Spending a Few Days with the Latter Days
Last weekend, Oliver and I got to travel to Utah and see my best friends from high school - Luke and Ellen, and Luke's fabulous wife, Mindy. It was wonderful. It was also kind of awful, but most of it was phenomenal so I'm holding onto those glorious tiddlybits.
Before we left, Ollie had his first ear infection. Truthfully, he was kind of an angel. I always know when he's sick because he sleeps really well. It's when he's completely healthy that he screams through the night. (What a sweeeeeetheart.) The week earlier he had been pulling on his ears and shaking his head. We'd instruct, "Go Crazy!" and he'd giggle and shake his head back and forth. We took him to the doctor when his temperature spiked at 103.2 and he was worming his way through my legs like a spoiled cat whining, "Maaaa!" They told us to give him two doses of amoxicillin a day and we would be fine by Friday when Ollie and I would have to fly to Salt Lake City.
Like the two idiotic parents that we are, Doug and I gave Oliver the wrong dose a couple of times which meant that the doctor had to give him a shot of amoxicillin on Thursday night. While at the doctor's office, he must have picked up something that was going around because Friday morning he woke up vomiting and spewing diarrhea. Awesome.
Because I used to be a non-feeling childless jetsetter, I was compassionate to the people that would have to sit with us. As my boss says, there are different types of people on the plane near whom you don't want to sit and an unpredictable infant tops the list. However, when the woman next to me swatted Oliver's foot away from her and yanked down the dividing arm rest, I considered that invitation enough to put the bitch on notice. Bristling, I challenged, "Ya want to sit somewhere else?" To which she quickly replied, "No, no, this is fine." I knew she had warmed up to us when Oliver puked all over me halfway through the flight and, after confirming that vomit didn't make it into her purse, she asked if she could help and promptly took the barf-laden child without complaint so that I could coordinate extra clothing. I am not sure which physical cue she took: the threatening emotional glottal charge in my throat, the sweat dripping from my upper lip or the look of pure wrecked humiliation on my face, but she was sweet as pie for the rest of the trip and even declined my offer of a free alcoholic beverage in payment for her patience.
The rest of the weekend definitely picked up from there. Mindy, whom I hadn't met yet but had exchanged loads of emails, facebook giggles and blog entries, was exactly who I both hoped for and imagined. She, Luke, Ellen and Sophia brought us balloons and a sign (of which I forgot to take a picture), and whisked us off to lunch. The rest of the weekend is a little bit hazy, as I felt like all I was doing was laundry for all the clothing and random Kane household linens that O puked or pooped on. If you're interested in hosting the most terrifying and insatiable houseguest ever, invite me over and show me a free washer and dryer. Highlights do include and are in random order:
Oliver and I got home after an uneventful flight home and Doug greeted us at the door wearing a puke bucket around his neck. He hadn't fared well in our absence.
Needless to say, Tuesday morning, when I should've been getting ready for work, I was instead sending a slightly fresher husband off to work and a non-horking infant off to the doctor and daycare. I called in a personal day and got a mani and pedi and did the laundry. Again. :)
The biggest love and thank yous go out to Luke and Mindy for hosting me and Oliver and turning the other way when we got more disgusting than you had prepared yourselves for. You were entertaining and lovely. Wonderful hosts and bestest friends.
Thank you also to Ellen and Sophia for coming out for the weekend too! And not hating me and Oliver for giving up the bug so Sophia could have it. Grph.
I loved Salt Lake City, despite our setbacks and can't wait to go back! Maybe next time I'll come alone and we can hike!
Before we left, Ollie had his first ear infection. Truthfully, he was kind of an angel. I always know when he's sick because he sleeps really well. It's when he's completely healthy that he screams through the night. (What a sweeeeeetheart.) The week earlier he had been pulling on his ears and shaking his head. We'd instruct, "Go Crazy!" and he'd giggle and shake his head back and forth. We took him to the doctor when his temperature spiked at 103.2 and he was worming his way through my legs like a spoiled cat whining, "Maaaa!" They told us to give him two doses of amoxicillin a day and we would be fine by Friday when Ollie and I would have to fly to Salt Lake City.
