Sooooo sick :(

On Tuesday my little peanut was hit with her first stomach bug. It was around midnight when I first headed up to bed and moments later I heard Madi crying. I was not prepared for what I would see when I walked into her room. The poor little thing had thrown up all over her bed. I quickly called for my husband, grateful I had a companion willing to help me because we needed all hands on deck. He took her to the bathroom to clean her up while I did damage control in her room. I was hoping she had just had something to eat that didn't sit right and that would be the end. After she was cleaned up and changed we tucked her back in and said our good nights. Ben then returned to bed and I began rinsing all of her bedding out and then started a load of laundry. Minutes later I heard her getting sick again. This time it was everywhere including her hair. Nothing like a 12:30am bubble bath. This time I did not wake Benj. I knew at this point it was going to be a long haul and he needed to work in the morning. It was time to rally and conquer the disaster. Madi sat in the bubble bath while watching a show on the iPad to allow me free hands to clean up her room. I blew up an air mattress, got plenty of towels, a bucket, water and crackers ready. I knew I would be camped out there for the night. Madi and I laid on the air mattress watching The Lorax while she continued to throw up every fifteen minutes for 4 hours.

 I had never felt so helpless. All I could do was hold my little girl while her worn out and lifeless body was taken over by this vicious virus. I would rub her back and tell her she was doing a good job. And bless her heart, her response was, "it's all gonna be fine mama." She said it in the sweetest most surrendered little voice I had ever heard. She couldn't even hold her head up and still she trusted me. Oddly enough, it was a very special moment where we both knew we were there for each other and we would make it out of this. She had no energy left and the way she so fully laid on my chest felt as if she was literally attached to me and I fell even more in love with her. I didn't even know that was possible.

 This situation is a prime example of how a mothers heart really shines through. I slept only 3 hours and I was unphased. The adrenaline took over and my being became about serving my baby at all costs and that's what I wanted to be doing.

The next day the poor thing had a case of diarrhea (sorry for the too much information). I knew this was not just a 24 hour stomach bug. I called the pediatrician and based on my description of events she quickly came to the conclusion that she had norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug. The only thing that can kill it is bleach and the victim of the virus is contagious for up to 3 days after symptoms stop, and often families can keep passing it back to each other. Well that's terrifying. :-/

 To add to the madness Ben and I had planned to go away this weekend for a marriage retreat with our church. I did what I could to get and keep everyone healthy. Every night I wiped down the whole house with bleach and washed bedding about a million times ( it really felt like that). By the time Saturday morning rolled around Madi was in full blown bathroom disaster mode, clearly still fighting this bug. Our dear and faithful friends wanted to stay with her despite. It broke my heart to walk out the door away from my sick baby. My mind and heart were divided and I was that parent that had to check in on their daughter a ridiculous amount of times. I felt we still needed to make our trip because our marriage is important and I do believe that our parenting depends on the foundation of our marriage built by God and that we need the tools to know how to continue to be happy and have a happy family, but my heart was aching. Still I knew, she was in good hands and everything wood be fine.

 But that's not it... Saturday night after dinner at our getaway the virus struck Ben. He was sick a few times in the night and by morning I just wanted to get home and take care of my two loves - and rebleach the house ;) we headed right home and skipped the last day of our weekend get away. This weekend was not ideal. I am exhausted! I have been puked on, pooped on, laundry piled up to my eye balls, cleaning all surfaces and taking care of my darlings. All I can say is, God help me to escape the wrath of this bug and to continue to be diligent about keeping my family healthy during theses disease ridden winter months. Don't be surprised if we go into hiding until summer ;) this experience is taking my germ phobia to a whole new level.