Saturday night out then reality bites...

This past Saturday my husband and I had plans to go to his good friend's engagement party. As with any event post-kids, you wonder, should you go? Are you too tired to go?  Well, my mom came to watch the kids; I put on my freshly laundered skinny jeans, added some new high heels that Donna inspired me to get, and, even bought a new blouse. I felt great. I styled my hair, applied make up and my husband and I eagerly set out to have a great night. Soon after I had my first glass of bubbly in hand we learned that this was in fact not an engagement party, but a wedding!  (Insert my horror that I was wearing jeans to a wedding....while at the same time the relief that we came and didn't bail last minute!) The intimate group gathered around the couple as they exchanged vows.  It was a magical New York night. Having the rare night out, we stopped on our way home for a bite (and a few more sips.....) We got home around 11:30 (I remember when I didn't even leave the house to go out until midnight... oh how life has changed!) My mom informed us that the kids were up late (no surprise for my night owls) and we happily collapsed into bed thinking everyone would sleep late and man, what a wonderful weekend it would be.

Then I heard it. From across the house. It was 3am and my son was screaming and crying, I dash out to him to see him standing in a puddle of vomit.  I look in his room, all over his bed.  I spent the next half hour cleaning it up and trying to comfort him. My husband generously gave up his side of the bed and I spread every waterproof pad I had in the house on the bed and laid down to cuddle and comfort. Sadly, it wasn't over and I sat with him until almost 5:30am, finally finding sleep a bit after 6am. 

So much for sleeping late. So much for a lazy night. But since I still had wedded bliss on the brain, I couldn't help but smile that this is our happily ever after.  And, grinned when I thought of all the waterproof pads that came home with me after each hospital birth.

So with this being said and what my hot Saturday night reminded me, here are some tips....

This past Saturday my husband and I had plans to go to his good friend's engagement party.  As with any event post-kids, you wonder, should you go?  Are you too tired to go?  Well, my mom came to watch the kids; I put on my freshly laundered skinny jeans, added some new high heels that Donna inspired me to get, and, even bought a new blouse.  I felt great.  I styled my hair, applied make up and my husband and I eagerly set out to have a great night.  Soon after I had my first glass of bubbly in hand we learned that this was in fact not an engagement party, but a wedding!  (Insert my horror that I was wearing jeans to a wedding.... while at the same time the relief that we came and didn't bail last minute!) The intimate group gathered around the couple as they exchanged vows.  It was a magical New York night.  Having the rare night out, we stopped on our way home for a bite (and a few more sips.....)  We got home around 11:30 (I remember when I didn't even leave the house to go out until midnight... oh how life has changed!)  My mom informed us that the kids were up late (no surprise for my night owls) and we happily collapsed into bed thinking everyone would sleep late and man, what a wonderful weekend it would be.

Then I heard it.  From across the house.  It was 3am and my son was screaming and crying, I dash out to him to see him standing in a puddle of vomit.  I look in his room, all over his bed.  I spent the next half hour cleaning it up and trying to comfort him.  My husband generously gave up his side of the bed and I spread every waterproof pad I had in the house on the bed and laid down to cuddle and comfort.  Sadly, it wasn't over and I sat with him until almost 5:30am, finally finding sleep a bit after 6am. 

So much for sleeping late.  So much for a lazy night.  But since I still had wedded bliss on the brain, I couldn't help but smile that this is our happily ever after.  And, grinned when I thought of all the waterproof pads that came home with me after each hospital birth.

So as my hot Saturday night reminded me- here are some tips as we gear up for what I like to call 'icky' season:

• If you child is in a crib or toddler bed - cover the mattress with a waterproof pad.  Then, put a flat flannel waterproof pad, a fitted sheet, another flat flannel waterproof pad, and finally, another sheet.  This means when you are awakened in the middle of the night for a diaper leak or the results of an upset tummy, you can pull the top sheet and pad off, and ta-da! - the bed is already made. 
• You can never have enough waterproof pads - when I came home from the hospital with each kid, I had one on the couch, one on the bed, one on the chair - who cares if these get ruined, way better than a couch or mattress!  And, even past the spit up or diaper leak days, they are forever handy.  I have been dealt the unlucky hand of having dealt with some icky each year and these pads have saved my sanity. 
• Invest in a shallow bucket - a taller sand bucket is to bulky - a smaller, more round bucket is perfect.  I keep one in the car (which has actually served us well for both car sickness and a car bathroom, no need to buy a special travel potty for the car!) and I have two in the house to remain bedside if needed. 

Posted by Erica Young

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