Like the two idiotic parents that we are, Doug and I gave Oliver the wrong dose a couple of times which meant that the doctor had to give him a shot of amoxicillin on Thursday night. While at the doctor's office, he must have picked up something that was going around because Friday morning he woke up vomiting and spewing diarrhea. Awesome.
Because I used to be a non-feeling childless jetsetter, I was compassionate to the people that would have to sit with us. As my boss says, there are different types of people on the plane near whom you don't want to sit and an unpredictable infant tops the list. However, when the woman next to me swatted Oliver's foot away from her and yanked down the dividing arm rest, I considered that invitation enough to put the bitch on notice. Bristling, I challenged, "Ya want to sit somewhere else?" To which she quickly replied, "No, no, this is fine." I knew she had warmed up to us when Oliver puked all over me halfway through the flight and, after confirming that vomit didn't make it into her purse, she asked if she could help and promptly took the barf-laden child without complaint so that I could coordinate extra clothing. I am not sure which physical cue she took: the threatening emotional glottal charge in my throat, the sweat dripping from my upper lip or the look of pure wrecked humiliation on my face, but she was sweet as pie for the rest of the trip and even declined my offer of a free alcoholic beverage in payment for her patience.
The rest of the weekend definitely picked up from there. Mindy, whom I hadn't met yet but had exchanged loads of emails, facebook giggles and blog entries, was exactly who I both hoped for and imagined. She, Luke, Ellen and Sophia brought us balloons and a sign (of which I forgot to take a picture), and whisked us off to lunch. The rest of the weekend is a little bit hazy, as I felt like all I was doing was laundry for all the clothing and random Kane household linens that O puked or pooped on. If you're interested in hosting the most terrifying and insatiable houseguest ever, invite me over and show me a free washer and dryer. Highlights do include and are in random order:
- Loving up on Miss Sophia
- Getting to spend time with Luke, whom I hadn't seen since October 2007 (PS, Luke, I didn't get a picture of you with Oliver. I'm truly a moron).
- Living the Kane life for a little bit
- Those ROCKIES. The Bridal Veil Falls. Timp.
- A heart to heart with Ellen
- A heart to heart with Mindy
- The cedar chest filled with more love than anyone's ever seen
- Learning about the LDS faith from the LDS people I love more than anyone else on earth - I wonder if I can take advantage of the Priesthood as a Baptist? Can I be an honorary Mormon?
- Music and the Spoken Word
- Walking around Temple Square
- Meeting friends and family of Mindy and Luke
- Watching Oliver crawl-chase after Brock
- The Proctor teenage boys' shower (Trust me, Axe executives, you're targeting your demographic)
- Riding in a car - they let me sit in the front seat a LOT of the time!
- That fabulous sandwich from The Cheesecake Factory. Seriously, guys, I wish you had tried it.
- Mindy's gut reaction to when I walked in, frustrated and crying, carrying Oliver who had, for the upteenth time, pooped through his clothes. She jumped up, grabbed O out of my arms and shouted over her shoulder, "I'm giving Oliver a bath!"
Oliver and I got home after an uneventful flight home and Doug greeted us at the door wearing a puke bucket around his neck. He hadn't fared well in our absence.
Needless to say, Tuesday morning, when I should've been getting ready for work, I was instead sending a slightly fresher husband off to work and a non-horking infant off to the doctor and daycare. I called in a personal day and got a mani and pedi and did the laundry. Again. :)
The biggest love and thank yous go out to Luke and Mindy for hosting me and Oliver and turning the other way when we got more disgusting than you had prepared yourselves for. You were entertaining and lovely. Wonderful hosts and bestest friends.
Thank you also to Ellen and Sophia for coming out for the weekend too! And not hating me and Oliver for giving up the bug so Sophia could have it. Grph.
I loved Salt Lake City, despite our setbacks and can't wait to go back! Maybe next time I'll come alone and we can hike!
Comments
PS I DID shed tears reading your wonderful note. You are so great.