sick kids Archives - Nesting Story

That Was Really Scary (Vlog 4)

Last week I had one of those parenting moments that really scares the crap out of you. During my seven years in motherhood I thought I had seen it all. But last week Mia had a very high fever that we just couldn’t bring down.

On top of Mia being sick, the rest of us were dropping like flies. Motherhood is definitely not a picture of perfection. It’s messy and exhausting and beautiful all at once. Here’s a behind the scenes look at my scary parenting moment.

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A Day In The Life 3 (Video) – With Four Kids, Including Twin Toddlers

In our family’s most recent “day-in-the-life” video, what was supposed to be a typical day, ended up being a day home with a sick twin.

Before starting the day, I took some time for myself, including fitting in a workout, throwing on some makeup and even doing my hair. But a cold had been circling our house, and when Mike and I walk into Mia and Everly’s room we make a grim discovery.

Follow along as I juggle everything from sick kids, to work, play time, date night and even some time for myself.

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When The Stomach Flu Hits And 7 Tips On How To Survive

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF CHILDREN HAVING THE STOMACH FLU. IF YOU ARE NOT A PARENT OR A PAEDIATRIC NURSE, CAUTION!

Having the stomach flu is the worst. But when you are a parent and both you and your children are sick, it is hell.

The first time my husband, Mike, and I experienced the stomach flu as parents, our son was 18 months old, and I was eight-months-pregnant with our daughter. It hit me first, HARD. I was so bad that I was admitted to the hospital for dehydration and observation. After Mike had gone home and relieved the babysitter, our son became violently ill. Mike did what we always did back then, panic and then raced him to the emergency room.

Fast forward to today. We have been parents for six years and we have four kids. I would say that we know a thing or two now about handling the stomach flu with kids.

Last Thursday, I had just dropped our older kids off at school when Everly, (one of our 17 month-old twins), started projectile vomiting ALL. OVER. THE. CAR.

I am not talking a cute little spit up, I am talking about the kind of fake looking projectile vomiting you saw in movies like Stand By Me in the pie eating contest scene. I had to just watch it happen in horror in the rear-view-mirror. By the time I had turned around and got home, I sat in my car, in my driveway, for a few minutes making a game plan. Handling this kind of mess with toddler twins is not easy.

I rode out Everly’s stomach flu for the rest of the day. Cleaned up and sterilized and went on with my week. By Saturday we thought we were in the clear. But sure enough, Mia, Everly’s twin, fussed most of the night, ending with a full blown stomach flu. We survived this one by having Mia bunk with me, while Mike slept on the couch.We did another round of cleaning and once again thought we were in the clear. But on Monday, Mike wasn’t feeling so hot. I threw my back out and he decided to stay home to take me to the chiropractor. But by Monday evening both Mike and I were very sick. Then a couple hours later, it was Holden, and then by 4:30 a.m., it was Beau.

Let me tell you, nothing tests your strength like taking care of someone else who is vomiting, while you are vomiting. The four of us were like a scene out of Bridesmaids.

By Tuesday morning, we felt like we had been through a war. We kept Mia and Everly home because Mia did a little puke-fake-out that morning.

But, unlike when we were first parents, Mike and I knew how to handle the stomach flu like pros. Here’s how:

1. Have a plan. When one of our toddlers throws up, we know that I take the patient and bathe them while Mike cleans up the mess, changes the bedding and rinses and throws the soiled bedding into the washing machine. I am usually the one that then goes back around and sterilizes. We probably did 12 loads of laundry within a span of 10 hours this week.2. Prepare for more than one vomit session. It is rare that being sick in our home happens only once. It’s like sneezes, they come in a series. Be prepared for the next round. The best way to protect your home and reduce clean-up is to use towels. If your child/baby is still in a crib, cover the ground under and around the crib in towels and have fresh bedding nearby. If your child is in a bed, use pee-pads and then cover their pillow, bed and ground beside the bed in towels. This time, we made beds for our older kids (ages four and six) with towels in the bathroom. They slept there for most of the night and used the toilet when needed. Take plastic bowels, tupperware, or better yet, those kidney shaped bowls you can get at the hospital, and place them all over your house.3. Know what to stock up on. We have our list of anti-nauseants, medicines and fluids we stock up on immediately. That is usually one of Mike’s jobs. Here’s our go to list: ginger ale, Pedialyte, Advil, Tylenol (or tempra), Gravol (anti-nauseant), Gatorade and Vitamin Water. Find more tips here.

