We took a family drive to Chippewa Falls, WI today. We have been in the market for a new car for Sam and found one that we liked and wanted to see. It was a long drive, but worth it in the end, since we came home with a truck!
But the real fun happened while Sam was on his test drive. The kids and I were chilling in our car. I had been finishing up Anne's Halloween costume and talking to the kids when a salesman said, "We have a nice waiting area inside. You can come in and watch TV." I thought, "Well, the kids can stretch their legs and go to the bathroom." So we unloaded and headed inside. As I unbuckled Anne she said, "My tummy hurts." I replied, "I bet you are hungry." (It was 1:30 and we had not yet had lunch). We went inside and headed for the waiting area. As we passed the bathroom Anne said, "Mom, I need to go potty." So in we went.
If you have ever taken small children into a public bathroom, you know that it requires a bit of skill. Find a place for the purse, establish non-peeing child in a clean area, help other child use the toilet. I got Anne up on the seat and she started to whimper. She went through her usual "sad comments" of "I miss Oma" and "I miss Daddy" In my mind I was thinking, "Gah, just go to the bathroom! I'm crouching on the floor and it is gross!"
In the next few seconds she started making this bizarre noise. It was not gagging so much as a soft grunting sound. I looked at her funny just in time to watch the vomit come pouring out of her mouth AND nose. Most of it landed on the floor in front of her, but plenty was down the front of her coat and in her lap. Anne, to her credit, was completely calm. She did not ever cry or panic. I was just kind of frozen, not sure if I should move her or not. Sammy, on the other hand, COMPLETELY wigged out. The minute he saw the barf he started screaming and crying, "Annie! Annie! I scared! I scared!"
Thus began the dance of Calm-The-Baby, Clean-The-Puke. My text message to Sam was, "CRISIS! WE ARE IN THE LADIES ROOM" It only took him a minute to arrive and remove Sammy from the situation (he apparently continued to freak out outside the bathroom until a kind salesperson gave him some candy).
Back in the bathroom, I took stock of the situation. I had extra pants and underwear for Anne, but no burp rag or extra towel. The bathroom was completely out of paper towels, so we attacked the mess with toilet paper. Anne was a trooper as I cleaned her up, changed her clothes, and then she sat patiently on the floor while I assessed the damage.
I was attempting to wipe/scoop the puke with wads of toilet paper. I did a few swipes, then flushed them away. A few more swipes, flush....toilet is clogged. You have got to be kidding me! I let the tank fill, then tried to flush again...the water began its telltale creep upward instead of down. Thank goodness my mom taught me where the water shutoff is on a toilet! We turned the water off and continued the wipe-and-scoop and threw the mess in the trash. I managed to remove all traces of vomit from the bathroom, but someone probably had to plunge the toilet after we left!
So, that was our first real experience with a puking child. I'm not anxious to revisit it anytime soon.
(Anne was totally fine, by the way. Too much breakfast + hot car ride = puke)
3 comments:
I'm sorry, but I laughed so much that I cried at the story. Especially Sammy's comments.
Tough break though. Vomit is bad enough, but when you are not at home, it is worse. Good job dealing with it.
oh no!!!!!! you are a trooper mama!!
Well, that's an adventure! You know, it's rare that I'm happy when you don't post pictures, but this is one of those times. Poor babies, and poor you! Glad you all survived.
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