12/18/2022
An unlikely compound aroma of freshly baked brownies, toasted everything bagels and bodily fluids that evoke disgust confused my olfactory senses, keeping me awake at 3am.
Just an hour before, the youngest came into our room, rousing me from deep sleep telling of something that smelled like vinegar in his bed. I wonder, what could that be? Whatever - I would rather find out in the morning. I welcome the child to climb into bed with us so I can get back to sweet sleep.
Hazy and bewildered, the sour smell of is that what I think it is? wakes me. Please tell me I’m dreaming. No, it is puke for real. On the child in our bed. I wake my partner, tell him to go check the bed and get the sleeping older sibling out of it.
I wake the child sleeping in our bed with puke encrusted hair and pjs. Partner confirms an unfortunate scene from the next room. A very full belly emptied of its undigested contents in the bed.
We scrape chunks off flannel sheets, pillows, comforter, carpet. Remove pillow casings, mattress pad, spray mattress with chlorine free bleach. Spread baking soda liberally. Crack window. Turn on fan.
Meanwhile, the child heaves again in a more preferable location, on the floor in the bathroom this time. Partner cleans floor. I wash and help child into new pjs.
I expertly navigate comforter downstairs and out the front door without spilling chunks and toss it onto the frozen grass. Multiple trips to the laundry room with carefully balled up linens containing the acrid mess, weaving in and out of 5 teenagers having a “sleepover”. No one is sleeping here tonight. I realize it would be less awkward if I put pants on.
I create a makeshift bed on the floor in our room so the sibling doesn’t have to stay in the stinky room.
Eventually we settle into the bed next to the still sour smelling kid. seemingly interminable insomnia giving way into the half awake pseudo sleep cosleeping parents know too well. Worried that child in our bed will be sick again in our bed this time. Worried that child on the floor is cold or also will suddenly be sick too.
Smelling past midnight snack bagels and brownies, straddling teenagers and bedsharing children and sleep.
