The Evil Norovirus

Let me begin this post with an apology.

I am truly sorry that I haven't posted in weeks.  I hope you're all still out there and are anxiously awaiting my next post.  I'm also a little sad because this blog is a way for me to keep tabs on what happened in MiniM.E.'s life too.  I guess its like a journal or a diary.  Sort of.  Except that I'm putting it out there for everyone to read.  AND it's hardly about me at all.  I digress...

WARNING: the following paragraphs are a bit graphic.  If you're eating a snack right now, you should probably stop.  Or quickly scroll down to the part with the picture.

Two and a half weeks ago the norovirus hit our house.  HARD.  I'd heard stories of vomiting children and children with diarrhea and laughed along as fellow moms told horror stories of the puke they had to clean off the ceiling and the poop that seeped through two pairs of pants and a towel onto the couch, Fortunately (or unfortunately as I wasn't prepared for what happened) for me, MiniM.E. has never been a puker- maybe a couple spit-up episodes here and there.  She's had her share of poop-splosions, but I never expected what I encountered for a week after the virus hit.

MiniM.E. started with the virus by puking up all food and drink consumed over at least a 12 hour period onto my laminate kitchen floor from my arms resulting in an amazing splatter that reached the underside of the kitchen table, the stove, the fridge all cabinets and the better part of a wall.  She didn't keep anything down for 24 hours.  Though a lot of stuff came up.  On the couch, on me, on the crib, on the floor.  It was a little ridiculous.  The vomit was followed by a week of diarrhea to which I will only say that we went through more outfits than we would have in weeks, I did more laundry than I do in a month, there were several  bath-worthy occasions and in an undisclosed parking lot, there may still be a pile of poo.

In the middle of the second half of MiniM.E.'s virus I got it, then Bob got it.  Thankfully my mom came to take care of MiniM.E. while neither of us could get out of bed, but then SHE got it.  Finally we were all better enough to make a trip to NH, though it was a day later than we expected.

SO, that explains the first half of my blogging hiatus.

This is the only picture I have of MiniM.E. for at least a week.  And it's her in a pile of (clean) laundry.  Because that is all I did for what seemed like a week.

Some Catching Up... Or Catching Things...

This past week I've been sick.  Arg.  I feel like I've been sick more this year than I have been in ages.  I wasn't even sick this much when I was teaching elementary art.  I'm talking kids wiping their noses then touching you, or putting something in their mouth and handing it to you, or worse, sneezing right in your face when you're talking to them.  It must be another fantastic perk of being a mom.  Awesome.

Anyway, it was struggle enough to pretend I was having a blast pulling MiniM.E. around in the laundry basket for hours on end while I was really ready to curl up in a ball and die.  Luckily, I pushed through it and am still alive.  I don't think MiniM.E. suffered too much.  Except for maybe the few hours that I totally curled up on the couch in a blanket and watched her watch the "tee" (TV).  Don't judge, it was Baby Songs, a totally ghetto DVD made from a 30 year old VHS tape that actually teaches things and is so slow moving that I don't have to worry about it affecting her attention span.  AND for the record, I can now take a shower without piercing screams echoing in the background.

Fortunately, aside from a hacking cough (which I am praying is not waking up my napping baby), I am better.

UNfortunately, while sick I not only neglected writing blog posts, I also neglected everything else I usually do around the house AND the baby shower I am co-planning and putting on THIS WEEKEND.  So this post will have to be short and sweet.  Starting now.  The beginning was totally procrastination.  But now, I really have to go do stuff.  Unless MiniM.E. wakes up.  Which she might.  If I sit here and keep writing and checking e-mail and shopping for Christmas presents long enough.  Then I won't have to do any of those things.  I'll have to play with a baby...

So, to recap the last week or so, MiniM.E. is super cute, as always

Walking everywhere

Loves to swing

especially the big kid swing

Is learning to help out and clean up

Is finding more and more things we need to baby proof

Is mastering new skills like jumping (almost)

And the magna doodle

Went in her first bounce house

Sat at the park at the grown up table

Likes to play in the dirt

Is having a blast in the big tub

Loves pretending to take naps

And still isn't a very good napper.  Though she definitely is cute when she's sleeping.

Aaannndd... She's up!  Mission avoid housework and baby shower planning: Accomplished.