Is it over yet?

Just when we thought spring was on its way, Sunday morning we woke up to a snow covered world once again. In addition to the nasty weather, Zach wasn't feeling too hot, so we decided not to trek through the grossness to church.

Throughout the morning, there were a few very subtle clues that Isaac was also feeling under the weather. He kept saying, "Izey tired," but I thought he was playing, which he sometimes does. He also didn't request a snack, and when I tried to feed it to him, was lackluster about eating it.

Isaac's yucky stomach bug finally reared its ugly head when I was changing Anders's diaper and Zach was taking a nap. Isaac had been watching "Cookie Monsters Inc." and I heard him crying in the living room. I thought he was scared, so I left Anders on the changing table (good thing this kid is still immobile) and ran to grab Isaac away from the movie. When I picked him up, though, instead of relieving his fear, I got chunks of his breakfast and snack all down my neck, shoulder, and back.

Spike went on to throw up five times throughout the day--twice in his crib during nap, once kind of in the toilet, and once all over Zach. That evening he started requesting food and acting normal, so we gave him a couple of crackers and some applesauce, which he ate with gusto.

Bad idea.

That night, in addition to being up four times with a hungry and squirmy infant (gas?), we were up four more times trying to catch puke in a big mixing bowl. We had little warning each time--a quick whiney cry from Isaac sent us bolting into his room, bowl in hand. We were successful two of the four times; the other two times required new sheets, blankies, and jammies. Poor Zach was close to puking, too, but was a champion Daddy nonetheless.

When Anders woke up to eat again at 5:45, I thought, "Oh good, if he eats now, he'll sleep later, and since Isaac was up last night, maybe he'll sleep in until a reasonable hour, too." I should know better than to get my hopes up! When Anders was done eating at 6:10, he was wide awake and so was his big brother! I came in our bedroom, put Anders down on my bed, and cried.

Thank God for Zach. Even though he still wasn't feeling well, he took Anders and Izey and let me go back to sleep until 8:15, when Ando needed to eat again.

Isaac seemed to be doing better Monday, although Zach is was still feeling yucky. That evening we were all going to go for a walk to get out of the puke-infested house and I said to Zach, "I'm scared to even say this out loud, but my stomach is feeling kinda queasy." Zach looked at me with horror.

That night I was violently ill. I don't remember ever being so sick. I hurt muscles in my back from retching. It was nasty. The next day I was barely able to walk from room to room in our condo, so still-sick Zach was in full charge of all of us. Luckily I was still able to nurse Anders each time he needed it.

Finally I was feeling better Tuesday night when, lo and behold, Isaac's vomiting returned. This time it happened twice--once was caught in a bucket and the other all over the crib.

Wednesday Zach was home and finally nobody threw up...but then suddenly on Thursday afternoon, Isaac woke up from his nap with the tell-tale whine and I booked it in his room to find him retching again! Unbelievable! This time I called the doctor--it had now been FIVE days of Isaac being sick--and she said this flu has been lasting seven or eight days. YUCK!

Zach only just went back to work today, Friday. Otherwise we are quarantining ourselves. We have missed out on several planned events this week and will probably have to miss church yet again. This flu is so nasty, I don't want to be responsible for getting yet another household sick. Every family in our small group has had it as well as Zach's boss's family. Apparently even my grandma in Florida got it!

Every time I say I think it's over, it comes back. So I'll just say...pray for us.