Saturday, November 14, 2009

Friday the 13th

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG POST, but it just happened, and its all very fresh in my mind.

Well, this Friday the 13th we had a little bad luck. I met up at South Towne Mall with Jenn, Talitha, and their kids to play at Dino Land, or whatever you call that cute little place. Its a fun little playground type thing that's free. Anyway, we decided to head upstairs to the food court for some lunch, and about 2 bites into my corn dog from Hot Dog on a Stick Nixon fell and split his chin open. He had been standing backwards on his chair looking at Jace and Mila who got to sit at the cute kid table with chairs 1 foot off the ground wishing he could sit there too. Can you tell that I am kind of beating myself up for this one? How many times did I think to myself, "Just let him sit down there with the other kids. Who cares if he eats his lunch." But no, I wanted to be sitting by him so I could make sure he ate enough of his corn dog. Anyway, he must have slammed his chin so hard into the ground that was practically cement, because when I lifted him up blood was just dripping non-stop. Someone handed me a napkin (sorry, Jenn and Talitha, I don't know what was going on around me) and it quickly filled with blood. When I went to replace it with a wipe, it was still just gushing. I started to get really scared. I got a small look at the cut, or should I say gash, and just started saying how bad it was. Jace overheard me, and came over asking what I had said. I told him that it was really bad, and he looked at me so concerned and asked, "Is Nixon going to die?" I almost started crying. I had been so wrapped up in Nixon, that I made Jace really scared. I told him no, and he went right on eating his corn dog (which he finished before we left, by the way). Nixon was crying this whole time, and I could see blood inside his mouth too, so now I was worried about his teeth. They all seemed to be okay, but he did have a cut in his lower lip. When the blood finally stopped coming, I looked at the cut and it was awful. It was like the force of landing on the ground had just popped it right open. Oh, I wanted to cry. Jenn went to the first aid place and got a band aid, and offered to drive me to the hospital so that I could make sure he didn't start bleeding again, and Talitha was going to take Jace with her to her house, and then it ended up that Jace wanted to come with me, and with the bleeding stopped, and Nixon looking exhausted (it is now 1:00 and nap time) I told them to go, and I would just take them both. They were so sweet, and I am so glad they were there. Anyway, I called Brock and he was able to meet me at Alta View's ER, and boy am I glad he did. It was the worst thing I have ever had to watch. I can't even imagine the pain Nixon was in. They had to have a doctor holding his head still, another one holding his legs down, and Brock and I each holding a hand, while another doctor stitched him up. First though, he had to stick a needle right into the cut to numb it. I thought I was going to start bawling, but I surprised even myself and stayed really strong throughout. Nixon was shaking, and screaming so badly. Then started the stitching. I feel like he wasn't completely numb when they got started because he kept saying ow the whole time. Then, about 10 minutes into it, he calmed down, looked me in the eyes, and we just stared at each other while the doctor kept going. I asked him if he wanted to sing a song and he said yes. So right there in the middle of all these people I don't know I started singing to him. He never took his eyes off me. Then I sang another song, and at the end he started crying OW again. I think the numbing medicine must not have gotten to the last corner. I asked if he wanted another song and he yelled at the top of his lungs "NO! Hold you! Hold you!" That was hard. I wanted to hold him so bad. Anyway, it lasted about 15 minutes and then I did, I held him. Brock came over to us and held us both. I was so glad it was over. He seemed to perk right up from that point on, and then fell asleep on the drive home. He had sure been through a lot. We gave him some Tylenol around 4:00, and since then we haven't had to give him anything. He slept through the night, and besides pointing at his chin and saying "Owie" a couple of times today, he has been completely normal. I am just so glad that he is okay. Last night as I was laying him in his bed I just completely broke down and started sobbing. I guess I had been trying all day to be so strong for him, but now I could just let it out. I cried and cried for about 15 minutes. I couldn't help but to think that if I had just been watching him closer, or let him sit by the other kids, or this, or that, blah blah blah. You know how moms are. I felt like it was my fault that he had to endure all that horrible pain. Brock of course consoled me and told me everything I wanted to hear, but I will feel guilty about this for a long time. I love my little guy, and never want anything bad to happen to him!

Here are a couple of pictures.

Here are some of his shirt. Gross and weird, I know.




And here is the happy boy today. When I ask him to smile he closes his eyes really tight! It bled quite a bit after they put the stitches in and bandages on, and they told us not to get it too wet, so it looks kind of gross. Sorry.



8 comments:

Jill and Paul said...

i have had almost the exact thing happen to me with maya. i know how sick you felt. don't worry, they get over it and love you just as much (easier said than done!) he is so adorable! and just a side note, why do things like that always happen in their nicer clothes? never in the junky t-shirts? wierd.

The Irvine Family said...

I am sorry! Jen told me what happened. Don't worry too much. Kids are resiliant, and he has probably forgotten what happened already. And that sick feeling you are getting in your stomach eventually goes away. When Kennedy was two she fell out of the shopping cart onto cement. She split her head and chin, Jen was with me when then happened. (Maybe she is bad luck, J/K!!!) Anyway, you will replay the falling over and over in your head for awhile, but it does go awaym just not soon enough!

Heather said...

That last picture is so cute! Love that little face :) Mouth/face injuries are such bleeders. I saw a lot of those working for my Dad and I have always DREADED having something happen and needing to call my Dad to stitch up Kyler and so far no injuries! Yay! I don't know how we've gone unscathed! Poor little Nixon, what a sweetheart. I love that you sang to him, I was just imagining that scenario w/ Ky and I would have done the same thing. You are such a good Mom, don't beat yourself up, even though it just what we do ;) Hope he heals quick and feels better!

Lac said...

Poor little guy! Oh i hate things like this! You were a strong Mamma! So glad he's feeling better

Scott and Tobi said...

You were perfect Jenn. I remember like it was yesterday a little girl crawling over to a blazing hot wood stove and putting her hand on the pretty glass. We as parents simply can't protect our children from every stumble and accident. What we can do is hold them, sing to them, and tell them everything will be ok. You were perfect.

I love you,
Dad

Jennifer Phillips said...

I started to cry while reading your post. It's the absolute worst to see your child in pain. I feel horrible having to hold Cohen down when he gets shots so I can only imagine how hard it must have been to have to hold him while he got stiched. We as parents for sure are the worst at blaming ourselves when things happen to our kids. I was even upset with myself that I didn't act fast enough to somehow help him from falling. I swear that that 2secs seemed like 20 min when it happened, it's like everything happened in slow motion. Anyway I am glad he is ok and he will have a manly scar to show the ladies when he gets older. Chicks dig scars haha!

Scott and Tobi said...

These truly are the hardest things to handle as a parent. So thankful he is okay, so frightened that it could have been so much worse. So thankful that the sweet, warm body of our precious child is still with us. You are a wonderful mother and Brock is the BEST! Love Mom

Valerie said...

Oh no, poor little guy! I am so sorry you had to go through that, ok it must be that i am prego too, but I was like getting teary eyed reading this. I pulled out Briggs elbow form his socket one time, and I felt like the worst mother. I was just holding his hand, swinging him, and it popped out. The doc just pushed it in with one little push and it was all better. He said it happened a lot to little kids...yeah I cried and cried. It's ok, accidents happen, dont' feel bad.