Well…sometimes, things don’t go as planned.
About twice a year, I like to do a “Day in the Life” post because these days right here…these boring old routine days…are the very best days of my life…so I want to remember them. Well, I haven’t done one since we brought Ashby home, so I penciled in to do it this Monday (and then recap here for you today). Things seemed promising when I woke up…but I ended up quitting on our day by 7:00 AM and decided that this was not a day I necessarily want to remember forever ;)…
Up and ready to go at 4:20 AM…it was Opening Day for the Sox, so I had my coffee in my Red Sox mug. I said good morning to Andrew, grabbed my coffee and headed to my office…
I published my posts for the day…gotta love a Meal Planning Monday!
By 4:45, I was working on my “grown up” job in insurance. I know what you’re thinking…you’re thinking that the worst part of my day was handling insurance matters before five…but no, this is my typical morning routine :).
Beginning at five, I listen to Dennis & Callahan on the radio. They’re a local Boston sports radio show and I love, love, love them!
Wrote out my recipe on Mix and Match Mama for Tuesday…
…did a little myofunctional therapy…my life is just so exciting ;).
Ironically, it was during my Quiet Time that things started falling a part.
First, it was around 6:00 and Ashby was screaming her head off from our bedroom. I went in there and she was covered in blood. You see…Ashby has spontaneous nosebleeds…a lot. I would have taken a picture but it looked like a scene out of The Soprano’s, so I didn’t. This might not seem like a big deal but this was her 5th one in 4 days (she’s had one four mornings in a row!). They say it’s related to her allergies and (hopefully!), they’ll end soon…but I’ve now washed my bedroom sheets four days in a row because of them. Sigh.
After I cleaned up my girl, I put her in the chair in the family room with Mickey Mouse on the TV and a towel (her blanky was all bloody, and I didn’t want to risk it happening again on another blanket, so she covered with a towel).
I threw her pajamas, a towel that I used to clean her off and my sheets in the washing machine and headed to the kitchen.
I was now running late, so I emptied the dishwasher and made breakfast at the same time…
…turkey bacon, one scrambled egg and a tortilla with avocado inside. Multitasking!
After this, I ran into my room to get dressed when all of a sudden, Smith started screaming “my nose is broken!” over and over again. Awesome.
It wasn’t broken but it was bleeding everywhere. Yup, two bloody noses in 30 minutes. He apparently had jumped off the ottoman and landed right on his face. This was his first bloody nose and he automatically assumed that meant his nose was broken. I gave him ice and told him to lie back and then he was upset that he couldn’t see the TV. Oy.
At this point, I go back into our bedroom to finish getting dressed and then walk back out and find this…
…apparently, Andrew had come home from the gym and was lying on the floor. I asked him what was wrong and he said “I think I caught a stomach bug”. And that’s when I decided to be done. Some days…just aren’t worth remembering ;).
I’ll give the Day in the Life post a second shot on another day.
I managed to get my two bloody nose kids cleaned up and dressed and as we were leaving to take Kensington to school at 7:40, we hollered goodbye to daddy who was still on the floor (bless his heart, he ended up in the emergency care center with some sort of weird virus!) and walked to the car. At that point, Kensington looked at me and said “I’m the only normal person around here today”. No truer words have ever been spoken.
Happy Wednesday friends! You know what will make your Wednesday extra special? This pie…
…my Strawberry Pudding Pie is super simple and p-e-r-f-e-c-t for spring and summer evenings!
Enjoy!
Anna says
This post is hilarious and I love it! Gotta love an honest "morning in the life"!
Lauren D says
Hi Shay! Sounds like a rough day for sure! I deal with nose bleeds too (I'm 3- and have had them my whole life). I'm sure you have heard all the advice, but on the off chance you haven't…here I go! My docs say not to tip your head back, but to plug it (I roll a tissue) and then apply pressure to the nose. Also, humidifiers are a must if you can't sleep with a window open. Good luck and hope your next day goes smoothly. 🙂
Shayna @ The Fancy Yancey says
Oh goodness! I would have been done too! I heard a saying one time… "Sometimes you're the bird & sometimes you're the statue". Lol
Stephanie says
Oh my! Hope the rest of your week is better!!
kimm atwood says
I would have crawled back in bed by 7:30 am and called it a day! Hope everyone is on the mend!
Erika Slaughter says
Kensington's statement is hilarious!!! And very true! Hoping today is much much better!
