One Sick Kiddo

Poor Madeleine has been a sick little kiddo these past few days.  She came down with a stomach bug the first night we were up visiting Nana and Gramps in Vermont, and has been lying low ever since. 

Julia was healthy during the trip and had a blast getting time alone with her grandparents at the St. Albans Maple Festival.  It's especially good that she was unscathed by the stomach bug, seeing as she made a point of going on as many dizzying carnival rides as possible at the festival.  Photo courtesy of Gramps and Nana:

Madeleine, meanwhile, was back at Nana and Gramps' house with Ethan and I, sleeping and occasionally taking in a bit of fluid.  We were luckily able to get enough water in her to keep her from getting dehydrated, and she was understandably relieved by the ability to quench her thirst.  Madeleine has never quite seemed to understand that water doesn't actually have much of a taste, so when her stomach was unsettled, she would tell us that the water didn't taste good.  When her stomach could handle it, however, the water she was drinking was the best water in the world.

ME: Madeleine, would you like to go lay down on the couch and watch a show?
MADELEINE: Sure.  And Mama?  Could you bring my water in there?
ME: Of course.  You're a thirsty girl, huh?
MADELEINE: Well Mama.  I just really LOVE the taste of the water here.


That's right, Nana and Gramps, your water is superior quality, according to Madeleine!

Similarly, about a week ago, at our house, Madeleine began gagging after brushing her teeth.

MADELEINE: (making gagging sounds)
ME: (calling into the bathroom) You okay?
MADELEINE: Yeah.  It's just SPICY.
ME: The toothpaste tastes spicy?
MADELEINE: It was either the toothpaste...or...the WATER.

Man, I hate it when I drink spicy water, don't you??


At any rate, Madeleine missed out on the maple festival, but she definitely got some special sister and Nana snuggles:

On our drive home, Julia declared what a fun time she had had in Vermont, and Ethan jokingly addressed Madeleine on the matter.

ETHAN: Madeleine, did you have fun in Vermont?
MADELEINE: Yes.
ETHAN: Yeah.  It was really fun vomiting, huh?
MADELEINE: Well, not the VOMITING part.
ETHAN: But you had fun?  Was it fun just getting to see Nana and Gramps?
MADELEINE: (earnestly) Yes!

So even though she spent the trip limp and languid on your couch, N&G, Madeleine views the visit as a success!!

Meanwhile, Madeleine is only intermittently happy about seeing her Mommy.  When she feels lousy and needs snuggles, she wants me holding her.  But when she's totally over me, she lets me know it without reservation.

MADELEINE: Mama?  Can we stop doing snuggles right now, because it's getting kind of STINKY.
ME: The snuggles feel stinky?
MADELEINE: Uh, well, something about you smells really STINKY.

Yes.  That's right.  *I'm* the stinky one.  Because cleaning up Madeleine's salmon-filled chunks of vomit and wiping her multiple, mustard-like diarrhea bouts didn't stink AT ALL.  Glad to know that I'm the one who smells. 

At any rate, we have yet to see if any other Rowes come down with the stomach bug, but for the moment, we are hoping for an imminent recovery for poor little (stinky!) Madeleine...