Well....it finally happened...the accident the was big enough to send us to the ER. We've been wondering when it would happen...and about 7:15pm on Saturday night, it did. Neither Brad nor I actually saw the accident, but, except for the 30 seconds unaccounted for, we were able to put together what happened. We were in the cities this past weekend for Marci's birthday party and Reese's baptism/Marni's birthday party. Saturday had been spent celebrating Marci's birthday, playing the in backyard, and visiting. We had a late supper, and after cleaning off Brendan's hands and face, I watched him go down the first couple of steps (carpeted) to the next level of the Nelson's house (where Brad was in the bathroom.) After those couple steps I turned away to help clean off the table. Brendan's fine at doing steps, so I didn't think I needed to stand there and watch him (yes, I'm trying to justify my guilt...) The next thing I hear is a boom, boom, scream. Brad and I both go running and Brad gets to him first (Brendan was laying face-down at the bottom of the stairs, screaming) and picks him up. I'm immediately scanning his mouth for knocked out teeth, and then for a broken nose. Then I notice the blood gushing down his face from his right eye area and I hear Brad say "Oh, my God!" Brendan's screaming and wiggling and reaching out, so I grab him and look down and he has a huge gash above his right eye that is pouring (and I don't think I'm exaggerating too much here...) blood. Luckily, we had the cool heads of the Nelsons around (who, with three kids, have pretty much seen it all), so Chuck jumped into the jeep with us and directed us to the Urgent Care. After about two minutes Brendan stopped crying and was pointing out the moon to me (he's an unbelievably tough kid.) The blood flow slowed so I could remove the saturated washcloth, which helped calm him too. After a 45-minute wait at the Urgent Care they directed us to the ER (because Brendan was so young and the gash was so close to his eye they thought they might have to sedate him, and only the ER could do that), and so we waited another 45 minutes to get into the ER. Meanwhile, Brendan (who had only had a 10-minute nap all day and was so, so overtired) was running around the ER playing peek-a-boo and trying to do summersaults. Brad took him on numerous walks around the waiting room and surrounding area, trying to keep him occupied. We had wonderful care at the ER and Brendan was a trooper. He didn't move when they were examining him or when the nurse had to wash the gash out, so they decided to proceed with the novacane without sedating him at all (which we preferred.) He did pretty well with the 10+ piercings for the novacane, he was fine when we "burrito wrapped" him (wrapped a blanket around him from chin to toes, making it so that he couldn't move his arms or legs), and he even did fine when the put the drape over his face with only a small hole where his gash was (we pretended it was a tent.) He let the two nurses hold his head and only whimpered during the first four stitches, but once the doctor had to start on the fifth stitch he'd had enough and let us know it. It was one of the most heart-breaking, angishing things I've ever had to go through...and we (Brad and I) still had to sing songs and act fine talking to him, even though we wanted to sit down and bawl ourselves. Long story, short: Brendan got seven stitches, everything is healing nicely, and the highlight of the story for Brendan is that he got an orange popcicle all to himself (he wouldn't even share with Uncle Chuck, who waited the whole 4 hours with us!)
Brendan's all smiles the next day (on the way to Reese's baptism.) He doesn't touch it and it doesn't seem to bother him.
Monday morning after the accident. The bandaid came mostly off overnight, so we removed it to get a better look. There's a little swelling between the stitches and the eye, but no big black eye, the stitches are healing nicely, and Brendan doesn't seem bothered by it at all.
Thursday afternoon after the stitches were removed. Brendan (all fuzzy-headed from his nap) showing off his nicely-healing scar. He didn't even flinch when Dr. Hanna removed the stitches (and he was again delighted because he got a sucker out of the deal...which he never gets.)
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