Sushi, Pork Bar-B-Que, Old Friends and Puke

I am happy to report we returned home all 4 of us safely yesterday afternoon. I am EXHAUSTED from the trip. I was never so happy to sleep in my own bed. The trip to Little Rock went off without a hitch. Syd chugged her bottle with Benadryl that I fixed and once we were up in the air she was out like a light. We had tons of walking to do from the parking garage to our terminal and she rode in her new smaller stroller like a champ. I don't think 4 people could pack more shit to go on a trip though. We had 6 bags plus a stroller and a car seat. The three adults packed it all around and we all got pretty creative in ways to carry a car seat on suitcases. I took a copy of Syd's birth certificate, I have seen my fair share of "Airline" on A & E. I had the conversation with my Mom, her never seeing the show and she said, they can definitely tell she is younger than 2! I told her yes I am sure that they can, but she is big and better safe than sorry. First question asked by the ticket counter agent, "Do you have a copy of her birth certificate?" I produced said copy and my Dad asked, "How did you know to bring that?" I looked at him and said "I watch a lot of T.V." ticket agent looks at me and says "A & E?" I respond with "Yes, Ma'mam." Getting through security the first time was easy in the sense none of us got pulled, but getting all that shit in the plastic tub, shoes off, stroller collapsed, jacket off, cell phone in bucket, purse in bucket, oh and carry the baby through, when we got through I was ready for a nap.

Our rental car arrangements were fine, we were on the road leaving the airport at noon on the dot, just as I figured we would. We stopped and ate lunch and my dear daughter packed down so many cooked carrots I swore she was going to turn orange. She also ate greens, they were very tasty I must say, and I was so proud of her. Her overall disposition was fantastic, she rolled with the strange schedule and was the perfect child. We drove around while she slept, I saw my childhood home again from the age of 6 to 16. It is always so strange going back, it looked smaller than I ever could remember and all the other houses looked the same way. I know that is normal but it still floors me. After we took the tour of looking at the past, we went to my best friends Mother's house to wait for her to get off of work. We had a good visit with her Mom, Sydney got to play with trains, seems my best friends boys are into trains. Everyone arrived and we made plans for dinner, her two boys, her husband, me, Syd and my parents. Syd spent a lot of time watching these wild boys that she was now surrounded by. The oldest being 4 and the youngest 18 months. Syd was a little intimidated at first but by the end of the weekend she was holding her own, even with the 4 yr old. Deep down inside I was cheering when she grabbed his nose when he came up to her and growled really loud in her face. She just gave him a look like "WTF is up with you?"

Saturday my parents took Syd to visit friends and show her off. We were able to take the boys over to their Grandmere's (as they call her, very French) and we drove past Grandpere's gravesite, well not site, he is in a mausoleum. We talked about him a lot, I found out about his final days. He asked for a St. Joseph's metal, he is the Saint that is for a happy death. I having no clue about this and neither did my friend. She said her Mom was able to locate one and they were able to have a Priest bless it for Pastor Phil. That being said, we pretty much assumed that he knew that it was the beginning of the end. Many times we talked and cried, but much more than anything else, we laughed about the things we remembered of her Dad. Joking about his fashion sense, or lack thereof. Her one son, the 4 yr old placed a quarter he had in his pocket in with his Grandpere, her Uncle left him with a small bottle of scotch.

Saturday evening since we were all child-free, we went to The Peabody Hotel, I wanted to see the Peabody Ducks. They had worked their full day, so we were able to go see them in their penthouse on the roof of the hotel. I got Syd a shirt, that was the main purpose of going. It was nice to see the Memphis skyline me remembering a lot of 4th of July's of fireworks on the riverbanks and Memphis in May celebrations I attended as a child. The child-free people we were we decided to have an adult meal so we went for Sushi. I like Sushi, just not the raw stuff. This stuff was great, I even had eel! No raw stuff for them either but the sushi we had was fantastic and quite frankly I have been craving it ever since.

That evening we all stayed up late talking, Syd woke about midnight crying, not a norm for her. I went up and tried rubbing her back and she just cried more. I almost laid down with her in the bed I was sleeping in but figured I will just take her downstairs with me. She fell asleep on my chest and we continued to talk, all of a sudden she woke up and started to puke all over me. I just laid there telling her it was O.K. and her poor little body was just heaving up everything she had eaten that day. She was upset afterwards and kept spitting trying to get the yucky taste out of her mouth. I felt so bad for her, I just held her and rocked with her. She again woke to more heaving, this time very little content but still upsetting. After that round, she really looked much better and her behavior never seemed to show that she felt bad. We finally all went to bed around 2:30 AM. Syd slept in the room I was in and she had a few more bouts of dry heaving. The next morning I got the diaper end of it. I had to give her a bath, well my dear Mom did. She seemed better and really wanted to have something to drink. I tried watered down milk and any time milk hit her stomach it came right back out. Solids like bananas and crackers she was fine with, but stay away from the milk!

That evening we had the World Famous Memphis BBQ. It was great. I tried to get Syd to have a bit, telling her that BBQ brisket that Texas touts as the best is crap compared to Pork BBQ. She was not into the moment and very tired. I got her down for the night around 10:30 PM, milk still coming up when we tried.

Yesterday she could handle watered down milk, but not really wanting any of it. She was not very hungry all day and seemed that she was feeling better but still not 100%. We are going to the Dr. today because during this whole time her nose started to produce green stuff..AGAIN. and we just finished the new antibiotic last week!!! She also was messing with her ears again. Will this ear thing ever end?! She did puke up some formula last night before bed, I am hoping that today we have better luck with dairy staying down.

We had a really good time, the plane ride back I was not able to get her to take her bottle so she was not drugged on the Benadryl like on the plane ride over. She was a bit fussy but fell asleep on my Mom about 10-15 min before we landed. I am glad that we made the trip, I hate the circumstances we had to go for. Death is hard for everyone and I told her she is living my worst nightmare. She like myself is an only child. We know one day we will have to part with our parents, it never is the right time. She has done a wonderful job in helping her Mom cope, and dealing with her loss as well. I only hope I can conduct myself with as much grace as she has during this time.

I am glad to be home, back as a family of three. I have to say our house is very quiet compared to a house with 2 young boys. I have solidified my thoughts of not wanting more children after spending the weekend with 3 of them. My one seems like a cake walk verses trying to keep track of three of them. I missed my Husband dearly. I know he missed too. I was grateful to have my parents there to help me with Syd, although she was perfect even when she was sick. I could not have asked for a better child. This weekend I got to cuddle her and love on her, she many times would leave someone and come over to me and say "Mama." It just melted my heart and made me feel like I had made it to true "Mama" status. I can proudly say, my child threw-up all over my chest and I never once doubted my ability to care for her or keep from throwing up myself. I wondered if I would get the "no-gag-mama-reflex" like I have seen on so many other Mothers. I so would have taken the stomach virus myself for a 4th time to prevent her from suffering, but life does not work that way.

Now, if the day could pass a bit faster, I am dying to get some sleep, early sleep tonight...PLEASE!