24 Hour "Thug"

"Jen?"

"Mm-wha?"

"It's Sprite."

"Wha?"

"She threw up. Come on!"

My eyes stayed shut as I followed John to Sprite's room. It was too dark to be coherent.

The smell hit me first. She really was sick. I opened my eyes to see Sprite sitting up in bed, softly moaning her stomach's protests.

John and I moved immediately as a team, one changing and consoling our daughter, the other swapping out her sheets, taking away the sick and bringing in the clean smell of laundered cotton.

"She was fine at bedtime," he murmured, trying to keep her head clear of her dirty nightgown while getting it over her head.

"Yeah, but I heard some of the parents at daycare saying their kids had come down with a 24 hour stomach bug and it started just like this."

"I'd appreciate a warning next time though."

(John's words have been repeated time and again by hapless parents who can only react to a 24 hour bug. These micro-viruses spring themselves out when they're least expected, the only warning being moments prior when a young child's stomach gurgles and you get a courtesy "I don't feel so good". Sometimes, you don't even get that. At least with colds, you have a day or so to build up to the main event, plan ahead for what you need to do. These intestinal maladies? It's fight or flight and you have two seconds to get your head in the game or your furniture and floors will be down for the count. The kids may be suffering through the bug, but it takes the parents down as well when it disrupts routines and you become home base a/k/a security blanket for little Susie until she begins to feel normal again.)

"Should we give her anything?" I asked, her soiled linens grasped at an arm's length. (I'm not good with vomit, whether or not it's my own child's.)

"No, just swish her mouth out and have her come down a bit. Hopefully, this is just a one time upset." John took her to do just that and brought her back a little more calm and ready for sleep.

"Are we keeping her home tomorrow?" Thoughts of Sprite missing meeting Santa, who was making an appearance at her daycare, ran through my head. The poor kid had been looking forward to it. Would she still get the gift we had sent in ahead of time for Santa to take the credit for? Would we get our five bucks back for the picture that never happened?

"Hopefully, she'll be fine. If it happens again, we'll keep her home."

We tucked her in and retreated once more to our room, the clock reminding us that we had to be up in four hours.

As soon as I settled in though, I could hear the coughing and gagging on the monitor. She was sick again. "John, I hear her."

Again, we rushed to her room, this time John stripping her down for an impromptu bath as I raided her sheet supply once more. (Anyone in our family still want an idea for Sprite's Christmas gift? We need toddler sheets apparently..) We moved in fast rhythm, plopping her back into bed once more.

Forty-five minutes later, "Daaaaaddyyyyyyy!"

"She's staying home," John mentioned, tucking a thrice cleaned Sprite into our bed for some late night Mickey cartoons, and grabbing his wallet for a 3 AM run to Walmart, pedialyte the only thing on his list as I placed a call to my boss's voicemail, the infrequent but still guilt inducing requirement of a working mother .

Sprite seemed to be in a better mood and we fell asleep together, lulled by the soft sounds of the television.

The sunlight woke me up. I lay there for a second thinking I was late, then felt a small foot in my back. Oh. Yeah.

I snuggled her warm body, "Hi there. Feeling better?"

She smiled back, "Yes."

I hugged her once more. She hadn't complained since the last time we'd cleaned her up. Maybe this 24 hour bug was almost over. (Okay, I HOPED it was almost over. How long do 24 hour bugs get counted for? From the time they actually begin or the time you first notice they're there? I was praying we had experienced virus's grand finale.)

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I want a pancake."

John shrugged, overhearing. "You can try it, see if she keeps it down."

Going about the morning routine as if the last 8 hours had never happened, I fed her pedialyte and a waffle. Her spirits were fine. Her attitude was fine. It was going to be a rare free day of cartoons, drawing, and-

"Jen! Get over here!"

I ran to the kitchen where Sprite cried out in horror, her hands trying to comb her hair out of her messy face, her breakfast on the floor, and John standing in front of her, his work clothes baptized by her stomach's refusal to play by the rules.

It never happened again after that mishap. I gingerly rationed out the pedialyte for her throughout the morning, refusing to give her anything else while John finally got himself cleaned off and to work. Wanting to keep her in one spot and her system from being bounced around by the usual toddler antics, I played any Disney movie she wanted, allowing her a late lunch of crackers, always on the watch for the big bad bug to repeat itself.