4. Understand why your kid is throwing up. Maybe this is a no brainer for most, but Mike and I didn’t realize this until our many unnecessary trips to the ER, that there is more than just “the stomach flu” reason that kids throw up. Most of the time, the subsequent throw-ups are from either a fever, or dehydration. This is why we keep our kids on a Tylenol/Advil rotation (talk to doctor before to find out what is best for your family) and why we immediately start giving our kids fluids that contain electrolytes. 5. Go into survival-mode, ignore the mess, but keep your home clean. Does that make sense? Keep cleaning your toilets, light switches, door handles etc… with a product like Lysol wipes, but ignore all of that clean laundry that is piling up, waiting for you to fold and put away. You can leave that for another day. Also, if your kids need a day or two home from school to bounce back. Let them make a bit of a mess so you can recover too. You can read more about survival mode here: The Single Phrase That Will Help You Survive Parenthood.

6. Cancel everything. Luckily I have a job where I work alongside a lot of other mothers who have been exactly in my shoes. So when I say, sorry, I can’t make that deadline because of the STOMACH FLU… they immediately understand and say a little prayer for me. We learned a long time ago that no one wants to be anywhere near your kids when they have recently had the stomach flu. So don’t try to be a hero. Quarantine yourselves until you are way on the other side!

7. Don’t lose your s*#@! Our kids throwing up used to cause Mike and I to freak out and lose it on each other under the pressure. I don’t know if it is because the stomach flu doesn’t scare us as much now, because we know what our plan is, or we are just on the same page more than ever. But we are good at taking turns, both pitching in, and speaking up when we are at our breaking point now.

I have to say, when the sun comes up, the clouds part and you realize you are on the other side of the stomach flu, you feel this amazing accomplishment. You not only survived it, but you nursed your kids back to health too. After you have been through a family-shared stomach flu, everyday life doesn’t look nearly as stressful as it used to.

The Art Of Trading Off

Last week, illness entered our house. It took hold of our twins one by one and then circled back to each of them once more.

My husband Mike and I know exactly what to do when our kids are sick. After more than six years of being parents and having four kids, we have figured out what medicines to use, how much to give, how to hydrate, when a cry is a “sick cry,” who cleans the sick child while the other changes the sheets and at what point they need to see a doctor.

But when your child is only sleeping in 30 minute intervals, and has you awake for most of the night, it can feel like you are in a pressure cooker.

For the first part of the night, we usually have our rhythm. But then this point hits, where we would start to snap at each other and fight about things that don’t even make sense.

Over the years we have learned that it is so important, (especially when an illness lingers), that we communicate with the other person when we feel like we have nothing else left to give.

A few days into our outbreak, Mike was unravelling. In fact, he was telling me about things that were irritating him that didn’t even make sense to me. It reminded me of when I get really bad PMS and my nerves feel raw.

I took charge and told him that I was taking over. I did all of the night waking, medicine administering and comforting. He slept and recharged.

But by Saturday morning, although Mike was back to himself again, I was the one who was crashing. Only for me, it was a physical toll the stress and lack of sleep was taking.

He immediately jumped into action, took over with the kids and let me hide in bed all morning. I knew that the house might be a mess when I emerged, but I was okay with that.

Eventually the days passed and everyone is healthier. Although we each feel a bit ragged, there is this sense of victory that we feel.

If you and your marriage are going to survive parenthood, and yes I am using the word survive, then you need to not only master the art of “survival mode,” but of also “trading off.”

That includes communicating with the other person when you are DONE and avoid picking meaningless fights, or snapping at the other person. This also means that when the other person is in charge, you give up control. You don’t micromanage or judge if other things fall by the wayside.

We all go through it. Having sick kids sucks. But there is something incredibly rewarding when your little one turns the corner, starts smiling again and life returns to normal… at least until the next illness hits.

Here is a video of me emerging from my Netflix cocoon on that Saturday morning…