My sister was out from the states with Sasha, who is two months younger than Elva. Elva (Mae) used that small age advantage to face smack and eye-gouge Sasha at every possible moment.
We had travelled without bikes, and even without the Chariot, so stuffed some running shoes in to get some time out.
Friday Aiden and I went for a run up to the nearby Blackbutt reserve. However, a few minutes into the trail run I rolled my ankle and felt the'pop' of those dodgy ligaments, very quickly lying down with my feet above my head in order to stop myself from passing out. I have a very predictable pain response to these things and once the ringing in the ears amplifies I take a bit of fire safety on board and 'get down low and go, go, go'. But without the go, go, go bit.
Anyway, it would have looked a bit funny, but with come ice and rigid strapping tape it wasn't too sore the next few days. I just have one cankle.
The big 90th do was on Saturday, and we all dressed up and headed to the Newcastle club to honour our nan. It was very nice indeed.
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| Big E and little E, Elvas chilling out together! |
The next day, Aido woke up feeling very green around the gills, and as noone had come down with food poisoning we put it down to a viral infection. He missed out on my awesome solo run around the reserve again, ankle strapped up like a mummy.
It was one of those runs where you're like 'this is awesome, the sun is shining, i'm in the bush, everything's great!'. Not really being a runner at all anymore, moments like these don't happen too often. I'm too busy berating myself for being a lardass that can't run up hills anymore, and devouring air like it's on rations.
Another family barbeque lunch thing followed, while Aido stayed at home feeling sick.
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| Elva at the BBQ, in the worlds largest beanbag! |
She is such a classy baby to fly with, we got compliments from other passengers! Very lucky.
We get home and due to a distinct lack of sleep I crash just before midday. I wake up, feeling more than a little unwell, and it seems I have the Aido virus. I spend the afternoon getting progressively worse until I get to a point where I can't feed in any position, as anything other than lying supine precipitates racking convulsive vomits. Poor little pea looks so confused.
Aido comes home and it just gets worse, unbearable cramps increase in intensity, followed by heaving vomits of bile, and a slight reprieve for around ten minutes until it all starts again. I couldn't even keep water down, it's not a very nice feeling being dehydrated!
I lasted 7 hours of this, Aido's going 'i'm taking you to the hospital'. I say 'like hell you are, I know people there!'. We got a home doctor in, and a jab later i'm feeling fragile but not vomiting (as much).
This parenting caper really sucks when you're sick!
I had to express at midnight, to avoid the dreaded mastitis as I couldn't feed her for the final feed of the day. She wakes up, uncharacteristically, just after that, and I feed her, and get maybe an hour of sleep before I wake again.
It's really not very glamorous. It's kind of like...feeling pretty close to death but knowing it's going to be all gone in a day or so. It doesn't make it better in the throes of driving the porcelain bus.
Still woozy yesterday, and feeling antsy about needing to get back on the bike again. Fingers crossed we'll be fabulous in no time.
My ankle is all black and blue and green, very artistic indeed.
My southern marathon assault is worrying me more and more...