The sweet smell of bleach

Today our little bug is feeling much better. It seems that the worst of this illness has indeed passed and she is getting back to our version of normal. In fact, this morning was the first time in three days that I didn't have to strip her sheets as soon as she woke up. Progress.

I wouldn't say, however, that we are fully back in the swing of things. Just to give you a little bit more of what actually happened yesterday: Addie and I were sitting on our couch (that we haven't quite had for a year) calmly reading a library book together. Suddenly she coughed this weird little hack, then about five seconds later, tossed up everything in her stomach (which is apparently enormous) all over me, the still new couch and the library book. Oh so awful.

Stunned, I ran with her to the bathroom where I stripped down to nothing but a bra, my only unscathed piece of clothing. Somehow, Addie managed to get off with barely a drop on her. With a scared and crying girl who may or may not get sick again and a couch that was severely in need of a serious cleaning, I realized quickly that I needed help. I ran through the house, still in only my bra (if any maintenance people in the area witnessed a naked pregnant woman frantically prancing through her home covered in vomit, I apologize), grabbed my phone and told Curt to come home NOW.

I think some of my husband's colleagues thought his wife must be a total worthless slacker for not being able to handle baby puke on her own, but really this was a disaster of epic proportions. If she had gotten sick anywhere else, I could have done it alone, but I think it was hands down the worst possible place in our house for that to happen. Later on last night when we crashed into bed and recapped the day together, my sweet hubs agreed that I absolutely needed help and did the right thing. Thanks, babe.

We made it through the day without another episode (of vomit, that is--her booty had a much rougher time), and an exhausted Addie slept all the way through the night, thank heavens. With that dreadful incident and her illness behind us, this mommy is in major clean-up mode. I think there's just something about vomit that makes me feel like the whole house is a nasty gross mess. Will it ever feel clean again? The answer must be, yes!

Never before have I felt comforted by the smell of bleach--these days I rarely use it--but today it surely is my friend. Our glorious neighbors have loaned us their brand new steam cleaner, which has already taken on the couch cushions and Addie's bathroom floor. Said cushions spent several hours out in the sun with many coats of Febreze getting totally detoxed from any trace of icky smell left behind. I have emptied our arsenal of air fresheners and scented candles and nearly every window of our house is open. More progress.

There is still much work to be done before I'll be able to sit down, relax and feel like the germs have left the building. At this moment my very best friends are a box of latex gloves, the many different forms of Green Works we have acquired and my ever faithful Soft Scrub with Bleach. Next up, the kitchen. See you tomorrow... I'll be the blogger that's sparkling clean!