Knocked Down

Warning, this could get gross, so you can stop reading now.
It all started last Friday morning... Kate had been coughing all night (this strange softer cough than usual), and I stuck to my guns and did not go into her room. She didn't cry, she would just cough and then go back to sleep. Kate and I were supposed to meet some friends to go to a consignment sale at 8:30 that morning. She was sleeping late, so I just got up and got completely ready. When I went in her room to get her, I had another thing coming. She just weakly lifted her head up and I noticed that she looked dirty. She was- and her bed was filthy too. She was covered in vomit! She wasn't coughing, she was throwing up all night long and I didn't even think twice about going in there. I felt horrible! We have dealt with spit up of milk before, but never REAL throw up of real table food. AWFUL! Luckily, Brandon was home to help get everything cleaned up. I started giving her a bath, but he took over when I started gagging. It took several loads of laundry to get her sheet, bumper pad, stuffed animals, pajamas, etc. clean. What a mess!
Anyway, the night before had been a big eating night for Kate. Brandon had made a wonderful dinner creation (I don't know what to call it) of beef, onions, cheese and spices all baked in a crescent roll crust. Ground beef is the only meat that Kate will eat more than one bite of, so she tore it up! She never eats much and she ate her heart out, so I thought that was what made her sick. She was acting fine, playing like normal, and still a finicky eater (no big change there).
We had my parents, grandparents, brother, brother-in-law, and a friend from Auburn over Saturday night to eat and watch the Auburn game. Kate entertained as usual by running around, dancing, showing off her toys, and squealing loudly. Before we went to bed, I told Brandon that I thought Kate's stomach might still be upset because she had some funky diapers, and he said, "we just don't need to have you get sick." We ate a ton, and I felt a little stuffed when I went to bed, so I had taken some Pepcid (reflux medicine) just in case. I woke up around midnight and I thought I was drowning in acid, so I searched for my tums. I was out, but I was so desperate that I acted like a drug addict, and I poured out the powder from the bottom of the Tums bottle and licked it out of my hand. I know, it is pitiful, but I absolutely could not lay down because my throat was on fire. I finally had to wake Brandon up to help me find something for the acid. Then, out of nowhere, I just started violently throwing up, and when I thought Brandon was just coming to check on me, he was actually trying to get in there so he could throw up too. That is the joy of having one bathroom!
We were up the rest of the night, and I finally called my parents at 7 and asked if they would be willing to come get Kate for the day. Luckily, they came and got her right when she was getting up and had her the entire day so we could get some rest. They brought her back for bedtime last night, and we could barely muster up the strength to put her in bed. My mom stayed to change her and give her some milk before bed, so I didn't have much to do after that. What would we do without my parents?
I went to the doctor this morning (just a scheduled visit) and I had lost 3 pounds, if that tells you about the toll this stomach bug took on us! He did not seem very worried since I have been able to hold gatorade down since last night. Brandon took today off to recover, and we were able to keep down some grits, so I think we are off to a good start today. I have to say, it is rough when the whole house is sick! Usually there is at least one to pick up the slack and take care of the other one... not this time! We have officially been knocked down by this bug, but we are on our way back up to speed. By the way, my sister called this morning and said that Heath was violently sick now. So we know that at least one other person got it from Kate the other night, so please pray that we did not infect the whole guestlist from the other night.