By dinnertime, she was gunning for chicken nuggets and trying to mount Blue. "Ride like the wind, Bullseye!" she crowed. (Toy Story would be proud.) I finally let my guard down, sure she would be back in school the next day, just in time to join her classmates in performing their holiday show.

I'm hopeful that this 24 hour bug doesn't decide to come back for an encore during their "Jingle Bells" routine or the "Hey!" will be a lot more heartfelt and may involve finger pointing.

Comments

[Rachel]

ohhhhhhhhh, poor Sprite! And I totally sympathize with how unpleasant that was, I am not good with vomit either. At all. Sympathy gagging not good. I'm glad she's better!

[vodkamom]

G. Boy was sick in preschool. He threw up for TWO DAYS STRAIGHT and we ended up in the hospital for a day and a half.

Yikes. HOpe all is well.

[Michele]

Ugh! I don't do vomit well either. JR takes care of all soiled objects lest I add to his burden.

I hope this is a 24 hour thing. Get well soon, Sprite!

[Arwen]

Aww. No fun at all. Hope she is better.

[Becca]

Poor baby. I hope all is well very soon...like right now. LOVE!

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

Aw, poor Sprite. Poor you and John!
Hopefully by now all is well and the laundry is done...

[Julie]

I put down a mattress pad cover then a sheet and another mattress pad cover and a sheet (normally after the first time she throws up) so that if it happens again, I can take off one soiled set and don't have to make the bed again. Or two sheets with towels in between. This worked when we went through a similar situation Tuesday night. I feel like I'm still recovering from the lack of sleep!

I hope that Sprite is 100% and that you and John don't catch it. Take care you guys!

[Stacy (the Random Cool Chick)]

Ohhhhhhh! Poor Sprite! And poor you and John - so far those kind of 'thugs' haven't triggered Princess Nagger from anointing us with her stomach contents - I don't do so well with vomit either. Glad it does sound like it was only the 24 hour kind...hope she's feeling much better! ((HUGZ!!))

[Jenni]

poor thing! glad she better today, and i hope santa left her her present,

[Jan]

Oh, I remember those days. The Young One, who has always been rather, well, sprightly in the mornings (and ravenous, as well) would occasionally wake up, act like a zombie and immediately hurl all over everyone and everything in his path. By the evenings, he was always fine.

Poor little Sprite; I hope all goes well for the Holiday program today.

[Libby]

I think I would rather have the mother of all stomach flus than watch my baby suffer. Poor sprite. Poor you and John.

[Cyndi]

aww, hope she's feeling better soonest and there are other holiday delights to enjoy.

[Heather]

Hope you get better soon, Sprite!

Nothing like a sick child to make you realize you have a shortage of sheets!

At least John helped! My hubby would take one look at the mess and then add to it.

[Robin]

It actually makes me feel better to know I am not the only one who doesn't handle vomit well. But you did way better than I would... I run the other way. (Yeah, I am in trouble with this one, I know.)
Hope Sprite is feeling better.

[kyooty]

Well that's another bug off the list of things to get later :)

[Anne]

I hope Sprite is feeling better and was able to return in time for the holiday show. You were very brave. I always want to run from the room screaming when there is vomit.

[VandyJ]

Why do these things always hit in the middle of the night? Hope things get better with morning's light--sounds as though they did.

[Keely]

Aw, poor Sprite! I've been a human pillow during a more-than-24-hour version, it's not fun. Hope she keeps everything down.

[Arwen]

Look, I finally made it back into the Spin Cycle:

http://desertspor.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-goodies.html

[mrsbear]

Gah! Stomach bugs are the. worst. Hands down. We've fielded plenty. And often it's a domino effect at our house. Poor Sprite. Hope she's feeling better and can participate in tomorrow's festivities. You guys have the tag team clean-up down pat. Nice work!

[Captain Dumbass]

Ah, late night puke-a-thons.

[jessica]

Oh I hope she feels better. I gotta tell you in all the time I've worked in the hospital, I still cannot be around a puker. I have that reflex to puke myself.

[Laufa]

Glad she is feeling better!!

[Kendra]

I hope she feels better stat. We had our 24 hour bug (which turned into about 48) the week of Thanksgiving! IT came out of nowhere. The joys of being a parent of a toddler. They have no idea when they are sick!

[The Stiletto Mom]

One time, Miss G Exocist vomited on/at me in a very nice restaurant in Vail, Co. Sometimes you never get a warning, and it's always at the worst time! So glad she is better!