New Year's Bowl

I wish I were speaking of a bowling tournament involving a little round, heavy ball. Or even the many College Bowl games we watched over the weekend. Alas, we Tepkers brought in the New Year over the Toilet Bowl. Literally. I heard the countdown as the party-goers laughed and drank a floor below, heard the excitement as fireworks blasted in the sky, and I dashed to the Toilet Bowl. Kate woke up and joined me 10 minutes later. Owen was just behind her. By 4 a.m., Collin was in on it too. About 5 p.m. the next day (thankfully just as I was starting to come out of my "haze"), Kevin joined the sick-crew.

Imagine fevers, chills, diarrhea, vomiting, excessive thirst, extreme drowsiness (helpful that the sick kids were so tired! they slept nearly the entire illness!), tight chests, hoarse cough (for some), and a grumbly, nasty tummy. Imagine feeling like you'd been stripped of everything. Weak, weak, weak. And dizzy. And unable to keep anything - including water - down. But you want the water anyway. And then you want to sleep. Forever.

Eli had already been sick all day the 31st. Unfortunately for everyone, I didn't realize that he was as sick as he was because he was a total trooper, had only a super mild fever that the thermometer didn't seem to read and only I believed he had, and he'd only thrown up once - on the 30th (and you know how sometimes after nursing, they suddenly just spit/vomit it all back up on a bad cough or something?). Anyway, when his diarrhea hit on the 31st, we were already at Brian and Christi's. I looked at Christi and mentioned that I might keep him away from Piper and her toys - just to be safe. I debated keeping him away from everyone, but the thermometer said he was otherwise ok. After a few hours of no other symptoms and no more bad diapers, I decided his tummy had just been upset (obviously), and he was just "under the weather." His glassy eyes and red face told me he was sick, but it didn't seem like reason to leave; I held him close and got ready to enjoy the party. But I had no idea what we were all in for, and I wish I could turn back the clock for at least the other party-goers (my clan was destined for illness). By the end of the 1st, too many had joined the Toilet Bowl.

At last update, Captain Sick had chosen many more players than Captain Good Health:

16 Sick: Teppies x 6, Brian, Christi, Brannon, Kim, Jordan, Darsha, Megan, Gabby, Janae, Marley

6 Good Health: Piper, Nella, Jared, Tracey, Chrissy, Taylor

We're all in recovery, but who knows if it will last. Collin went for a second round yesterday, after 30 hours "puke-free." I battled hard last night against a rematch (I mostly won). Eli continues to have intermittent diarrhea. I saw a post on FB that suggests Round 2 may be making callbacks of others as well.

All I know right now -- this was a New Year's turnover to remember! (And it really was a nice party, too! I missed the majority of it, but the laughter was booming up the stairs ~ truly a fantastic sign of good times!! Thanks, Brian and Christi!)

*I should point out that we saw my brother and sister-in-law (Zac and Carolyn) and Baby Greta on the 30th, and they ended up bringing in the New Year super sick too. Somehow my parents and my grandmother (GGG), who we also saw on the 30th, escaped the bug. Lucky!

**I also want to note that this bug is everywhere! FB is littered with posts of whole families "down for the count" this New Year's Weekend! Yikes! Beware!