Our Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!

Jesse had an out-of-town workshop this week.  He stayed at a hotel Tuesday night and came home late Wednesday night.  I was looking forward to a date night with Jackson.  My big plans included leaving right after school to pick him up from daycare, going shopping, having dinner at Boston Market, going to the park, and having a bath and story before bed.  The next day was Halloween, which meant Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character Day at school, lots of fun pictures, trick-or-treating, and the great candy swap and dinner with my family in Gastonia.

Yeah, right.  Here's what really happened:

I got tied up with parent conferences that showed up without notice and was later than planned picking Jackson up.

Jackson was clingy, but fine.  We went to Target to pick up two pairs of adult size pink footie pajamas.  (My fifth grade team coordinated to dress like the three little pigs.  I had already cut out pink felt ears and hot glued them onto a cheap headband.  My teammate bought the nose.)

I ordered my meal at Boston Market and an extra side of mac-n-cheese for Jackson.  As the lady was dipping our food, Jackson puked EVERYWHERE.  It was an ungodly quantity that literally drenched both of us.  The Boston Market worker handed me a roll of paper towels and I was on my hands and knees scooping up vomit, while it dripped down my sleeve and skirt.  Poor Jackson was sobbing and still convulsing and throwing up more while I kept cleaning.

Needless to say, dinner and our trip to the park was canceled.  I drove home naked with the windows down.  Of course there was traffic and my gas light was on.  Jackson fell asleep in the car.  Once home, we stripped down and bathed.  I prayed Jackson had everything out of his system and put him to bed.

Jackson woke himself up puking throughout the night.  It became routine to get up every few hours, re-line his crib with clean towels, change his clothes, and start another load of laundry.  I was an emotional mess dealing with everything by myself.  I ended up having multiple panic attacks and took my emergency medication.

Against good judgement, I took Jackson to daycare, knowing that it would only be for a few hours.  He hadn't thrown up in 5 hours and he ate a graham cracker before we left.  He also never had a fever.  I told his teacher that he wasn't feeling well and I would have my cell on and ready to pick him up ASAP, but I had to get things ready at work. 

I arrived at work five minutes before kids entered the classroom.  I hurriedly gave my teammates their pig costumes.  I prepared everything for school and talked to my principal to tell her I wasn't going to be able to stay the whole day.  I wasn't feeling well myself after having restless sleep and not eating.  I got the call from the daycare by 11 saying Jackson had thrown up multiple times.  (I know, I know...Mother of the Year Award, please.)

Wearing my hot pink onesie, I stopped by Harris Teeter to pick up some Pedialyte before picking my sick boy up.  He drank some when we got home and immediately threw up all over the rug and my lap.  Another shower for everyone and we settled in for another nap. 

We repeated this process throughout the day.  I used Lysol and bleached everything, steam mopped, shampooed the rug, did laundry, etc.  We obviously didn't get to celebrate Halloween or go anywhere. 

Jesse came home that evening. My principal emailed me to let me know she was going to do a formal observation on me the following morning.  Jesse agreed to take off work since Jackson couldn't return to daycare. 

And that's how our mommy-son bonding and Halloween festivities took place!