yes, we are still here!!

WARNING: This post contains graphic baby bodily functions.  Read at your own risk!

What a few weeks we have had!!  Sadly, blogging has fallen to the wayside while life happens.  About three weeks ago, Samantha and I came down with what I thought was a stomach bug but boy was I wrong.  Well, maybe not wrong...but whatever we had was extremely tame compared to what was to come!  We were both sick to our stomachs for just a day and then after that we could hear our tummies grumbling for a few more days, but we didn't get sick.  Okay, all is great right?  Then almost two weeks ago, the stomach bug hit us full force.  Thank God it happened on a day Chris had off work or I seriously would have lost my mind.  Samantha woke up around 3:30 am crying, which isn't unusual.  I went in and tried to put her back into bed without turning on the light but she kept complaining about her jammies.  I ended up turning on the light and I found her jammies and bed covered in puke.  I got her all cleaned up and new sheets on the bed, got her back into bed and hoped all was well.  I climbed back into bed myself but kept myself awake with worry watching her on the monitor.  Around an hour later, I heard her run to the door again.  I was hoping she was just scared, but the second I opened the door to get her, she threw up everywhere.  (I was at least grateful she got out of bed that time!)  Upon walking into the hallway, she threw up yet again.  I got her over the toilet and woke up Chris who came to help clean up.  We ended up coming down stairs where she proceeded to vomit for 12 hours.  Poor thing was totally happy, just throwing up.  Then she would burst into tears upset because her puke made a mess on the floor.  (She was really great about using her bucket, but hey, accidents happen)  I felt SO bad for her.  Thankfully after the 12 hours she was good as new.

The following day, I was to go to Maryland for a Scentsy convention.  Since Samantha was better I went ahead and went.  As I got in the car to come home 10 hours later, I noticed a text from Chris that Zach was sick.  Thankfully he only threw up for 6 hours and then seemed to be done.  Or so we thought!  He proceeded to throw up once a day almost every day, for nearly a week.  And only while he was laying in his bed, so I felt like I spent entire days just changing and washing sheets.  Ugh!!  He even took a 2-3 day break in there so we got excited thinking it was over, but then it all started again.  Thankfully now he's been puke free for a few days so I am praying that it won't come back again.  He is now finally *fingers crossed* starting to get over the diarrhea, which I can't fully attribute to the stomach bug.  He's also cutting three of his four molars.  Poor dude.  I am just so sick of puke and poop.  I'm ready for a break!!  Since the illness, Zach has also started waking up during the nights.  At the beginning I was thinking it was the vomiting that made him wake up, but even on the off nights that he didn't throw up, he still woke up.  Usually I could feed him and he'd go right back to sleep.  Still, it's super frustrating because I am exhausted.  Today he skipped the midnight wake up, but he woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to conquer the day, at 3:30am.  Yet another prayer, please go back to your great-ish sleeping schedule Zachary!!!  Like a friend said, I don't think I ever been more excited to "spring forward" than I have as a parent.

These past few days we've also been dealing with a TON of acting out from Samantha.  I am so frustrated with her and I feel like we are really struggling.  I will save that for another post though, because I could really use some advice from people who have been there, but this post has gotten long enough already!