10/5/07 Katrina's birthday gets the heave-ho

What a mess. Last night before I went out, Julian threw up. Since this usually happens in sets of two, I prepared his bed for another one later, and wasn't disappointed. Except that my preparations were inadequate and I still had to dig up more bedding for him.

Done, right? Nope, just starting. 3am...Dave gets it, so violently that the sounds he made woke Gabriel, who started crying in fear of the "roaring" sounds. In the morning, Dave was feeling weak and achy, and said, "I don't think I'm going into work today." I had a pang of envy. Dads can do that.

Julian seemed OK, well enough to put up a fuss about getting dressed, crying loudly and whining until I had to send him upstairs until he got dressed. While I was dealing with that, Katrina was crying in the high chair, wanting full attention to her breakfast. I turned my attention back to her, only to find Gabriel standing over a new pile of partially digested food on the ground.

Three down!

Fortunately, Katrina was in pretty good shape, and I brought her to Melissa's, with Julian in tow. Back at home, I found that Dave had had another round with the porcelain god, and Gabriel was lying on the couch looking pale and unenergetic. I tended to my sick boys, and thanks in part to some taped PBS shows, I got a nap myself. (While the boys don't watch TV on a regular basis, when they're not feeling well enough to entertain themselves, I don't mind at all sticking in a tape and letting it go.)

After a few sips of Pedialyte, Gabriel lost it one more time, this time on the family room couch. That turned into a 45-minute cleanup job, including a lot of grumbling on my part about the supposed ease of slipcovers "just toss them in the wash." Hah! The afternoon went better, at least.

I took Julian and Katrina shopping at Whole Foods after picking her up from Melissa's, and took advantage of a pumpkin display there for a photo-op.


Then we opened a birthday gift from Bonne Maman and Papa Paul. I never understand why birthday gifts for a one-year-old get packed in peanuts! It was the softest stuffed bear I've ever felt. Why didn't they have things like that when I was a kid? Wow. Gabriel took an immediate liking to it, and Katrina dabbled around at it as well, when he let her.


Not the best video, but for the grandparents: here's the bear unveiling:

(Re-posted, this time from YouTube)

Thanks Bonne Maman and Papa Paul!!


So the day wasn't a total loss, and so far, Katrina and I have seemed to escape this gastroenterological curse. We didn't have the mini family birthday party I'd wanted to do, and I'm making cupcakes for tomorrow. I can't miss an opportunity for that!

And it's neat not to be able to think anymore, "This time last year, I was pregnant!"

10/5/07