It was bound to happen sooner or later. We were lucky that we made it 2 1/2 years without seeing its effects.  An invisible enemy snuck into our home and made a stand that every mother has battled for ages: the stomach bug.  Ugh.  Double ugh. 

I always wondered how I would handle it when it happened.  I handled it rather well, if I do say so myself.  Take note, neither my hubby nor I were stricken so for those of you who have not been so lucky during this long winter, my heart goes out to you.

My husband heard the sounds first.  The retching.  He flew up the stairs so fast I was left wondering what calamity had befallen our oldest.  My ears didn't recognize the sounds at first-just the piercing screams that followed. By the time I had got upstairs (I was right behind the husband), he had her in the bathroom, stripped, and was running a bath.  That man is a saint.

I will spare you the details of the sight in her bedroom.  Needless to say I don't think I will ever feed her blueberries with pizza (homemade or otherwise) for lunch ever again.  I have also definitely learned the value of urging your children to chew well before swallowing. 

Our daughter was traumatized by the event.  When I ran into the bathroom, she kept screaming and her whole body was rigid.  She was starring straight ahead, not blinking.  For a two-year old child who hates having dirty hands and dirty clothes, she was horrified.  Not to mention totally unaware of what just happened and no glimmer that it was probably going to happen again. 

I had to have her face me, look at my face, repeatedly saying her name in a soothing tone before she would even begin to relax enough for me to pick her up.  Once I picked her up, she was fine within seconds. 

All of this happened within less than a minute.  Once deposited into the bathtub and her father's capable hands, I returned to her room to clean up the offending sight.  I was amazed not to feel ill myself.  I didn't even gag.  Armed with a roll of papertowels, lysol. a dishpan of soapy water, and some dish towels, I restored order within about 10 minutes.  All the while I could hear my daughter chattering happily, splashing in the tub, telling her father about the horrible hiccups she had. 


Yes, it did happen again and again but within three hours she was sound asleep.  The next morning she proclaimed it, "a bee-oo-tee-full day." 

Thank goodness for the resiliency of children.

May you all be spared fighting the battle against the stomach bug and its effects.  Blah!