Our Weekend (not-so-much-of-a) Getaway

I am not a big fan of road trips. I would just so much rather fly. But I have come to start to appreciate the low-cost, convenience, and even fun (did I just write that?) of a road trip since we moved to Texas. You see, there are LOTS of places to drive down here in Texas- and a trip from east to west in our state is over 800 miles.
Soooo, this past weekend we had the opportunity to do some TX road travel. Adaryll was invited to play sax at a church in north Houston on Sunday morning and a church in Yoakum (read: charming little town in the middle of nowhere) on Sunday night. It was an opportunity to play with some guys who he used to travel with 10 years ago. These are really special guys- some of those lifelong friendships that you are able to just pick up where you left off when you get together. So I was really looking forward to seeing them all play together for the first time in a couple of years. And I was REALLY looking forward to getting to spend some time with their wives and kids (the newest of which was just born last week!).
So as we are driving to Houston, the kids entertaining themselves in the backseat, Adaryll driving, and me filing my nails for the first time in I don't know how long, I actually had the thought "Hmmm. I think road trips actually can be enjoyable! When was the last time I had a free moment to file my nails? I could reframe this in my mind and instead of being stressed out, I could consider this a relaxing, pampering thing. After all, I am just sitting here in the passenger seat with nothing really to do." (ok, the while ride there wasn't quite so blissful and required me climbing into the back of the van several times to get something for one of the kids. but still, when was the last time I actually sat for 4 hours???)
We got to the hotel, checked in and got settled. The boys went to get lunch while I put Elena down for a nap. Fast forward about 3 hours. When I got Elena up from nap, she had a 102 fever and wanted to do nothing but lay on me. (yes, the OCD mother carries a thermometer in her diaper bag. it is only fitting because one or both of our kids get sick every single time we travel. without fail.) By the time Adaryll was able to go to the store and get some tylenol and motrin, her fever was over 104. I called her doctor, who had just seen her Wednesday for a bad cough, thinking that they would just call in an antibiotic. No such luck. And not a single urgent care center open. But her breathing seemed labored and her cough was really awful at this point. As soon as I gave her the motrin, (literally within 5 seconds) she puked all over the hotel bed. The bed Adaryll and I would be sleeping in. After a call down to get new bedding and a night of her puking every 20-30 minutes I realized the one positive thing I could hold on to. I didn't have to do all that puke laundry!
I got her into urgent care while Adaryll was at church Sunday morning and she had bronchitis. They said that kids that age often puke with that because their body is just doing everything it can to expel the thick snot from their lungs and throat. Lovely, eh? They gave me an antibiotic and phenergan for her. She pretty much spent the rest of the day in a 104 degree phenergan coma, waking only to puke in the car on the way to Yoakum.
That night was much the same as the night before, and we drove straight to her doctor's office Monday morning when we got back to town. I just needed his opinion. He agreed with the other Dr. and gave us 2 more meds as backups. She seemed to start to rally yesterday afternoon and be much more like herself by the evening. I am hoping we are past the worst. And that all the throwing up wasn't too traumatic. She spend a good deal of time crying at bedtime last night saying that she needed her bucket and that she was going to cough in it. It took a dose of phenergan to convince her that she wasn't going to throw up anymore. Or at least to put her back into the coma. Ahh, the joys of parenting!