I had such high hopes for the weekend. I had gotten my grading under control. My school work (due Sunday night) was already started. Jerry had Saturday off. I was going to take the kids to a baby shower in Miami because he had been sick with the Flu. The weather was forecast to be beautiful! We talked about taking the kids to do something outside. In my mind, I imagined Grace playing out on the patio all weekend. I imagined at the end of the weekend, the laundry would not only be clean, but also put away. I imagined a week's worth of lunches in the fridge from the delicious cooking I would do. I imagined creative and engaging lesson plans detailed for my students. And doesn't all this make you wonder if I've ever HAD a weekend before?
Ah...Friday night. The end of a long work week, I imagined a relaxing night at home. Jerry and I were planning a nice dinner via takeout, spending some time together, and then working on our coursework. We got take-out. Grace refused to go to bed. Once she did go to sleep, Wes was up. All I remember was Jerry waking me up near 11; I had fallen asleep in bed with both kids. I hadn't worked on my school work, I hadn't showered, and it felt like my teeth were wearing a sweater. Of course, when I got out of bed to remedy the situation, Grace freaked out, and then the baby woke up, and the whole thing started over.
Flash forward to 2:30 A.M. Grace reaches over and puts a hand on my arm. Her hand is wet. Jerry wakes up and realizes she has gotten sick. Like throw-up sick. In our bed. By the time I realize what was happening, poor Grace was starting to vomit again. I grabbed her just in time to be covered in a heave of puke. Nice. J
erry strips the bed and I bathe Grace.
Did I mention we only have one set of sheets for our bed? Did I mention I have puke in my hair? With a clean t-shirt, Gracie cleaned up and re-dressed, our bed cleaned out and made-up with a combination of comforters and blankets from the guest room, I attempted to put Grace back to sleep.Her stomach had other ideas. She started hurling again. I got her to the sink in time to save the makeshift bedding and carpet. Convinced she had nothing left in her, I re-redressed her, changed my t-shirt (again) and started to rock her to sleep. She was tired and fell asleep quickly. The next wave of vomiting hit her as soon as I lifter her into her crib. She needed another bath, clean pajamas, and clean bedding. I gave up and kept my t-shirt on.
I finally got her to bed at about 4. I showered. I was just drifting to sleep when the baby woke up. Again. Thankfully, he wasn't sick, he only wanted to be nursed. An hour later, Grace woke up. She didn't get sick, but we did have to put her in our bed.
You'd think that after such a busy night, she'd be tired the next morning. But no--Grace was up at 7:30 asking for juice. She was playing, so I imagined she was done with being sick. I gave her juice. Fifteen minutes later, she burped so loud, she could have been a man. We were all ready to say, "good job!" when she starting puking again. I scooped her up (my poor t-shirt collection) and made it almost all the way to the sink. Poor baby--she was saying, "Oh no--my nose!". Gross.
I had to cancel for the baby shower. Jerry's Flu seemed worse. Grace had no appetite. I didn
't push it. She was clingy and whiny. Wes had a cold and was coughing. I was getting no where on my coursework. But the clean laundry was getting folded! And I sent Jerry to Target to buy Grace some Gatorade and and extra set of sheets for our bed. Saturday night, we ordered Chinese food. Grace ate a ton of noodles and rice with soup broth, which is all I would give her. She went to bed early. So did Wes. I started my school work and so did Jerry. By 9:30, it felt like midnight. I was falling asleep at the keyboard. Jerry had to work the next day. We went to bed expecting to be up all night again. Grace woke up at about midnight, but went back to sleep when we put her in our bed. All was well.
When Jerry got up the next morning, so did Grace. She was fully herself again, talking, playing, laughing. I started the dishwasher. We heard a strange water noise, but figured it was the dishwasher. Jerry left for work. Jerry came back. The driveway was flooded. The garage was flooded. The hot water heater's bottom had rusted out. Jerry called in sick to work (which he WAS) and recruited help to fix the hot water heater.
By Sunday night, the kids were fed and bathed. The laundry was clean and in a giant pile, my school work was 1/3 done, I had no lesson plans, and the kids refused to go to bed or be without me. Jerry couldn't be near the baby because he had the Flu. I was in a panic.
