Sunday, January 18, 2009

Don't Read This While Eating Breakfast!

As if you need more evidence of me being an unfit parent...here goes.. confession time. I love my kids, of course, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE babies, even toddlers the most! I enjoy the youth and adolescence occasionally (I've yet to discover the endearing quality in the teen- ager), but really after the age of 8, I've noticed that the talking back, attitude, and dramatics have slightly tarnished my love affair with these little people.

One thing, however, that I do not miss from the baby stages, is cleaning up puke, specifically- baby bed,disinfecting the spindles of the crib, scrubbing carpet, 8 loads of laundry, bath at 3AM, baby puke!

Once the kids are no longer confined by the bars of a crib, can recognize what that rumbly in their tumbly means, and have the ability to run to the bathroom and GOD WILLING- make it to the toilet, they have really reached a huge milestone. In my opinion, it's up there with potty training!


Unfortunately, with some monster stomach bugs, this milestone isn't foolproof. Sadly, my daughter was cursed with one such bug at 3:30 this morning!

Now, when a child makes it to the toilet - I'm there! On bended knee, squatting next to them...pulling their hair out of the way, rubbing their back, running a cool rag over their forehead and neck, softly encouraging it'll be Ok, honey.

But when a kid throws up in her nice and clean bedroom in the middle of the night (and, of course, her bed is the FURTHEST from the door!)


and continues to throw up as she treks down an obnoxiously long hallway to the bathroom leaving a yak trail the ENTIRE way, my compassion doesn't come as easy. (The right side of that picture looked like a 9 year old exploded!)

Instead of standing vigil next to her and her porcelain god, I was busy shedding the bed linens, wiping down the walls and ceiling, steam cleaning the carpets, wondering what time Target opens to buy new mini-blinds and an alarm clock and disinfecting the room and the vomit trail so I'm not doing the same thing within the next 24 hours with one of the other kids!

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25 comments:

Ronda's Rants said...

Not good!
It has always fallen to me to be the puke picker-cleaner-upper as Hubby has a "queasy tummy"
And now that my little darlings are gone...I clean up aging cat puke! Old cat...not the puke!
Okay...I am off to breakfast...Have a good day and I hope she feels better today!

Piece o' Coconut Cake said...

Ugh, that's not good...I just thank sweet baby Jesus that the Peanut has an immune system of an alien. Last puke I had to clean up was the puppies-both of them! I guess they both got into the same thing. AND THEY SLEEP WITH US. One I managed to grab when I started hearing the heaves but Domino is a quiet, stealth puker and I wasn't able to pull her in time...blech.

Kim said...

Thankfully, my husband is good at cleaning up the puke, but he dry-heaves the entire time! I am always in charge of the child - usually getting them to the vomit spot (toilet) and cleaning them up (in the shower or tub). We still have one who is learning the correct vomitting procedures.

Deb said...

ugh, i feel ya. both of mine are professional projectile vomiters. i can't deal with it... last time that happened here, i just ripped up my carpet in the hallway, literally, and set it out for the garbagemen.

Nicole Marie said...

Tena...you are by far top 3 of my list of favorite bloggers! This post says it all! And my hubs...NO HELP! I have a 2 1/2 yr old and a 9 month old...so I've got a couple more years of puke trails.

Annie said...

I think my worst was when I brought the a bucket ( like a sand pail) to Delaney and she made it in the bucket but my feet kept getting puke dripping on them. Yep- hole in the bottom of the bucket! ICK! Hope she feels better!

Ash said...

Aw honey - it amazes me how this stuff always hits in the middle of the night.

When's the last time you heard an adult puking at 3 A.M.?

You know, other than me after that late night at Bunko?

Hugs to you. Hope the germies don't spread!!

Jen said...

My heart goes out to you (and of course your daughter). I can totally sympathize because we went through the same thing a few weeks ago. This bug is fierce! I really don't do well with puke clean-up. I hope you all stay germ free and this was just a flukey puke.

Mrs4444 said...

That is the WORST!
I guess you should run to Target for some "puke buckets," as a precautionary measure.

won said...

OMG...is that your child's bedroom? It is beautiful!!!

And yes, I understand that is because the puke part was not shown.

Really beautiful!

Anonymous said...

That just sucks.

Did you make it to Target?

Do you need another anal retentive Mom to come and do the white-glove-disinfectant check with you?

amelia bedelia said...

oh poor thing....i have been there and its not fun!

Mary@Holy Mackerel said...

Ick. Yuck. Double yeccch. Nothing worse than uncontrolled baby puke. I feel for you.

Susan said...

Right with ya on this one.... I think we're great moms- trying to keep the germs from spreading around the house!!!

Deb said...

Oh gees. That sounds like my night a few weeks ago. Uggh.

Tiffany said...

Oh I know how you feel.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the heads up. i was looking forward to the day when I didn't have to catch my toddlers puke in my hands. Which I thought was awfully nice of me. Considering he already shits on me when he has diarrhea. And I also got really anxious when you said you loved the baby/toddler phase, because after this weekend of illness with him I was looking for one of those "safe haven" places. Thought you might be up for that challenge. Ha just kidding peeps, don't call CPS on me! Well I at least hope she felt better when she was done re=painting the hallway!

Aracely said...

Wait,what? You disinfect the spindles? That's top notch mama ;)Sorry about pukie, hope she's better now.

Jenni said...

Oh nooooooo...

Dennis and Leslie said...

Oh no, I'm so sorry! Well, I think that kid puke is better than big, adult puke! Hope she's feeling better soon! Why don't you just make her a little bed in the bathroom so she is closer to her porcelain god???

p.s. LOVE their little white beds, so cute!

jill jill bo bill said...

We have that crap, too, here. I do mean crap.

Anonymous said...

Oh god, I wish my kids would stop vomiting in their beds (cots) - can't wait until they can get to the loo in time.

Terri said...

you have such a descriptive way with words Tena. Blech, I might add.

My Three Girls (The A girls) said...

just so you know that you are not alone in this battle. I am right there with you. Your duaghter's room is adorable....Do you want to come decorate my daughters room?

My Three Girls (The A girls) said...

PS....for little ones who are puking.....we use towels. I put towels down and if they happen to get sick it is on the towels not the sheets, keep changing the towels instead of the sheets.