First Two Weeks (plus a few days)

Been meaning to write this for quite a few days now but with Spring Break and everything else going on, it just hasn't happened. So we've survived the first two and a half weeks. As some of you know, usually everything goes wrong the first week husbands are gone. I mean, when Robert deployed to Bosnia in 1998, Jordan ate a whole bottle of antibiotics and then threw up and had nasty poop for days. When he went to Albania in 1999, I picked up a nail in my tire before his plane ever left Ramstein. Then when he went to Ranger School in 2001, the trash can blew apart, Jordan discovered how to open the gate, and I picked up yet another nail in my tire all in the first week. When he went to France last year we went straight to puking.

So I was on guard two weeks ago, ready for the van to break down or someone to break a bone or the volcano to blow or something. At the very least I figured someone would get sick. So imagine my surprise when the first week went amazingly well. Gabby got to school on time every day, Sam slept all night, we managed to make it to the commissary twice and Costco and everywhere else we needed to go. Dinner was on the table, the dishes were washed, the laundry was done, the floor was picked up every night, I was ahead on projects (a big thing for my procratinating self!) and I got enough sleep. Amazing, right? Yeah, it only lasted a week.

Saturday morning, one week after he left, I got up to find Sam had puked sometime in the night in his bed. Gross. And so the pukefest began. Saturday Sam was sick. Sunday Sam was sick. By Sunday night my stomach was starting to roll so I stopped eating and no one slept. Monday Sam was sick and I didn't feel so great myself and no one slept. And we were getting hungry and tired. Tuesday we finally started feeling a little better but still we weren't eating much or sleeping. By Wednesday, I was four days behind, sleep deprived, malnourished and Sam was having the most disgusting diapers I have ever seen. And I was seriously missing my husband! We finally recovered by the weekend, at least from the sickness.

My bright spot was Gabby, who was very patient and not complaining about me not moving much from the couch, nor about the sad little meals I fed her while I didn't feel good. She entertained herself, which she is not the best at. It helped that I let them watch whatever TV and movies they wanted but she still was a great trooper. And she never got sick. She truly has the immune system of steel.

It's been a week now since we started feeling better but I am still behind on laundry, cleaning and a few other projects that have to be finished by this weekend. Poor Robert is not going to get his birthday box on time because I got so behind. Last night was the first night we have slept all night. Once Sam started eating, he ate constantly for five days. I think he was waking up because he was hungry. Hopefully he will sleep for me tonight so I can catch up on sleep. And hopefully we have survived round one!