August 28, 2003 - 10:17 a.m.
I'm convinced that the first time we have to take Zachary to the emergency room for stitches (and I just tell myself to accept that it will happen, sooner or later), my husband will put an arm around our son's little shoulders and tell him "Chicks dig scars."
The-Bookgirl, April 11, 2002
It's been an exciting week over here. Monday, because of various circumstances, Colin decided not to attend the weekly SCA fight practice. We had already put Marcus to bed and Zachary was bathed and in his pajamas, making the most of his remaining minutes of playtime for the evening.
Zachary had discovered that climbing onto the sofa was much more challenging (i.e. fun) if he took the route over the end table and arm. He was in the middle of doing so when he lost his balance.
Something about the way he hit the floor worried Mike and Zachary's reluctance to move his right arm just aroused more concern. His elbow was bleeding and beginning to bruise and Mike didn't like the way it looked. I'm not at all experienced with broken bones and didn't argue with my husband's diagnosis. He scooped up Zachary and the car keys and I went to get Marcus back out of bed and we drove over to the Reston Emergency Care center.
Although Zack had stopped crying, he still cradled his arm when we arrived and checked in. The usual fight to take his temperature and blood pressure was made all the more interesting by our reluctance to aggravate his injuries. We just couldn't hold him still.
I brought in toys and books from the car to make the hour wait to see the doctor more entertaining. Mike would read to Zachary and I to Marcus, then we'd exchange reading material to keep them occupied.
Did I mention they were both in their pajamas and barefoot?
Finally we were taken back to an examination room - where we continued to wait. Marcus, who was thoroughly sick of sitting in the stroller, entertained himself with turning on and off the light. (He likes switches) and Zachary climbed on the examination table (with hyper-supervision) and I had the first indication that there might be nothing wrong with him as he hoisted himself up on one of the rails, putting all his weight onto his arms, and happily swung his feet off the floor. We nearly left but the nurse talked us out of it and took Zack and Mike down to x-ray.
She returned with the images a little while later and hung them up. The first looked fine but as she examined the second she said "Uh-oh..." Uh-oh? Parents begin to panic again. What? What? "His arm is turned. We'll have to do this one again."
$&*%!
The third confirmed the first - no fracture. Zachary got a bandage and some neosporin and they sent us on our way.
I'm just telling myself it was a nice dress rehearsal...
