12 stitches

We were playing at a friends house today when I heard Everett crying. At first I didn't think it was him because it just sounded so different. When i realized it wasn't the ol' "he-took-my-toy cry", I got up to go investigate, when Everett appeared drenched in blood. He was coming in to tell me Benny went outside without permission, when he tripped on a concrete step~ and split the skin right open. It was terrifying. I wigged out a little, and then rushed him to the hospital, which with the green light was about a 90 second drive. In that 90 seconds he stopped crying, and when we got there they didn't rush us in until i showed them the wound underneath some cloth. It was bad news everyone. It was so deep that I saw his eyebrow bone. At first it looked like what i in my medical ignorance would imagine the eyeball to look like in there. The under skin had come out some, and it looked all veiny. It was terrifying. I tried to keep the bandage over it, but as much as i hated looking at it, it was so surreal to see a hole like that on MY little boy and not on the Discovery Channel. So I was glad to see that a bleeding toddler was high priority because there have been many a 7-9 hour ER waits. That doesn't mean we didn't wait though. Everett was exhausted and he snagged a little nap while he layed on his room 48 ER bed. {For those who don't remember, Everett had 3 stitches on his nose last winter when he slipped on ice at preschool. That hardly prepared me, but it did a little.} They put toddlers in a mummy straight jacket which is the most horrifying part of it all. Everett was an angel till they wrapped him up like a burrito. It got worse and worse. They had to do 4 stitches on the inside layer of skin, and then 8 on the outside. Poor little guy was screaming "help!! help!!" and "stop, stop, stop it! I want them to be done! It hurts guys!" I tried to distract him with talk of his Christmas wish list, which worked. And now i know every detail about the Playmobil Viking ship he wants~ Little cutie made the Dr. and nurses laugh when i promised that he could sleep in my bed tonight to which he replied "Oh thank you mom! That is very nice of you." I can't forget his tears streaming down his little cheek. I peeked underneath the window type thing they put over the wound only to expose the area, and tried to comfort him under there. I watched the 3 nose stitches last year, and that was my max max max. There was no way i would be able to watch this time around. There was so much blood when they were done. Stitching the wound produced more, and they had to wash his whole right side before we could go. It was horrible. We came home and had chicken noodle soup and watched Snow White and Robin Hood until his Tylenol started to kick in, then i read him a couple stories, and he is sound asleep... in my bed. He was a trooper, and i even got a smile, and a few jokes out of him. 

It's probably weird to hear that the #1 emotion I feel tonight is gratitude after what happened. Shouldn't it be sadness, anger, remorse, guilt, heebie-geebies~ I felt this way last ER visit. It's because i am grateful that it isn't worse, and that i still have my little Everett tonight- stitches and all~ at least i still have him, and it could have been a lot worse. Thank You Heavenly Father. I know that he protects us daily. And i know that he did what he could to keep it that extra quarter inch away from his eye. I hate to think what it could have done to his sight.

He was such a trooper through it all. Being a mom of boys is scary! I know that things are going to happen~ But it just breaks my heart every time. I love Everett so much.