Mama doesn't get a sick day...

Whenever I started a new job, one of the first things I would is check out the vacation policy, personal time off and sick days. At my last place of employment, I got 5 sick and personal days...yes, they were kind enough to combine them in one lump for us. At the time, I remember thinking how unfair this was and that we really should be able to split them up or get more.

Flash forward 4.5 years from the last time I began working for an organization to this past Sunday when my husband and I both came down with some sort of horrible stomach bug within about 5 hours of each other. This was the first time that I have really been sick since having our daughter almost a year ago and boy was I not fully prepared for the ramifications of this.

I was in the habit of being able to take care of me first i.e. lots of sleep and not much else. Not with a baby and especially not with a baby who contracted her own fun-filled version of this tummy bug herself. Initially, I got sick then the baby and then my husband came down with what I had all within 24 hours of each other. We think we know where we picked it up however one can never be truly sure however it is not the first time we have come away from this particular place and either myself or my husband come down with a cold or stomach bug 2-3 days later.

Last Sunday was a very long day in which my husband and I took care of the little one in shifts who apart from her tummy issues was otherwise perfectly happy...thank God. However it didn't matter that we weren't feeling well, she still wanted to play or needed this that and the other and of course we had to take care of her first. Coincidentally, this was also the same day where she really began to stand and pull herself up on her own so it was also an afternoon spent putting things away and out of the "wee ones" reach. It is amazing how long those little arms get once they are standing!

Come Monday, we weren't much better off however I seemed to get the brunt of it so even though the hubby stayed home from work he kindly did the lions share of the work that day. My daughter and I then spent the rest of our week in a sort of cave like environment in the house waiting until she ready to be taken back out into the world again. It was a beautiful week - warm and sunny and we had several playdates and outings planned which had to be cancelled due to the nasty bug that had invaded our world.

After several days of fighting her to take fluids - no to Pedialyte - yes to Gatorade and to be taken off of the BRAT diet we thought we had cleared the hurdle on Thursday only to wake up Friday morning and realize "mmmmm...not so much" So, again our plans were cancelled and it is only today, Saturday that we finally got to return to the land of the living!

It is at a time like this when I am really glad to be a SAHM and be able to fully devote 100% of my day to her to ensure that she is well. Sure there were times when I was bored out of my mind (spent a lot of time online emailing and on FB) and the day to day tasks became incredibly mundane. However there were pluses as well, my house is now super duper clean, I finally got the guest room reorganized and we moved the baby's room around. I also relearned the enjoyment of being on our patio and how nice it is sometimes just to sit and read a book.

Things that I would not have been able to do had I otherwise been working as I would have been worried about taking time off etc. It's funny - even when she is sick, this little one is teaching me to appreciate my life as it is now and how lucky I really am.