This post also appeared on www.capecodonline.com/blogs in the opinion section of the Cape Cod Times, a division of Ottaway Newspapers, Inc.
Coming to you from home today where I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mac truck. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s all being blamed on me.
You see I’m the one who suggested that MJ go to a Mommy & Me class in Falmouth last week. I thought it would be good for her to get out, talk to some other moms and have a good time. And I was right about all that stuff, she did have a good time. But I neglected to think about what happens when you get together with 25-30 other little babies and parents. Namely, you submerge yourself in a sea of germs and sickness.
She was sick on Monday. The baby has been sick since Tuesday. And last night, it was my turn. I was just bragging to a co-worker how I had avoided the plague. I was out playing softball last night and started to feel a little crappy. Then I went to play some basketball after softball was over and that’s when it hit. I only made it through the first game and immediately felt my stomach doing flip-flops. My friends were a little surprised that I was leaving after one game, but I needed to get out of there before I lost my lunch all over the place.
To make matters worse, when I got home Will was doing his best excorist baby impression. He cried, and cried and then cried some more. And when he wasn’t crying he was making whiny noises that made it impossible to sleep. With MJ already feeling like crap, I had to take care of him more than usual. The result was no sleep for either of us, both of taking turns being sick and alternately taking care of the baby. He never gave us more than an hour of sleep at a time. It was by far the worst night yet.
As a result of feeling like crap and getting no sleep, I had to take the day off. And since I used up all my sick time on paternity leave, I have to use one of three vacation days I have left. Not ideal. But everyone is sick and there was no way MJ was taking care of Will all be herself today. So now I’m trying to get some sleep at the same time as Will in the hopes that MJ will feel well enough to go to the Celtics game tonight.
What a mess. This is the first time I’ve felt everything unraveling all at once. I’m sure it won’t be the last. And all I can wonder is how a single parent survives.
How awful! Been there- like you said, it makes you appreciate not being a single parent!
Get well soon!
Bummer! Load up on the liquids and vitamins. Watch bad tv from the couch and get better soon!
You have no idea! lol, The first time I got REALLY sick after my ex and I separated, my 3 wee little heathens set a box of cereal ablaze on my ceramic top stove. I had just made them breakfast that I had dragged myself off my couch/final resting place to prepare. I guess my efforts fell short in their opinions and they decided to have a go at some cereal instead. They put the box on the still hot stove top and a few minutes later I rolled over to see my kitchen filling with smoke. The scariest part was that my nose was so blocked up that if I had fallen asleep, I never would have smelled it.
Being a single parent you just push through everything. I guarantee it was a parent who originally came up with the slogan ‘Just Do It’.
Maybe the stomach bug will put you ahead with your weight loss contest?
How’s that going by the way??? I read that you were working out and exercising?
Fill us in!
And here we all just thought you were afraid of getting your butt kicked in the second game. Your blog is great. I’ve got other things to do (here at work) but I can’t stop reading.