Courtney says
Yall did have a crazy day! My sister was adopted from China also and used to have really bad nosebleeds as a child. We put a dehumidifier in her room which really helped! Just an idea 🙂
Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says
I know that A had just caused a crime scene in your bedroom, BUT DANG SHE LOOKS CUTE IN THAT CHAIR. What a sweet little thing! And poor Andrew. He's had a hard couple of weeks!
Amber says
Too funny!!!
Anonymous says
Wow! What a morning! Too funny that you took a picture of Andrew on the floor, in the midst of his sickness! Kensington's comment is hilarious!
Andrea (127things) says
Oh my goodness Kensington's comment had my laughing out loud! This will end up being a post/day you look back on and laugh like crazy! Prayers everyone under your roof is happy and healthy today!!!
Tracy Peng says
OMG, thank you so much for the laughs!! (I'm so sorry for all of you and I hope everything is getting smoother, but thank you again, I LOL'd)
Anonymous says
our grandson gets allergy nosebleeds when things are blooming….which I'd suspect is happening in Texas about this time.
Anonymous says
That is indeed a day in the life! You should give 98.5 The SportsHub a whirl. A bit of a differnt flavor from WEEI but so funny and my 6 and 12 year old boys are obsessed. Bisous from Boston 🙂
Jenny Perez says
Oh Shay, we had Monday kinda like that around here too. Fortunately our week has gotten better. Hopefully yours has too.
Anonymous says
I hope everyone is feeling better now but I love how honest this day on your life post is! Thanks for being so real and showing us your imperfect days too
Kate says
What a rough start to the day! And a Monday, no less! At least the Red Sox won. Hope everyone is feeling better and the rest of the week is much less eventful.
Jenn says
That was quite a morning!?! My daughter has nose bleeds due to allergies as well, nothing like being woken up to blood all over, I totally understand. Our pediatrician suggested taking a qtip dipped in Vaseline and gently putting the qtip in her nose (not too far up there of course). Then gently massaging her nose to get the Vaseline spread around. It has really helped my daughter's nose bleeds. 🙂
Lizzie says
Oh I feel you on the nosebleeds and the crime scene thing. If i had a dollar for every nosebleed ive cleaned up over the last four years! We just had my six year's nose cauterized over spring break, it's been glorious. Hopefully one way or another you all will be able to get Ashby's nosebleeds under control! They are really no fun for anyone. Hang in there!
Anonymous says
I hear ya on the nose bleeds. My son and husband get them a lot. And same thing Jenn said about the qtip with Vaseline around the nose or use a little humidifier in the room. We've gone through a lot of pillows because of nose bleeds. 🙁
Leslie N. says
Those are the days we don't really want to re-live but they are real life days as a mom! They are the days we can look back on and feel like a super hero! We had the stomach flu here a couple weeks ago- 4 kids + spontaneous vomit on lots of white carpet (which had been professionally cleaned the week before!). Oh boy!!! Praying Ashby's body starts to show those allergies who's boss!
Sarah E @ theteacherswife.com says
Oh man… Sorry it was such a crazy day! I hope it wasn't the stomach bug for Andrew. I had that last week and it was no joke! Ugh!
Rebecca Jo says
Momma said there'd be days like that…. whew!
Hope your hubs is doing OK!
Laci Murray says
Oh the joys of having kids with allergies!! Nose bleeds are absolutely a mess, hopefully your crew is on the mend. Poor Andrew!
Kelly @ The OK Momma says
Hope everyone is on the mend! Thanks for sharing us those "real life" snippets though – it helps to know we all have days we'd rather not remember!
Anonymous says
"And that's when I decided to be done" hahahahaha
Gidget Girls Reading says
sorry about your day and the nose bleeds. My niece got them a lot and they said the same thing allergies. Well it turns out her nasal cavities were extremely dry causing the bleeds. Once they got something called no bleed she hasn't had them since. Just a thought.
Elaine Welte says
You'll total be able to laugh about this later!!!
Kim Fleming says
I am so sorry for the craziness, but I am so thankful that you share that you are "normal"!! Blessings to your fam
B.Y.S. says
I used to get nosebleeds all the time until we moved to the country and in a valley, haven't had one ever since, it's been probably 16 years or so since I have last had one.
Amy
kristinwithani says
OH, yes, let's leave that day behind. Yuck-o.
Paula says
I truly sorry for your non "typical" Monday. The nosebleeds & sickness. However, Kensington's response may have been worth it! Hilarious! She's precious!
