Week Twelve - Day Three (The No Go)

It was the third day in a row that I had trouble falling asleep. I figured it might take some time to get back into my usual routine after spending last week at home with a sick baby, at times making up for lost overnight sleep by napping five hours in an afternoon. But three days in a row of getting up at the same time, going to bed at the same time, exercising and eating well, feeling tired throughout the day, and still not being able to fall asleep? There is no justice in that.

I heard my daughter whimpering an hour before the alarm was set to go off. "Noooo," I grumbled into my pillow. She quieted down, so I pulled the covers back over my face and tried to fall asleep. I couldn't, of course, but at least I enjoyed resting my eyes.

When the alarm went off, I sighed deeply and willed myself out of bed. It was going to be a bit colder today for the commute, but at least there was no frost on the ground. I staggered into the bathroom, began brushing my teeth, and with toothbrush in hand I entered my daughter's room to check on her.

I was immediately hit by a sour smell. She whimpered quietly to herself, and as I approached her crib my eyes widened in shock as I surveyed the nearly complete coverage of vomit all over her crib. She was lying in the midst of it, her messy hair matted with it, her pajamas crusted all over. "Sophia!" I gasped, plucking her from the mess and searching her face for signs of illness. She was pale, looked tired, but as I pressed my lips to her temple I took comfort in discovering she didn't have a fever.

Right. First things first, then: bath. Then start the laundry. Then call the daycare to tell them she's not coming in, call work to say I'm not coming in, and call the Health Link to consult a nurse about whether we should see a doctor. As I scanned my memory for everything she ate in the past 24 hours and whether anything might have contributed to her stomach upset, I hoped it was just a one-time thing, an overnight anomaly and that she would be perfectly fine. Maybe she just ate something yesterday that didn't agree with her. Who knows.

The nurse seemed unconcerned and thought the best thing to do would be to stay away from a medicentre, so that's what we did. We went shopping in the morning to give us something to do, and when we got home I put my daughter down for a 3-hr. nap. During that time, I tried to make up for my missed commute by riding Mike on the trainer for a half-hour, but it's just not the same. No matter how well I eat at home, it's never as little as at work, and I never exercise as much as when I commute. There simply is no substitute.

When my daughter woke up, she arose with flushed cheeks and a fever of 102F. Shit. Could this mean another lengthy illness, so soon after the last one? I can't bear to see my daughter so miserable! It can't be! Besides, what will they think of me at work if I take more time off? What will I do if I'm stuck at home any longer? What will happen to my commuting efforts, my weight loss efforts, my sanity? Oh, please be better by tomorrow, Sophia, please be better!!

Once again, my commuting efforts have been brought to a halt by the pressing demands of parenthood. Here's hoping this halt lasts a day, maybe two at most - and not another friggin week. Otherwise, I may as well write off the whole month of November.