The Great White North

Last weekend, Scott and I traveled up to Minneapolis to see Scott's brother's family for the President's Day holiday. We had a great time. We shopped at IKEA, Scott's "Disneyland," as he refers to it. The rest of the time was spent hanging out with Jay, DeeDee, Ryan, and Jeremy, talking, eating ribs and playing Wii and RockBand on XBox360.

On Monday morning, we headed out, ready for a speedy trip back to Kansas City. It's usually about six hours or so. After about an hour and a half of driving, we noticed a serious slow down in traffic. There was blowing snow everywhere and it was freezing cold. Every now and then, we'd see what we thought was a patch of ice, but we continued to drive. Finally, the ice got so bad, that we couldn't see the road. Cars, trucks, and semis were strewn along the side of the highway - we probably saw at least 50 within a 15-mile stretch. There was a no-tow order out due to the ice, so some of the cars just had drivers sitting in them, waiting for someone to come help them. We were traveling 20 mph, max. It was stressful when semis would pass us at 40 or 45, especially for someone who doesn't like driving on highways with semis when the roads are fine. We finally got so stressed out that we decided to pull off at Clear Lake, Iowa, where there were signs for hotels and restaurants. It seemed silly to pull off so soon. It was about 11:15 a.m. and we had barely left our starting point. However, after weighing the options and realizing that we really couldn't expect to safely drive home when we couldn't see the lines on the highway, we decided it was better to be safe. Otherwise, it would've been a perilous drive across the skating rink of Iowa.

This actually was taken the next day, after they had cleared the roads. Some cars had yet to be rescued.

We booked a room at a Microtel. (Don't make fun. It was the classiest of all our options. Plus, we were just happy to be alive and have a warm place to stay.) It was there that I began to feel it. Something scratchy in my throat. Dryness. The need for extra cheap hotel tissues close-by. I thought at first that it was just the stress of the drive. Or maybe the fact that I only packed the exact amount of prenatal vitamins that I would need for the stay in Minneapolis, leaving me without any for our stay in Clear Lake. But soon, I realized I was catching something. And, believe it or not, the Clear Lake Pilot truck stop did not carry a full-range of food-based, vegetarian prenatal vitamins. They had the gall to look at me like I was insane just for asking.

Scott had a lot of time on his hands in the Microtel.

We woke up bright and early on Tuesday morning and the no-tow order had been lifted. Plus, the highways were significantly better. We could safely go about 40 or 50 without being too worried. We got home, and I could tell the sickness was getting me, despite my best efforts to deny that it was coming.

So relieved to be driving home safely.

Five days later, I now lay in bed next to my husband, who is now also sick, thanks to me. Scott would like me to note the most important part: I have a Kleenex stuck up my nose. He is quite disturbed by it, but I think it is the most resourceful way to keep your nose from running. I'm appalled that he has never done it. Every time I try to have a serious discussion with him, he starts laughing at me, because I refuse to remove the Kleenex first. It usually ends in laughs all around, which then progress to coughing fits.

The best way to hold your Kleenex so it doesn't get lost in the blankets.

Being sick when pregnant brings on a whole new dimension. I somehow lost the list of medicines I can and cannot take shortly after the doctor handed them to me. (I did not foresee myself getting sick at that point, apparently) At 5:30 a.m. on Friday, I had no choice....I had to be at a court date at 8:40 a.m. that could not be rescheduled. I needed medicine... stat. We had some DayQuil in our medicine cabinet, so I Googled "Dayquil and Pregnancy." Someone's doctor somewhere told them that it is okay to take Dayquil, so I decided it was okay for me, too. I had also taken a half a Benadryl on two separate evenings. Of course, when I got to work, everyone is telling me I CAN'T take these medicines and they are definitely not approved. After freaking out and calling the doctor, it turns out that I can really only take three things: RobitussinDM, Sudafed, and Tylenol. My sympathy for non-pregnant sick people is beginning to wane. You can drown your illness in large masses of unapproved medicines. And so begins the martyrdom on motherhood.

Despite my troubles with medications, and my poor child's well-being almost giving me a heart attack after I learned I had taken unapproved medicines, I have really enjoyed lots of time cooped up in bed next to my husband. Yesterday, we watched countless hours of reruns online. My favorite rerun was "My Name is Earl" when Darnell accidentally gets Joy's shot of Oxytocin to jump start her labor. Darnell's line of the night that got both Scott and I laughing (and coughing): "I can't. I'm afraid if I strain too hard, I'll give birth to pooptuplets."

Here's to better health!