Saved by rock n roll

This has been a long week. Unforgivably long. Monday started out fine, but ended with the beginning of the kid’s first-ever stomach bug. Just an upset stomach and a lot of diapers* at first, but then we were up all Tuesday night while he got to experience vomiting for the first time. (And I mean all night. I think we slept maybe 30 minutes.) He didn’t ever spit up much at all as a baby, so this was truly a new experience for him and he was NOT pleased with his newfound skill. Wednesday morning, more vomit from the kid, and then I started in too. You know, just to keep him company. Ugh. Billy is a hero (yes, I meant to get that song stuck in your head) and took a sick day from work to take care of us both.

I’ve been feeling better today, if a bit rundown, and no one is throwing up anymore, but the kid nursed pretty much nonstop today, so I’m totally drained. Literally drained. He wouldn’t go down for his nap today, then finally conked out on the couch around five. Relief! Rest for the kid! Rest for the mom! Yea! So he woke up ten minutes later, tearful. I was near tears myself.

Only one thing for it. I picked him up, held him tight, and played Velvet Underground. Loud. We danced like that through about ten songs, and by the time Billy got home from work and started dancing with us, everything felt alright**.

*After a particularly strong diaper-filling, Thumper looked at Billy and said, “There’s a wildebeest in my diaper!”

**Alright in the Lou Reed*** sense of the word, of course.

***I can no longer hear Lou’s voice without remembering that my dear friend Regina is a member of the “People Lou Reed Was Mean To” Facebook group.

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18 comments on “Saved by rock n roll
  1. Katie says:

    HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. I wondered why you were so quiet. I was hoping you were off doing something fun or writing or anything but Pukefest ’09.

    Wildebeest?

    I walked past Lou Reed in daylight on 43rd a few months back. He looks terrifying.

  2. Mary K. in Rockport says:

    It’s an especially memorable moment when the kid vomits into your hair. Oh yes.

  3. Cara says:

    The nursing while sick thing? Absolute TORTURE. I did the puking thing a couple weeks ago. Now I’m sick again.

    Literally drained.

    Feel better – all of you!!!

  4. Ginny says:

    Ugg, hope all you feel better, ASAP.

  5. terhi says:

    Oh no. 🙁 I hope you all get some rest soon!

  6. claudia says:

    Oh, babe. I hope its better today.

    Completely unintentionally, you’ve made me feel better about my own day.

  7. Sharon says:

    Oh No, I especially love the way kids pass on their ilnesses to you! You have done well to make it so far without a vomiting experience though…. if that is means anything to you!

  8. Kim says:

    Velvet Underground to the rescue. Glad you and Thumper are on the mend.
    Lou Reed wasn’t mean to me (never met him, but did see him at the Bottom Line in NYC), but Joe Jackson was snotty and Jello Biafra was downright rude.

  9. heather says:

    air hugs to you all. (don’t want to get too close.)
    holler over at us if you need me to run any errands, collect soup/groceries, etc. for you kids. i’m happy to do it, just promise you won’t breathe on me.

  10. Kristy says:

    Oh god, the wildebeest in my diaper thing is the best thing I’ve heard all week, and I have my own two year old quote machine. So good. I hope you kids are back on solids soon!

  11. regina says:

    Wildebeest? Sorry if this is TMI, but you just made me spit tea all over. That reminds me of Fred Schneider singing “there’s a monster in my pants,” though I know Fred wasn’t talking about a full diaper.

  12. Ah … mother humor. Nothing like it.

  13. Knittripps says:

    Yuck, being sick is no fun. Hope everyone is feeling better now!

  14. Heather says:

    Shudder. Hope you’re both feeling better (and that Billy doesn’t come down with it!) soon.

  15. lakin says:

    shudder is right. kudos to Billy for hanging in there and helping out. you made me recall that special exhaustion of caring for a sick little one while tossing your own toast and crackers. Man oh man, not much else comes close to it. Glad to hear you’ve hit bottom and are on the upswing. Make Billy swig echinacea.

  16. Brad Green says:

    I remember my son’s first stomach bug. He’d eaten hot dogs earlier. We were on vacation in Steamboat Springs. I’m pretty certain it must have been pretty there.

  17. Reyna says:

    The bug is the worst. Thought we’d all DIE. You made it. Next time will be easier. For real.

    The wildebeast comment is brilliant. You might have yourself a little writer there (oh, no!).

    Is Lou Reed as mean as Allen Ginsburg was to us? Perhaps we should we start a group…

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