Ill

We've been struck by some gastroenteritis again -- that is, the "norovirus" or "uncontrollable puking."

Chebbles acquired it from our neighbors, who guiltily delivered their remaining stash of Pedialyte late last night, along with heartfelt apologies.

At these times, a mother plays a nightmarish montage in her head of ALL the children her barfing kid made out with while secretly contagious. There were many potential victims, and we pray for their families.

You'd think that a disease that required specific "fecal-oral" contact wouldn't wreak such havoc, except when you're dealing with a community of a thousand potty training toddlers.

Anyway, Chebbles is feeling much better, and so far, Hub-D, Baby V and I are symptom free.

I was also struck by how completely impossible it is to fully sanitize one's house and one's six-week-old baby from a virus-shedding contagious sister. Baby V's pacifier would just make its way into Chebbles' germy mouth, and Chebbles spat directly into mine and Baby V's mouth at some point in the last 24 hours.

She just touches everything I own with those fecal-oral hands, it turns out. But whatever. I did my best with the detergent and Lysol wipes, and the rest is up to the Lord God who I hope will take it into consideration that we would like to not be sick anymore.

Baby V remains congested, and after a marathon search for just the right "Little Noses Spray with Decongestant" she gets one hour breathing breaks. Then the snot marches right back into her tiny nasal passages. It's been five days of congestion and I feel just terrible for her, sleeping propped up on my arm or in her carseat. But Baby V just rocks it, like she does everything.

I have awesome... germy... but AWESOME kids.