Brie says
Those days are the worst! My oldest gets nosebleeds often, especially during allergy season, and the pediatrician suggested she start using saline nose spray daily. We just have her use it after she brushes her teeth as part of her routine and it has drastically cut down on the mornings we wake up to bloody noses or the days she has to visit the nurse at school!
Three Gals and a Guy says
I love this! What an honest look at your day! I can't tell you how many of my days go like this…
The picture of your husband lying on the floor had me laughing! Too funny! But hope he is ok! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Narci says
Oh man! I sure hope those bloody noses stop for good! Poor mama and poor A!! ❤️❤️
Anonymous says
haha not laughing at you, but with you! love Kensington's comment. Praying everyone is on the mend!!
Kristin McGeeney says
Oh my! Make an extra coffee and have brownie for breakfast! Hope everyone is feeling better.
Love K's comment. At least there was a little humor in your crazy morning.
Brooke @ A Retherford Realization says
Haha I love Kensington's commen, it cracks me upt!
Anonymous says
I agree with the above comment. My daughter has had both nostrils cauterized and its been lifechanging! It's been about 16 months and she's had 1 nose bleed and it was followed by a diagnosis at the Dr of a very nasty sinus infection. I have a friend who's from China and she's had hers cauterized too because of very narrow nasal passages. If she sneezed, coughed or even breathed heavy, her nose vessels would burst causing that massive type nose bleed. May be something to look into if this keeps up, our local ENT did my daughters and it was a very simple outpatient thing. They put her under local anesthesia just because she was little, but we were in and out of the surgical center in a few hours. Love reading your blog and following your sweet family! Jenny Stilts
Katie Wells says
Okay-so I know you get lots of allergy advice, but my hubby's allergies are AWFUL and he recently saw an ENT who told him to eat a tablespoon of honey a day. He said to get some that is local because it'll contain some of the local allergens to help get your body get immune to them! I personally was questionable whether this would work, but I have to say, it has been a GAMECHANGER! My hubby feels SO much better-doesn't have to take Zyrtec or Benadryl anymore! I think my hubby bought some at Whole Foods.
Anonymous says
I have heard of this too. Just started taking honey this year. We got it from local fruit farm!!!
SS
Leslie says
You probably already know this, but we give my son saline spray in his nose twice a day to help with the dryness and allergy nose bleeds. It seems to really help cut them down. 🙂
Anonymous says
I guess you have to experience the bad to appreciate the good. Hope everyone is better!
live compassionately says
So sorry for your not fun start to the day! Hoping Ashby's little body adjusts to all the pollen soon! Kensington's comment was too funny 🙂
Anonymous says
I know all about the nose bleeds due to allergies! Vicks vapor mist in eucalyptus mint is awesome for it, and I get it at walgreens! It's a little machine that you just put a sheet type thing in it and it works like magic!
Lindsey Rowland says
Crazy question but what type of Insurance job do you do from home??
Natalie Zambreski says
Haha, aww! Just one of those crazy mornings. Sweet Kensington brought a little humor to the situation though 🙂
Mary-Beth says
It's nice to hear that everyone has a bad/frustrating/unbelievable day sometimes. Makes me feel normal 🙂 I hope everyone is better!
Emily Riley says
Oh man, my husband gets those because of allergies or changes in the weather. Freaks me out EVERYTIME.
Gwen L. says
Wow, what a day you had. I remember those sorts of days when my kids were little. Good for you for being able to easily roll with it though. No idea if this is helpful because I have never had to deal with nosebleeds, but when my kids were really little and wanted to sleep with us, we'd make them a sort of bed within our bed. I'd lay down a waterproof crib mat with a blanket on top of it, then another blanket on top of the kiddo to act as a barrier between him/her and our top bedding. It really helped cut down on the number of times we had to wash our own sheets if a little one's diaper leaked before we woke up. Not sure if this would help with a nose bleed or would make Ashby feel somehow separated, but thought I'd throw it out there.
Katie Benedict says
So funny that Kensington said that. I laughed so hard. I get bloody noses when the weather turns too 🙁 poor Ashby. I hope they stop soon. That is so scary as a kiddo.
Laurie S says
Oh boy, what a Monday morning! Hope everyone is better now. Love Kensington's words about being the "normal one". There are just some days…
Charity says
Sweet NIbbletts! What a Morning! The stomach virus is going around here as well, I had it, as well as several of my students.
I had the same problem as Ashby as a child. Lots of bloody noses while in bed. Dr's said I was allergic to the dust in my mattress. Try getting a mattress cover, i think they are plastic? They have probably upgraded them alot since my childhood! Anyways, a mattress cover helped me ALOT!
