Calm Before the Storm

The phrase "The Calm Before the Storm" was a very popular phrase in my house when i was growing up. I didn't fully understand what my parents were always talking about when they used it about Barrett and I but today I understand fully. Allen, Noah, my dear friend Elizabeth, and I all went to the pro life march downtown today. On the way home, Noah fell asleep in the car (that almost NEVER happens anymore). I thought for sure he would wake up after we dropped off Elizabeth at her home and we pulled into ours. Nope. Noah didn't budge. So I carried that HUGE, HEAVY boy into the house and layed him on the couch thinking he would wake at any moment. Nope. Kept right on snoring. Allen went upstairs and took a nap so I was downstairs, in a quiet house, not really sure what to do. Not that there was much i could do since Noah was asleep on the couch and Allen was asleep in our bedroom. I figured it would be a good time to start on the book Aunt Lisa got me the day before. I read 6 chapters and then realized that it was still strangely quiet in my house for it being a Friday afternoon. That, my friends, is what you call "the Calm Before The Storm".

After a 2 hour nap, Noah woke up. The "storm" immediately hit at that moment. Noah told me his head hurt. Then he said his ears and throat hurt. I could tell by looking at him that he didn't feel well. I could see it in his eyes. He felt really warm so I took his temperature and sure enough he had a fever. 101.6. Poor guy. Just like that. I mean he was FINE just hours before.

Why is it that kids (or maybe just mine) seem to get sick on a Friday afternoon when the doctors offices are all closed for the weekend? I thought for sure he had strep or an ear infection because Noah NEVER complains of ear or throat pain...even when he has strep and ear infections. I figured since he was complaining of both, plus the fever, that it was real. I loaded him in the car almost immediately and headed to Children's Healthcare. It is only a 20 minute drive and about 5 minutes from our house Noah told me he felt sick to his stomach. I pulled over as fast as i could but he told me he was fine. we kept driving. 10 Minutes later, poor Noah starts throwing up EVERYWHERE. All over himself, all over my car, just all over. I was almost to the office but not close enough. It just kept coming. and coming. and coming. I kept telling him we were almost there, just hold on, you are doing great. I cut in front of the long line of traffic waiting to turn left. I just went right on up to the front. Then, I didn't even wait for the light to turn green, i started honking my horn as i went through the intersection. Highly illegal. But what was i supposed to do? My child was covered in his own throw up literally from head to toe. I can't even describe the smell. We pulled in to the parking lot and i was overwhelmed. Allen stayed home to start dinner so i was all alone. I got Noah out of the car, pulled the throw up covered car seat out of the car and just sat it on the ground. I wasn't too afraid that anyone was going to steal it, i mean it WAS covered in throw up. I called Allen and told him he had to come clean out my car and bring Noah some more clothes since i had no idea how long we would be in there. I stripped Noah down to his undies to learn that even his undies had throw up on them. My boy is talented. Luckily, Children's gave us 2 gowns that Noah was able to put on. One around the front and one around the back. Now mind you, 30 minutes before this, I was sitting on my couch, reading my book while everyone else was sleeping. Now, I am standing in the freezing cold, stripping my child of his throw up covered clothes in my throw up covered car.

Children's was AWESOME!! They were so great in helping me get Noah all fixed up, the throw up clothes taken care of, and got us in right away to see a doc. I think everyone else in the waiting room was glad too since they could smell us. To my surprise, Noah does not have strep or ear infections. The doctor was surprised too actually. She said Noah's throat looked swollen and was sure it was strep. Guess not. Just a virus. They even let Noah wear the ever so stylin' gowns home that he loved. Personally I think Noah liked it because he didn't have on any underwear under the gowns. Silly boys.

So after we left you would have thought i was a total liar when i told you Noah is sick. He has been bouncing off the walls ever since. Maybe, just maybe, tonight when Noah falls asleep, i will be able to read some more of my book.