Two trips to ER in Three Years

Not bad, right. A normal Thursday night. The kids and I had dinner, and then I made brownies. While Jonna and I were putting clothes away Ben decided to keep checking the brownies to see if they were cool enough to eat. He would run in and say, Mom, they aren't hot. I would say just wait until I am done, and I will go cut one for you. The entire time he made several trips to the kitchen. His 3rd trip back of him telling me they were "not hot" I noticed the chocolately grin. I went to the kitchen to find a tray of brownies demolished with what looked like a three year olds' finger running trails through the entire sheet with gaping holes here and there. Yes, they weren't hot. And Ben's trails throughout them proved so.

So, that would have been my story for this blog post, but it gets more exciting. I mean what is a night at home with the kids without a little more excitement. Jake was working at the fire department. After brownies, we headed outside for our regular bike ride, and stroller ride. I don't know if I mentioned prior but Ben learned to ride his bike a week and 1/2 ago without training wheels. I find it quite amazing, but he is so coordinated. He has been comfortable enough in the last week to do the same tricks of standing and and feet in air poses as he did while training wheels were attached. He wrecked several times with and without them on. I figured that was a given. and as long as he was wearing a bike helmet, he would be okay. Well, last night proved different. I was walking behind him as he went up a hill and as he turned to come down, I noticed our neighbor was pulling out of our cul de sac and was behind me driving towards Ben. I told Ben to pull to the side as always. He gets excited when he sees a car and is quick to get to the side. Well this time, in his excitement he turned his handlebars too quick while heading a good speed towards me, and "SMACK" "CRASH" Ben went face first into the pavement.His mouth and chin broke his fall. My neighbor Brandy was outside, and saw it happen, and I leave Jonna on the side of the road in her stroller and sprint the 30 feet towards my son. Yes, I left my daughter in the road with a moving car behind her. Hindsight, not a good idea, but in the back of my mind I knew Brandy was running towards her. Mind you we live in a cul de sac, and the care was traveling approx 5 miles an hour, and I think came to a stop when she saw Ben's crash. I run to my son, and scoop him up in my arms, blood everywhere running down his face to his shirt, my shirt and our feet. He is screaming in terror, and I notice that the lips are plump swollen, and I notice a front tooth missing, and see the white chunk in the back of his throat. Yep, he swallows it.

This is the point that Super Mom kicks in. No Jake to back me up this time, and well, I had to suck it up, and fix my son. I carry him in arms as I run back to our house reassuring him, he is okay, and what a big boy he is, and how proud I am of him. Ya, I am proud he hit his face on the pavement. No, I am proud of him for being such a trooper, as he says to me. Mom I had to get out of the way of the car. She would run me over. I said yes Ben, that is right. Brandy is yelling to me in the background, GO your fine. I got Jonna.

So, we run to the house, I lay him flat, take helmet off,get a wet cloth to wipe away the blood to see how bad the damage was, get ice, and put it in rag, tell him to hold it there, as he does very willingly. I call Jake as my fingers fumble over my almost dead cell phone. And say, ok, we are headed to University ER, Ben had a bike wreck, seems okay, but he looks pretty rough and broke a front tooth out. Lips swollen. Jake says okay. See you there. And in the car I load him. Brandy says to me we have Jonna, I say thank you so much. Yell at Jonna, I love you Baby. I gotta take care of your brother. He needs to go to the doctor. Jonna looks at Mom in awe and waves. She is such a blessed little girl.

We get in the car in our trip 15 minutes to the hospital. I say Ben you want Mom to sing you a song. He says yes, And I start singing "you are my sunshine" Let me tell you that singing a song, as you hear your little boy sniffle in the background because he hurts, kind of makes the Super Mom slack off and cry a little, so, I had to kind of stop singing, and switch to ABC's. I had to be tough in front of him. Ben doesn't like it when I cry, and it upsets him more. So no tears can be shed now. So to the hospital, he falls asleep. I try to wake him, just incase he had a head injury. He cries to me, Mom I am tired. And then I let him sleep, knowing he isn't unconscious.

ER visit. Ben explains to the doctor he fell down on bike, doesn't have training wheels, a car was coming, and was gonna run him over. Ha. My little Man. All the words are difficult to hear as his lips are so swollen. The doctor is proud of him for being such a big boy. And boy, Jake and I are too. Doctor takes a good look as Ben sits very still for him. Notices over half the front top tooth missing, and a gash in the upper inside, but not too deep for stitches. The pulp of the tooth was hanging out, and that was a sign that nerves were probably open to air too. This means, the poor guy was gonna be in pain until we could get to dentist to hopefully cap it. We leave messages for several pediatric dentists. ER sends home after observation. Good thing Ben is so vocal, so they didn't question any further child abuse. Man!

So, that leads us to this morning. Waiting for Dentist to call back. Mom, woke up several times last night to make sure Ben is still breathing. Jake is home with them today, and I will go in when we hear from dentist.

I call a friend of mine, to say, wow, I don't know if my nerves can handle this. She tells me don't worry it will make me stronger and prepare for future. She has a son that has children of his own now. And Fyi, I have such great friends that took care of Jonna Baby, while we took care of Ben. Thanks Julie and Brandy. Don't know what I would do without you!

Did I mention I finally let my tears go as I drove to work this morning. Super Mom needed a moment.