Keisha Dawson says
Thanks for being so real! I hope that the rest of your week goes much better than your Monday!
Jenny says
Wow! You had a lot going on first thing in the morning! Hopefully everyone is back up and going strong.
Kristen says
Bless your hearts! Quite the scary morning for you!
Sarah says
And that is life…is it okay that I chuckled a little when K said "Am I the only normal person?" Even with all that happened, you still have a good attitude. Until next time.
Anonymous says
Poor Ashby!!! You had me laughing at Smith, but then for Andrew to get that nasty stomach bug brought back memories I don't want to remember…..like you said. My husband and I caught that nasty thing a few weeks ago and I have never in my life caught a stomach bug that was that awful! Saying a prayer that everyone gets better! Thank you for your honest day!
Anonymous says
I didn't read all the comments but do you do saline drops in Ashby's nose? That helps with our son who gets a lot of bloody noses too. Do saline and Vaseline, it helps a lot!!! Jen L.
Queen In Between says
Real life! You have to love it.
Anonymous says
Ashby looks so happy in that towel 🙂
Heather says
LOL….this post made me laugh. Especially your husband laying on the floor….men are so dramatic when they're sick. 😉 Love that you shared this though….sometimes it's nice to see that bloggers are normal and have bad days too!!
DIYbyDesign says
This reminded me of the book Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It's great that you documented it…will make you appreciate the better days even more. I'm very impressed with what time you wake up to start your day. Wow that's early!!
Anonymous says
My sister got a ton of bloody noses as a child and I have had my nose cauterized twice with silver nitrate for this as an adult. My Ear, Nose and Throat doctor recommends a bit of Neosporin on a Q-tip swabbed inside the nose twice a day. It helps heal the little upset spots that are bleeding. I used Vaseline for years but it only worked sometimes; using Neosporin means I have, maybe, two bloody noses a year.
Kelli @ A Deeper Joy says
Oh my goodness Kensington's comment is awesome. I hope your next day was better!
Tiffany @ The Queen B Life says
First off . . WOW! That is a day that most would rather forget! Second, I am feeling like a major slacker since I barely roll out of bed at 6:00 . . .4:20 girl, I need to step up my game. No one I'm always feeling like there is never enough time in the day . . .sigh
Morgan says
Gah, what a day! Hope everyone is on the mend now.
Aubrey says
After two weeks of being too busy to check in with Shull South, I opened up blogger to see this post. Hilarious! Hope the rest of your week was much better, friend!
Anonymous says
Ugh tough morning – but I love how you started with your Red Sox mug! Being a Boston girl I love that you are such a fan – bigger one than me! Go Sox!!
Unknown says
Man what a rough day! Allergies are the worst. My 12 yr old has had them his whole life. I know you got a young living kit. Try diffusing lemon, lavender & peppermint at night. You can also rub those 3 oils (diluted with coconut oil) into her chest at night. It's been life changing fir my son. He never had nose bleeds but he had awful allergies, like couldn't make it through and entire baseball game so bad allergies. Also the "local" honey is great advice, just a spoonful a day should help with the oils. It's because the pollen used to make the honey is the same as what's in the air. Hopefully she'll ne better soon. Oh and one more oil thing, peppermint rubbed straight on the belly really helps with nausea. Just in case it hits anyone else. Always dilute On kids.
Courtney Cammarano says
I think I would have just sent everybody back to bed and told them all to try again tomorrow. 🙂 When it rains, it pours, doesn't it? Hope today is better for you!
Selena says
Bless your heart. And everyone else's, as well. "Rainy days" sure help us enjoy the "sunny days", don't they? As to nose bleeds, I experienced them frequently as a child. My father also experienced them, but not as bad, nor as frequently as I did. My parents became concerned, & took me to an ENT & a neurologist, concerned something was majorly wrong, only to determine it "just happens" to some children. I'm now 35, so this was 30 years ago; lots of advancement since then. ? Our now six year old, began having severe nose bleeds at age two. Multiple bleeds per day. Scary. Scoped by an ENT, soon after he began having them… he said his nasal passages are narrow, & the skin is easily irritated due to the closeness & the "blocking of snot, etc", just to be very open. We cleaned his nose out every night before he went to bed, & added a cool mist humidifier in his room, as recommended by the ENT. I could tell it helped, but didn't completely stop the bleeds. He said it was not caused by allergies, just his nose, along with heredity. ? As someone else mentioned above, he said holding head back drains blood into stomach, although that's a normal reaction to stop bleeding. He said to actually hold head slightly down, with chin towards chest. And lastly, the best quick fix to stopping a nose bleed is something my grandmother did for my dad & his siblings when they were little. We now do the same with our son, & it works!! Simply take two larger, thicker rubberbands… Tie them together by intertwining them to form a knot. Next, place the knot under her nose, & the loops around her ears. She will still need a tissue, but the pressure beneath her nose will stop the bleeding very quickly. She will look funny, but it works. And she will have marks once they are removed. You will need to play with the rubber band size to find what size is right for her. We use thicker bands, medium size. We keep them in the car, in his backpack, & the school nurse has them, as well. It might be worth a try. ? I expect him to outgrow them in the next couple of years, just as I did, but time will tell. Hang in there. And also, hydrogen peroxide removes wet blood very well, esp if she gets it on her clothes. Hang in there, & thanks for sharing your sweet family!!
