MIFS Strikes Again

MIFS is my short version of "Motherhood Isn't For Sissies". And, don't read the following if you have a weak stomach. :)

Sickness has blown through our house this week and just about knocked us completely OUT. I went to the "doc in the box" on Sunday afternoon because I was just sure I was coming down with the flu. Achy, sore throat, clammy, etc. But the flu test came back negative, thankfully, so we just went on about our weeks. Monday everyone was okay, except for this chronic cough Penelope has had. I have seriously seen Dr. Horton three times in the last three months about her cough. Apparently it's "nothing to worry about", but you know how us moms are. Anyway, on Tuesday morning, I went in to wake the babies up, and Maggie was laying in a pile of puke. I mean it looked like she had taken a bath in it or puke-wrestled in it. It must have happened early in the night, because it was pretty much dried to her sheets, clothes, and hair. So Tuesday started with a hot bath and washing all Maggie's bedding on the "Sanitary" cycle. She seemed fine after that, so I figured it was a one-time event. Tuesday night though, she and Penelope coughed those wheezy, deep-throated coughs all night long. So Wednesday we went to see Dr. Horton. Maggie and Penelope both had fevers but their flu tests came back negative as well, thankfully. He said basically keep them comfortable. We were headed from the doctor's office to the bank when Maggie said, "I gotta go potty". I looked back, and she was lifting her bottom off the seat and scrunching it up, making this horrible face. I asked if she could hold it til we got to the bank, and she said she could. So as soon as we got to the bank, I picked her up out of the car seat. . . . and there, on my hands, was runny, slimy poop. It had seeped through her panties and clothes, onto her car seat and into my hands. I couldn't just leave her there, so there at the parking lot of Progress Bank downtown, I stripped her, wiped her with about 20 wipes, put a diaper on her, cleaned her car seat as best I could, and strapped her back in. All the way home, my dress (which had gotten poopoo on it) and the dirty laundry STUNK. I was beginning to wonder if something was up. We stayed home from church Wednesday night. Thursday, I picked Penelope up out of her crib, and she puked all over me. I mean projectile. She did that three more times on Thursday, every time she ate something she puked it up immediately. Needless to say we ran out of Lysol that day. And we buy it in bulk at Sam's, so that's saying something. Allie went to spend some time with her dad on Thursday afternoon, and an hour later he called to say that she was throwing up. Thursday night, I hadn't eaten all day so I knew I needed to eat something, but you know how you feel when you just don't have an appetite because of stomach issues. I rolled through Chick Fil A to get a sandwich. Usually I can't even wait til Iget home from Chick Fil A to tear open the wrapper and devour the thing. But I ate about 1/3 of the sandwich reluctantly when I got home and. . . sure enough, about an hour later, everything I had eaten came back up. I even saw pieces of pickle swimming around in it. (I told you not to read if you had a weak stomach!)
Today we are all just really weak and tired. Allie has apparently thrown up three times now. Maggie and Penelope keep falling asleep. We are trying to drink Gatorade and Pedialyte and water to get ourselves back to normal. I still feel "on the verge" and am afraid to eat anything or feed anything to the girls. But I'm also afraid to go BACK to Dr. Horton's office and be like, "Do we have the flu now?" (think Verizon commercial- "Can you hear me now?") Guess we will keep waiting it out.
Brian, come home and Calgon, take me away!!!