Stitches

Was I naive to hope that we could get through parenting without taking a child in for stitches?  Probably so.  We made it 8 years.  It was a good run.  I really don't think I would have guessed my first would be Jacob though.  He's a pretty mild mannered little boy.  My girls are much...umm... busier!? .... than he is!

So on Wednesday, Hannah and Jacob walked to the library reading program for the first time ever.  In fact, I'm pretty sure it's the first time they've walked ANYWHERE alone (aside from our neighborhood block).  They asked if they could walk.  Lucas was sleeping.  Aleah was getting ready to go down.  Just the week before, I had seen a brother and sister their same age riding a bike, and I thought, "maybe they're getting old enough!"  It's just down the street, no major traffic.  Ok, I agreed to let them give it a try.  I contemplated calling the library to make sure they got there ok and then decided that was silly.  I'm not "that mom."

About 10 minutes later, my phone rings, and it's the librarian.  She said Jacob fell in the parking lot and "might need a stitch."  (Jacob later told me that he tripped... while running... in flip flops... trying to keep up with Hannah... and carry his books... and hold his pants up.  I'm guessing he didn't have a hand to put down to help break his fall.).  I was skeptical that he would need stitches.  I am usually the last to think we need to go to the doctor's office right away.  She graciously offered to drive him to me since the babies were in bed.  She carried him in the house, and he was totally calm with a rag on his knee, so it appeared that we may be doing ok.  I lifted the rag and was pretty shocked by the cut I saw.  It was pretty deep and pretty wide.  It's the first time I've ever looked at a cut and thought, "yep, that's going to need to be stitched."

I had two sleeping kids.  I had one at the library.  And I had one who needed stitches.  I was trying to calmly make a plan.  Thankfully my parents were able to help me out.  My dad was working from home that day, so I took Aleah to him, and my mom came home from quilting class.  She went and got Hannah from the library when it was done.

I took Jacob and Lucas to the doctor's office with me.  The on call practitioner felt that Jacob needed stitches, especially due to the location.  She was very good with him, and he was probably as good as a five year old who is getting stitches could be, but it was not fun.  He was really calm while waiting, and he was really tough after.  But he cried while getting his stitches and kept asking if it was almost over.  It was heartbreaking.  Honestly, I'm not sure that he was numbed well because he cried hard every time the needle went in.  I was holding Lucas in one arm and holding Jacob's hand with the other.  I would be ok if we never had to do that again.

Afterwards we went to Steak 'n Shake so he could get whatever he wanted.  He got a big mint oreo milkshake and a steak burger.  Josh took him to the library later that night so that he could exchange his books.  Thankfully he really didn't have any pain afterwards.  When we took the band-aid off the next day, he did say that they itched really bad.  The doctor told us that would happen.  I was glad we did it right before bed so the itchiness could pass while he was sleeping.  She told us to keep it open to air to help it heal faster.  So that's the plan.  The only other major bummer is that he has to miss three of his swim lessons.  He cried when Hannah got to go and he didn't.  Jacob is such a sweetheart; it just breaks my heart when he's sad.  Now we just have to keep him from re-injuring it which seems to be the next major challenge....