Anonymous says
Hi Mama hope everybody has recovered well. I suffer from epistaxis (nosebleeds) due to allergens and septal deviation. My hubby prescribed anti histamine i.e. only if I'll be doing outdoorsy activities. Spring is the worst time of the year for me due to pollens. Also drinking soymilk and only consuming non dairy foods help.
Jane from Oz :-))
Jeanie says
Good grief, Shay! When you started mentioning Kensington, I feared something happened to her, too. At least you two are okay. Tomorrow is another day.
Nikki says
Oh my goodness! I feel so bad for all of you! What a day! I sure hope everyone is feeling better and things are getting back to normal! Also praying that Ashby's nosebleeds stop. That is never fun!
The real housewife of DC says
Shay, I am so sorry about your awful day- I hope everyone is feeling better.
On a positive note… I ran to my pantry and checked my ingredients and I made your strawberry pudding pie this afternoon. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
mariana says
Poor kiddos! Has the pediatrician made any recommendations for her frequent nose bleeds, like maybe swabbing some vaseline in each nostril, squirting one squeeze of saline inside each nostril (spray outward) twice a day, and increasing the humidity level inside the home? Hang in there, Shulls!
Ranisa says
Nosebleeds suck. I had them horribly as a child and occassionally as an adult. I have had it cauterized. Hated it. It is like having a huge scab in your nose. You just want it out. But it's a scab if you remove it it is going to bleed again. Aweful aweful awrful. I agree with the above post. Head tilted down. Saline mist and something ointment like rubbed up the nose nightly before bed. Best of luck.
Karre Havey says
First of all, the picture of your husband is classic. Secondly, can't believe you listen to D&C they annoy me!! You should try Felger and Mazz. Felger is sort of an a-hole but he's so funny. They are on at 2 here in New England. Hope your week is getting better.
Jaren says
My 6 year old has nose bleeds. It scares me too death. If he bumps it, you can almost bet, it will start bleeding. Over the Christmas break, it started bleeding so much, and we got scared and called 911. By the time the ambulance got there, it had stopped. But I just needed some reassurance, and I was scared he was going to pass out.
Anonymous says
A little more bad news…. I'm from boston and you may have heard. But john Dennis from Dennis & Callahan is taking time off to enter rehab treatment for alcohol. So you'll be missing him in your sports radio mornings, but it is quite commendable of him to be able to step away from his job and seek treatment.
shaeken says
That's a rough morning!! 🙁 I'm joining the commenters highly recommending a cool mist humidifier if you don't have one!! My husband had nosebleeds and he hasn't gotten one since we started using our humidifier soon after we got married. It also helped his snoring and my year-round congestion! I think our humidifier broke from over-use last week (it's been used literally every night for almost a year, and sometimes round-the-clock when I've been sick with sinus infections) so I'm buying a new one this weekend, I can't deal without it! We love the Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Drop Shape Humidifier – it's functional and not ugly, both requirements if it's on display in my house!
Anonymous says
Is your hubby okay?! Hope it was just a 24 hour thing and that nobody else gets it.
Dana Rae says
Oh man! I think you are super mom for even making it that far!
Maryellen says
Hi Shay – I made your recipe tonight – Sweet Onion Asparagus Pasta – we loved it. My husband is honest to a fault and has no problem telling me he doesn't like something hah He said this is very good. WOW Thank you for the easy yet so delicious recipe. (I'm not a natural cook and this was easy for me )
Elizabeth Birenbaum says
Oh no! Who knew so much could happen in the span of 3 hours. But that's life with kids (and a husband lol) I guess. Kensington's comment makes this post and literally made me laugh out loud. Too funny. Hope everyone is feeling better!