Throw Uping

Early this morning (like, 1 a.m. early) L came into my room and said she had been "throw uping". Poor thing was covered in puke and it was all over her bed. So, R and I changed the sheets, put her in the bath and got her back into bed. I was feeling pretty unsettled because, besides the smelly puke and sad little L, I was dealing with the fact that said puke was, in fact, blue. Kind of blueish-green, really. I was worried that perhaps she had ingested something really bad, but she's six years old and probably knows better. I thought about calling my mom to ask if she had ever run across blue-green puke. I settled on scouring the Internet for clues.

Our previous pediatrician once told me that the Internet was a "mixed bag" when it came to medical advice and mothers shouldn't rely on it. At 2 a.m., I was presented with two possibilities; bile from deeper in the intestinal tract - totally normal, or an intestinal blockage - head to the emergency room. I wasn't feeling particularly panicked, and I like to think mothers have a bit of a sixth sense about their children's needs.

As the night (really morning) progressed, L continued to empty her little tummy two or three times an hour. Each puke was progressively bluer. I was racking my brain to figure out what she could have eaten that would, seemingly, fill her stomach with blue. Then, out of the blue (ha, ha) I realized the culprit.

The afternoon before, we had gone to Q's football team party. There was pizza and soda and cake. The cake was really good... it was also covered in blue frosting; the kind of blue that instantly turns your teeth, tongue and lips bright blue. Why I didn't make this connection before, I don't know. It could have to do with the fact that I was trying to think during the time I'm usually sleeping.

So, I felt some relief to know that L was likely fine - other than the "throw uping." After a long night and several sets of sheets, L finally fell asleep. She woke up feeling good and went downstairs to watch t.v. She then puked on the couch. Luckily, she had already gotten rid of all the blue puke and was producing pretty colorless stuff.

We've been doing a little better the past few hours and she has been able to keep a little food and juice down. After making her eat a little toast (I don't know why she hates toast), L said to me, "Mommy, thanks for helping me get better." Being a mother can feel like a thankless job at times (cleaning up puke is one of those times) - but, L gave me all the thanks I need. I gave her a gentle hug and told her, "That's what Mommies do." I've rarely been more grateful to be a Mom than I was today - and I don't think that's the sleep deprivation talking either.