Yesterday we had our first E.R. experience with Noah! It all happened right after lunch. Kai was down for a nap and I bundled Noah up to go outside for some fresh air. Noah played with neighbors Ollie & Alexi while their dad and I chatted and kept an eye on them. In front of our house is a beautifully landscaped green space that has become the neighborhood playground, although it has a lot of hazards and is not really suitable for that purpose. The boys were climbing around on some large boulders when all of a sudden I saw Noah flying and tumbling over the side. I ran over to pick him up and saw blood everywhere. Upon closer inspection, I almost lost the entire contents of my stomach when I saw that his teeth had actually gone right through the skin under his lower lip. Noah was pulling with his teeth on his lower lip, and I could actually see through the jagged hole into his mouth...it was really quite gross. Somehow I was able to remain completely calm. The neighbors watched Kai while I took Noah to the E.R. which is fortunately only about 10 minutes away. The doctor quickly determined that Noah needed stitches both outside and inside his mouth - it took about 30 minutes to get the local anesthetic to take effect (during that time, I held Noah and recited every single Thomas and Curious George story I could remember, which kept him pretty content) and then they had him back in one piece in no time. Noah really was a trooper - I was so proud of him! He insisted on learning the doctors name and also asked about drinking barium which they all thought was too funny. (I explained that Curious George has to drink barium in the hospital after swallowing a puzzle.) Today, Noah seems pretty much back to his normal self - these little kids are resilient and heal fast!
Kids who come to the E.R. are immediately given a stuffed animal to hug and take home. What a great program! Noah quickly named his new little friend "Dotty". 
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2 comments:
Oh my goodness! I can only imagine how you felt when you first look at his poor little face. You didn't mention his teeth were missing, so that's good. I'm so glad you have it behind you all now. How's the eating going?
Yes...luckily, all teeth remained intact - in fact, if anything, they are now a bit more firmly shoved into his gums! Eating is messy (his poor lower lip is so swollen that it makes it hard) so lots of food and drool end up outside - however, it doesn't seem to be painful, thank goodness b/c the kid sure loves to eat!
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