I hate vomit!

My sweet husband worked all night last night, and is also working all night tonight. So of course, it's time for sickness in our family. At least we're not on the road this time.

I drove the kids to church this morning while hubby tried to get some sleep. Church was wonderful, but things went downhill fast on the ride home. It started when the Papaya began an ominous, whining cry. I actually pulled over and asked if he were sick. "No sick!" he whined. When asked what was wrong, all I could get out of him was, "I lost my pennies!" My worst fears were realized when, a few minutes after I started driving again, the unmistakable sounds and smells of vomiting, followed by frantic crying, emanated from behind me. I was still a 20 minute drive from home, so I rolled down the windows, kept driving, and tried to stay calm. Poor Papaya fell asleep in his vomit.

He's vomited several times since, but not for the last four hours. I have high hopes for a solid night tonight, although every other time the Papaya's got a vomiting illness, it's lasted for about a week. He has the strangest, most uncanny ability to seem like he's well again, only to create a noisome bodily-fluid explosion somewhere in the house (or car) after you've got your hopes up and your guard down. I'm giving this two full days before I relax.

Did I mention that I hate vomit? I really do - more than most other things. I think I must have a mini vomit-phobia, because just the thought of it happening to me or a family member makes my hands shake and my heart race. The mess, the smell, the unpredictability, the germs - I really hate it. Being in the house, alone, all night, with a baby and a vomiting toddler, is like a nightmare come true. We talked for a good bit of our church service today (our church is so small that most sermons become discussions) about what it meant to trust God. I didn't want Him to test me so soon - not in this way, anyway!

I do want to trust God. And so I'll try to stop jumping with alarm every time I hear a noise from the Papaya's bedroom (he's asleep in there now) and trust (at least hope) that the last four vomit-free hours will continue. And I'll tell myself, once again, that it's really not that bad and that God will give me strength and calmness to handle anything that might happen tonight. And maybe, instead of typing here, I should get to bed myself and catch up on some of my own sleep, while I can!