Barf-O-Rama

I am not so sure I have the strength to write this post.  The memory of this illness might haunt me for a long time!  I pushed and pushed last week in order to keep life moving at it's normal chaotic pace while also getting things ready for Claire's big 8th birthday party.  I pushed through the party and afterwards, collapsed in a chair with a sleeping Emily to watch a little television.  I didn't feel great but I had eaten a lot at the party so I just thought I had a tummy ache.  Nope.  11:30 p.m., I am awoken from a dead sleep with that dreaded feeling.  I was going to throw up.  I gave Emily to Damien and sure enough over the next three hours, I threw up three times.  I prayed no one else would get it.  So much for that. 

Damien left for New York Monday morning and it took me all day to finally feel rid of the flu.  Tuesday morning on the way to drop off Matthew at school, Emily barfs in her carseat.  I hoped it was just an isolated incident but by the time I had gotten home she was ready to throw up again.  Awesome!  Home alone with four kids on the precipice of stomach flu!  Doesn't get much better that that!  Emily did pretty well and thankfully- she rallied so I could get things ready for St. Matthew's Day that night.  The house was quiet for a few days and I thought maybe the others wouldn't get it!  Wouldn't that be awesome?  Funny how that didn't happen, either.

Wednesday afternoon, Damien got back from New York.  I was relieved to have help!  That night, I made a delicious pasta with scallops.  At dinnertime, Michael said he wasn't hungry and at 6:30 p.m. he started throwing up.  He threw up all night but was pretty in control.  At 11:00 p.m. I heard a familiar splat sound and knew exactly what it was.  I went in the bathroom to help Michael- but it wasn't Michael in there.  Poor Clairey had woken up from a dead sleep and amazingly made it into the bathroom.  Two more kids had bit the dust.  Were we done or would the fun continue?

Michael and Claire missed school on Thursday and Friday.  Saturday they felt great and played in their soccer games.  On the way to Michael's game- Damien complained that he didn't feel well.  Two hours later, it was confirmed that Damien was this flu's fifth victim. 

Then, we waited for sweet Matthew to fall down with the flu.  For more than a week- this flu was in our home.  Gross.  I just wanted Matthew to get it so we could be done with it.  We waited and waited and waited and you know what?  Matthew never got it!  Our very own Superman managed (with his super powers) to not get the stomach flu!  Finally, we caught a break.  I told a few people that I think the biggest downside to having so many kids is that there a lot of people in this house to pass colds and flus to.  We survived this one and can't believe Matthew escaped what seemed like certain doom.