At 11:53, I posted the last of my assignments (due at 11:55) and showered and went to bed. Grace was up and down all night and so
was Wes. Monday morning at 4:30 AM, my alarm went off, and I got up and dressed myself and two babies. I drove us an hour to daycare and work on less than four hours of sleep and a weak cup of coffee. Grace ate my breakfast (pop tarts), so please, don't ask me how my weekend was.
Ah...Friday night. The end of a long work week, I imagined a relaxing night at home. Jerry and I were planning a nice dinner via takeout, spending some time together, and then working on our coursework. We got take-out. Grace refused to go to bed. Once she did go to sleep, Wes was up. All I remember was Jerry waking me up near 11; I had fallen asleep in bed with both kids. I hadn't worked on my school work, I hadn't showered, and it felt like my teeth were wearing a sweater. Of course, when I got out of bed to remedy the situation, Grace freaked out, and then the baby woke up, and the whole thing started over.
Flash forward to 2:30 A.M. Grace reaches over and puts a hand on my arm. Her hand is wet. Jerry wakes up and realizes she has gotten sick. Like throw-up sick. In our bed. By the time I realize what was happening, poor Grace was starting to vomit again. I grabbed her just in time to be covered in a heave of puke. Nice. J
erry strips the bed and I bathe Grace.Did I mention we only have one set of sheets for our bed? Did I mention I have puke in my hair? With a clean t-shirt, Gracie cleaned up and re-dressed, our bed cleaned out and made-up with a combination of comforters and blankets from the guest room, I attempted to put Grace back to sleep.Her stomach had other ideas. She started hurling again. I got her to the sink in time to save the makeshift bedding and carpet. Convinced she had nothing left in her, I re-redressed her, changed my t-shirt (again) and started to rock her to sleep. She was tired and fell asleep quickly. The next wave of vomiting hit her as soon as I lifter her into her crib. She needed another bath, clean pajamas, and clean bedding. I gave up and kept my t-shirt on.
I finally got her to bed at about 4. I showered. I was just drifting to sleep when the baby woke up. Again. Thankfully, he wasn't sick, he only wanted to be nursed. An hour later, Grace woke up. She didn't get sick, but we did have to put her in our bed.
You'd think that after such a busy night, she'd be tired the next morning. But no--Grace was up at 7:30 asking for juice. She was playing, so I imagined she was done with being sick. I gave her juice. Fifteen minutes later, she burped so loud, she could have been a man. We were all ready to say, "good job!" when she starting puking again. I scooped her up (my poor t-shirt collection) and made it almost all the way to the sink. Poor baby--she was saying, "Oh no--my nose!". Gross.
I had to cancel for the baby shower. Jerry's Flu seemed worse. Grace had no appetite. I didn
't push it. She was clingy and whiny. Wes had a cold and was coughing. I was getting no where on my coursework. But the clean laundry was getting folded! And I sent Jerry to Target to buy Grace some Gatorade and and extra set of sheets for our bed. Saturday night, we ordered Chinese food. Grace ate a ton of noodles and rice with soup broth, which is all I would give her. She went to bed early. So did Wes. I started my school work and so did Jerry. By 9:30, it felt like midnight. I was falling asleep at the keyboard. Jerry had to work the next day. We went to bed expecting to be up all night again. Grace woke up at about midnight, but went back to sleep when we put her in our bed. All was well. When Jerry got up the next morning, so did Grace. She was fully herself again, talking, playing, laughing. I started the dishwasher. We heard a strange water noise, but figured it was the dishwasher. Jerry left for work. Jerry came back. The driveway was flooded. The garage was flooded. The hot water heater's bottom had rusted out. Jerry called in sick to work (which he WAS) and recruited help to fix the hot water heater.
By Sunday night, the kids were fed and bathed. The laundry was clean and in a giant pile, my school work was 1/3 done, I had no lesson plans, and the kids refused to go to bed or be without me. Jerry couldn't be near the baby because he had the Flu. I was in a panic.
At 11:53, I posted the last of my assignments (due at 11:55) and showered and went to bed. Grace was up and down all night and so
was Wes. Monday morning at 4:30 AM, my alarm went off, and I got up and dressed myself and two babies. I drove us an hour to daycare and work on less than four hours of sleep and a weak cup of coffee. Grace ate my breakfast (pop tarts), so please, don't ask me how my weekend was.
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