Smart Virus

(Discussions of the stomach flu ahead. You have been warned.)

On Friday at the Tobler family reunion, my 4-year-old niece L. threw up. We all had a moment of panic, mostly because we've done the whole stomach flu reunion thing before. (Panic manifested by frequent handwashing and compulsive wiping down of doorknobs and surfaces.) But what can you do? We'd already been together for 48 hours, and had another day at least.

By the end of the reunion, I at least had relaxed a little. My sister LaDale had spent all day Friday in bed sick, but my niece L. had only been sick the once, and then felt better pretty quickly. Maybe nobody else would get it? On the drive home, Bradley and I discussed the odds: he was pretty optimistic we would escape it, I was pretty pessimistic, but not worried, because it didn't seem too bad of a bug (if they got the four-year-old's version, at least).

Almost 48 hours exactly from the time L. threw up, Zee threw up. He was pretty sad for about an hour beforehand, but then very shortly thereafter was bouncing around the house in his regular style.

Almost 48 hours exactly from the time Zee threw up, Em threw up. She has a more delicate stomach (which is funny, because she is my most adventurous eater), so it was not surprising that she would have a more difficult time. She was sick for most of Tuesday, and a very little of Wednesday morning (enough to miss two days of BYU preschool, which was very hard on her).

So you can see why I was dreading Thursday morning.

Turns out I was right, although a little off on the timing. Just after midnight (very early Thursday morning), Gee woke up miserable. Shortly thereafter...you guessed it. Twice throughout the night he was so sad, vomited, and then was hilarious giddy at how much better he felt. (Seriously giddy. My boy is a very funny kid when he gets that way. "I can't like to feel yucky!" "I'm feeling all better, after I trew up!") After dawn, we were all awakened by trouble out the other end, necessitating much cleaning and bathing and (on Momma's part) gagging and laundry.

(And thank heavens for Bradley. He did almost all the nasty cleaning, leaving me to get fresh towels, new clothes, and start the laundry. He saved me last night, that's for sure.)

Can someone tell me how a virus can be this smart? The only thing I can figure is that you are the most contagious when you are actually actively being ill (which makes sense), and then it takes about 48~ish hours to manifest. But how orderly to hit my eldest child, then my second, then my third! And to wait just long enough between to give me hope the next child won't be afflicted--very, very clever.

I am dreading Saturday early morning. Poor Hebs.