First trip to ER

It's time to blog our ER story! Two weeks ago was the first day of daycare/preschool.  I went to my mom's school to help her move into her new classroom. As we were taking a lunch break I got a call from his school. It wasn't his teacher. It was the director. Red flag. She said, "Cade's okay, but he's had an accident."  First thought, "Dang, he wet his pants?" She continued to tell me that after going to the bathroom he was washing his hands, slipped off the stool and hit his head on the sink counter.  She told me they called 9-1-1 just to be safe since it was a head injury. Mom and I rushed to the school and saw two firetrucks and an ambulance. I was feeling pretty calm until then. Ho-lee-hell.

I ran in to see a crowd of firemen/EMTs and a handful of teachers and my little boy in the arms of a fireman. Mom got there 30 seconds before me so they passed him off to her first. (Um, Mom... I love you, but I GOTS to call you out, drive slower next time so Mommy gets first cuddle during future emergency response sitches. Love you mean it)

He had this big bandaid on his head and was wearing purple medic gloves and was crying so hard. I grabbed him and gave him my best effort at Momma comfort.  Then as the lead medic was explaining that he'd be okay, just needed some stitches I tried my  best to give all the crew of our city's Finest (emphasis on the Finest--- where have all these hotties been all this time?! I need to send my single ladies to the Firehouse!) .....tried to give them all my  best most grateful smile. They were so so sweet giving him the "cool" purple gloves. While I signed the school's paperwork, Mom and Cade were whisked outside to tour the firetruck. Cade got to "drive" and they gave him a little gorilla beanie baby. Seriously. How freaking sweet is that? I wonder if they're always prepared with little toys in the firetruck. Cade clung to it for dear life and we STILL are holding onto those fabulous purple latex gloves.

Since his nose was swollen and he apparently had been gushing blood (as evidenced by the splatters on his clothes, legs, socks, and shoes) we decided to head to Children's Legacy ER. 

 There was a baby in the first intake room, Cade started to get all diva-ish and say "I no want a baby room!" And I assured him that he'd get a big boy room. He was pretty pumped to get to man the remote control for the tv all by himself. Each nurse was so sweet to us.

 They took off the bandaid and I got my first glimpse of his little head gouge. It was deep! (No bone or brains or anything, but deeper than I was expecting!)  They put on some numbing cream- no shots! bonus!-- and we had to wait 30 min  almost an hour for the doctor to come in to stitch him up. Cade was getting hungry (oh---and we had Devyn who is 13 months old and now 2 hours past her naptime) so Grammie checked out the nurse's station and they said he could have jello, juice, popsicle, or a slushie. Um, someone say "slushie"?!  Cade was on it. Devy got a white slushie and Cade got blue. If you ever have to choose, might we recommend blue. White tasted like kid medicine.

The nurse and doctor came in and prepped us for what would happen next. The nurse was so cute (and clever as hell!). She told Cade he'd need to take off his shirt so it wouldn't get wet while the doctor looked at his boo-boo. (Um, wth?) Then she said, "Oh we don't want you to get cold. Let me wrap you in this blanket." And he was putty in her hands. This boy loves a good blanket cuddle. She wrapped the sheet around him and tucked his arms in some sort of a swaddle. He laid down and they got to work. He barely whimpered a couple of times and I was right there by him as they worked. I got him talking about superheroes and -bam!- the kid was so excited to tell them all about the Superhero Squad and Avengers and how his buddy Liam was having a superhero party soon. He got so animated and tried to gesture that I had to hold him down and tell him to be still. I was amazed at his happy mood as the doctor calmly put four blue stitches in my baby boy.

 

We made it home and rested. Daddy brought him home hulk smash hands and a batman mask and cape. (Overboard? Perhaps, but the mask hid his boo-boo, so maybe it was genius...) Grandaddy saved the day and brought over some Chili's takeout for everyone. All I could do at the end of the day was get in the shower and cry. Cry for my baby's head, cry for the sweet teachers who had to deal with his gushing head and 9-1-1 on their first day of school, and cry because Thank God he was going to be okay.

 

Last week we went to the pediatrician to get his stitches out. He was a champ then too, just chatting away like nothing was happening. Oh, he loved his stitches. We called them his Blue Spiderman stitches and he was so proud of them.  His little buddy at school got a boo-boo on his knee that weekend so when they  went back to school on Monday he said that he and his pal were both brave boys and they aren't babies and no cry. Tough guy crew. I love it so much.

 

Momma lessons:

1. Dallas mommies - take your kids to Children's if you need medical attention. They are amazing.

2. Don't forget, the blue slushie is the best slushie.

3. Rub neosporin on a cut and as it heals massage it every day so it doesn't turn into a keloid (raised reddish scar). 

 

 

Thanks to all the friends who sent sweet Facebook messages, texts, and called to check on him. I love that we have such a sweet circle of friends and family there to support us!