Really, why wouldn't they rub food in their hair still...at two years old?! Sometimes I wonder if I'm being punked. 24 hours a day.
Happy baby in the bath!! She loves her some splashes!!
The boys got a bath time shaving kit for their birthdays. But look who uses it most of the time...
Wednesday, we got a lot of snow. Nasty, heavy, wet, yucky, snow. School's were closed, even the college I teach at closed...so...SNOW DAY for us!! We did art projects, and played and played and played!! When Craig got home, we all (yup, even Everleigh) went out to play!
While Paisley and Madden played, Hudson did this for the first ten minutes. It takes him a really long time to warm up to ANY situation!
Everleigh tried out the roller coaster...she went around and around and around, kicked her foot up, and just watched. No smiles. Once and a while she'd wave hi, but that's it.
Like I always say...constant rough-housing...nope, still not a fan.
Saturday, we made an impromptu trip to the Mall of America and Ikea. Bad idea. BAD IDEA. It was SOOOO busy. Luckily, we had Grandma Brenda along...but even with 3 vs 4, it was tough! The kids went on a few rides (we forced Hudders and he screamed the whole time), and played at Lego land.
And...I'm not so sure I'm ready for this. Ugh. I forgot about the stairs. I'm hoping it's a while before she's up those!
And Miss.....umm, Mr Hudson...loving the dress up clothes!
See...cute kids, fun times...I like that post. However, here is how our today went.... (if you don't feel like reading, click the X now! This is a long one....)
This morning was a typical weekend morning. Everyone got up, had breakfast, played...we started laundry, cleaning...blah blah blah. We'd be heading to Berg's for dinner, so I kept the kids in their jammies for lunch, knowing all too well that they'd be filthy and I'd have to change them anyway. So after lunch...I changed the twins and laid them down for nap. Then I grabbed Everleigh's clothes and started getting her ready--- and as I put her pants on, I noticed her middle toe did not look okay. I yelled up to Craig to come take a look--- it was purple and very swollen. As soon as Craig came to look, he touched it and she screamed. He lifted her toe, and I gasped! Her toe was not attached on the underside. I shouted, "Oh my God, her toe is about to fall off!!!" We literally RAN upstairs, changed our clothes, called Craig's mom and were off to the Emergency room 10 minutes later.
The ride to the hospital was about 10-15 minutes. I bawled the entire way. How could this have happened? How did I not notice this? What was wrong????? We couldn't get there fast enough. Every thought flashed through my mind. Call me superficial if you want, but images of Paisley, Everleigh and I painting our toenails crossed my mind...what if she didn't have that toe? How would I explain this to her? What would other people (kids!) say? Would she be picked on? I prayed and prayed that her foot would be okay. Yes, I understand that this is just a toe....she was going to be just fine. There are so many worse things that could be wrong...but as a mom, I was just panicking.
Then I said to Craig...about 1-2 weeks ago, I was changing her diaper and saw some lint in between her toes. I pulled it out, and she screamed! I looked...and saw a little tiny crack where her toe met her foot. I said to my mom (who was there to watch the kids), "Oooh, Everleigh has a crack just like I used to get when my feet would be dry. I should put some vaseline on that." I gave her kisses, and headed to work....
Is this the result of that?? Why didn't I check back in on that? I am a terrible mother. Terrible. How could I let her toe get to the point in which it's purple and somewhat detached before I even notice???!!!
We arrive at the hospital, and we run in. Of course, we wait in line...I try really hard to be patient, but am not. I understand it's the job of the Emergency room staff to stay calm...but I totally felt like they didn't think this was an emergency...I was wishing they would run...that we could yell for a doctor to come stat, that Everleigh would be the only one they care about until we figure this out!! Yes, I understand how unrealistic those thoughts are...I'm just capturing my true thoughts....
I was so scared. Craig was so scared. I held on to my baby girl tighter than ever before. I was so sad. And felt (and still feel) the most mom-guilt ever. I cried. I hugged her. And all the while.....she just hung out. Didn't cry. She wasn't in pain...she was probably wondering why I was sobbing all over her and acting like a fool!
The doctor saw Everleigh, and determined that it was likely a hair that had wrapped itself around her toe, and acted as a tourniquet He couldn't tell for sure...in fact, he couldn't even see a hair. So he consulted with the orthopedic surgeon on staff, and they determined that he instead, would take a look. They sedated Everleigh and numbed her foot. She laid in my lap. She would cry out and make some loud noises, but couldn't feel the poking and tugging.
At this time, I was watching. I could see that in fact it wasn't just the under part of her toe that was cut, but the outside too--- and for the 555th time, I asked...is she going to lose her toe?!?!?
The doctor made two incisions, one on each side of her toe. It was then that he cut the hair that was wrapped around her teeny tiny toe. It was a blonde piece of hair, that had wrapped around her toe more than once. And it had in fact, acted as a tourniquet, and was basically killing her toe. The GREAT news....she's just fine!!! (BIG SIGH) Her toe still had blood supply, and it was going to be just fine. They cleaned it up, bandaged her up...sent us home with some antibiotics, and we will follow up with the surgeon later in the week.
Everleigh was such a trooper. She did amazing. Let's be real, she did better than I did. And truthfully, I'm still struggling. WHY didn't I notice sooner??? That is going to haunt me forever. I'm just so sad that when I noticed a cut 1-2 weeks ago that I didn't do anything about it. But really--it was just a little cut-- I'm not a "run your kids to the doctor" type of mom. In fact, it's really really rare that we are at the doctor for anything other than a regular check up. Well...that may have just changed!! I think I'll shave my head while I'm at it too!
So, now that I've written a book on our first trip to the Emergency room, I do understand that it's time to take a big deep breath and calm down now. Everleigh is healthy...it wasn't anything (too) serious...and I have all four babies sound asleep right now as I type.
What I do know...is that I cannot imagine for one moment what it must feel like to have a terminally ill child. Or one with any serious health condition. Luckily for us, in a couple of weeks, Everleigh will be back to her old self...but not everyone can say that.
So...for now, Miss Everleigh Calla will proudly wear her neon pink bandage...and I will fight the mom-guilt that will haunt me forever....
(this is as she was coming out of sedation...so her face looks red bc of that)
I've cried enough tears over a toe today for a million people. Hug your babies extra tight tonight, and examine them head to toe for a hair that could be wrapped around their body. Not funny....but I'm trying!
Thank you to the two best moms in the world for dropping everything to take care of P, H & M so Craig and I could both be at the hospital. We are so thankful for you!!
And with that....GOOD NIGHT!!
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