Stitched With Love

(Warning... graphic pictures below)

I hate that I have to learn lessons the hard way, but I hate even more when my kids take the hard route for some rule to sink in.

We have a spot in our living room by the bay window where Liv and Coleman and any other child that comes over like to play... we have told them a million times that they shouldn't play back there... they are going to get hurt.

I was at the computer yesterday and heard a very loud thud and within a few seconds I could hear the blood curdling scream from Coleman.

He had flipped over the chairs and bonked his forehead on the windowsill and split his forehead right open. There was a lot of blood but I could tell that it was deep, mostly because of the visible flesh and gaping-ness of the wound.

Of course it happened right at 12:30 when our doctor's office clears out for lunch... the nice receptionist said they'd be back at 1:30 and they had an opening for us at 3:30, would that work? Um, hello... his forehead had a big hole in it, I don't think so...

So we headed off to the Instacare where they fixed him right up.

By the time we got there he was almost back to his cheerful self, although he was very nervous about having to get a shot or any stitches.
This was his "I'm in pain" face. Even though he had to fake it, I think it looks pretty believable. They stuck this cotton ball on his wound with some numbing gel. Coleman kept making jokes about it saying that we should call him "Cottonhead Coleman." His purple tongue is from the popsicle that we gave him right after it happened to help him feel better (way to soothe with food, Lisa.)

We were glad that my dad was staying with us... he was such a great helper and sat with Coleman while I made phone calls and tracked down our insurance info before we left. He helped Coleman calm down and made the wait a lot more fun.

I thought this sign was hilarious on the front desk... really? They think you're going to do a little shopping or run to the bank while you have a somewhat emergent situation on your hands? I'm not so sure if I went in there with a kidney stone I'd be too excited to go ANYWHERE while I was waiting for my shot of Demerol... but isn't it nice that they give you the option of leaving while you wait to get treated?

While we waited for the doctor to come in to the exam room Coleman wanted to take goofy pictures. (When a kid has his head split open, you pretty much do whatever he wants to take his mind off the impending horror of a shot and stitches.)

This would be his skull... the doctor asked if I wanted to see it, and Coleman got all excited and wanted to see it too, so the doctor suggested I take a picture of it to show him. Cole thought it was pretty cool to see his own skull. I'm not sure I'd call it "cool" but it was interesting... there was too much flesh there for me to look at it for too long.

All done... seven stitches later! He was so brave during the whole ordeal.

Coleman got to choose a place for lunch after he got sewn back together... despite my best efforts at trying to persuade him to choose The Pizza Factory, he picked the Purple Turtle. Like I said, you do what the kid wants, right?

He was fine during the rest of the day, until about 9 pm when he crashed hard. He was so worn out, but slept like a champ and woke up this morning ready to conquer the world (as long as it didn't involve soaking his forehead or anything else remotely dangerous that would freak his mama out).

**Any stitches in your family?
**Where would you choose to go to lunch if you were brave and deserved a celebratory lunch?