An Unsettling Holiday

Odd that my first blog in over three months would have such a horrid topic, but when seven people in your house over the course of seven days get the stomach flu, you HAVE to talk about it. Before I begin though, thanks for welcoming me back. In three months’ time, we had a wedding, I got a new job and Tim got a new job. Apparently, we like to make all big life changes in one year! No I am not pregnant and we haven’t bought a house. Yet. Phew!

And now? The Black Plague of 2011:

It began the Wednesday before Christmas. 11 year old Asher began the fast descent into the stomach flu and I spent the night praying, “Please. PLEASE God don’t let anyone else get it.” You know, that frantic mom-like praying that one prays when the stomach flu is imminent as you picture vomit everywhere, sleepless nights and hands raw from cleaning. I paced like a new father waiting the arrival of his first child as his wife labors. You see, only once before did the entire family get the stomach flu. It was April 2004. Drue (child number 4) was only 3 weeks old. I had put her down after a late night feeding and my head no sooner hit the pillow in new mom relief when I heard the sound of retching from across the hall. I jumped up and found one child awake in bed, covered in it and another, fast asleep covered in it. The next day, the baby started throwing up and I followed the day after that. Four kids under 10 who hadn’t learned aiming just yet and me.

So as you can imagine, I had a little post-traumatic stress going into this round. Asher’s came and went in 24 hours and all seemed right in the world. For two days. Christmas Eve found us at the Bald Eagle United Methodist Church for Christmas Eve service. All five kids were in a play. And Piper began to “feel nervous.” I bribed her with $10 if she’d just do the play for me. I never did have to pay up. She puked twice before the play ever began and we spent the remainder of the service in the fellowship hall with a butter bowl as nerves ended up being “the flu.”

Christmas mornings past, I awoke to anxious kids ready to clamber down the stairs. Not THIS year. I awoke to the sounds of my oldest being sick in the bathroom. When I went to wake the others, I discovered Drue had been sick through the night. Christmas morning throw up laundry. Merry Christmas me.

Poor Bailey left us every few minutes while opening gifts and slept the day away. Tim took the two healthy kids with him to his mom’s for dinner and I stayed home with the sick ones. And the next night? It was my turn and my oldest daughter’s. And poor Tim had to wait three days after that for the other shoe to fall. Seven people in seven days, no matter how much Clorox, Lysol and praying.

What a Christmas! Happy...HEALTHY...New Year everyone!