Milestones Series #4: First time puking.

Is that even a milestone? Well, in our house it is! Isaac caught the flu (from me, mind you! Damn.) a couple of weeks ago. I hadn’t had it in years (probably over ten years!) and my first thought was SHIT! I think I’m pregnant (we’re not trying…) Pregnancy test? NEGATIVE. PHEW… It was bittersweet because I was elated that it wasn’t positive, and on the same token SUPER bummed that I’d come to the realization that for 6 out of the 9 months that I had been pregnant with Isaac, what I’d been feeling was as horrible as the flu! A six month flu! Damn pregnancy sickness! I then started feeling grateful that the real flu only lasts a couple days.

Isaac came down with it a few days after I did. In fact, my mom and dad both had it, and Dave eventually got it, too. Isaac woke up at night and started wimpering. He’d had no signs of sickness so we thought he’d put himself back to sleep. After five minutes, Dave went to check on him and sure enough, puke all over his crib, his animals, his PJ’s, and his hair. All he could say was “puke. scared.” We washed him off, then came the unusual part. He was in the BEST MOOD EVER after that. He wanted to laugh, play, chat, learn new words, etc. He even asked if we could dance, and we had to tell him it was too late. I decided to get a Tupperware “bucket” to teach him what to do if he had to puke again. I told him if he had to puke, to say “bucket!” and then I showed him what he would do in the bucket (sans the actual puke.) We practiced a few times. He puked once more on Dave about 20 minutes later, and a third time he was able to ask for the bucket. Each time, he was jollier than the last. SO bizarre. After that he went to sleep and didn’t have any puking incidents again.

This was almost three weeks ago, and the quirkiest part is, he still shows us daily where he puked and tells us that he was scared. Then he goes through a puke drill. He tells us what he will do if he has to puke, then acts it out with the bucket, puking noises and all. Although he has little experience, he is a puking expert. On Christmas Eve at my parents’ house, he wanted to show everyone what he knew about puking, so my mom went and found the bucket we used as kids to puke in. He showed everyone, then he took the bucket around the room, stating each person’s name, and gestured them to show off their puke drill skills. I love this kid.

Here are a series of photos from Christmas Eve that include "the puke bucket."

My bro Nate and the bucket

My bro Andrew, Isaac and the bucket.

My bro Ben, Isaac and the bucket.