Four Hours, Three Stitches & $100 later

Church was canceled today. Richard took Rover out to help someone get to a homeless shelter in Hillsboro to help out during the cold. He got home and we all ventured out to tithing settlement. It was good to see the Bishop and very few others made it over, it was fun. On the way there we passed a station wagon stuck in the snow. The husband was out trying to push it back, the snow was just too deep for it to get through. Richard drove Rover over the snow again and again until it was good and packed down. Then Jake, Richard and I got out and pushed. Off they went. The little kids thought this was the greatest thing ever and Richard's vehicle is now affectionately called Rescue Rover!

Shortly after getting home Joseph and Jake had a mishap while playing too rough and Jake's tooth ended up creating a large gash in Joseph's forehead. It bled profusely, as head wounds tend to, but it was so deep and oozy that we decided to take him into the ER and have it looked at. We got checked in and paid the $100 copay, YIKES it has gone up!!! We waited and waited and finally were taken back. They numbed it up with a topical ointment and Joseph was so brave. He did not cry at all when they cleaned it, or when he got a shot to make sure it was numb enough or when he got three stitches. He was patient and good and I was very proud of him. The hardest part was that it was close to four by this time and neither Richard or I had eaten yet and Joseph hadn't had lunch. Eventually he needed to use the bathroom, but his fear of public potties sent me to the nurses station where I explained we needed to go or there would be a cleanup in room 6. They finally gave us our discharge orders and we were on our way, just four hours after we got there!!! It had snowed a few inches during the four hour ordeal, so Richard had to clear off Rescue Rover once again. Joseph is on an antibiotic just to be safe, since it was a tooth that caused the damage. But he will be fine, and they let him keep the water syringe they irrigated the wound with. So he is happy and somewhat proud of his bandaged head.

Jake feels really bad about it, but it honestly was an accident. One that will hopefully be prevented by less roughhousing in the future...who am I kidding, they are boys!! But of all the kids Joseph, who is youngest, only three, probably handled it better than the others would have! I was thinking about it and I have had children for almost 17 years now(I am feeling old), and this is the first child requiring stitches! I mentioned this to Richard and we were both a bit shocked to realize that. Until now, no broken bones, stitches, surgery. We are blessed, that is for sure.

The kids are all sleeping under the tree tonight. A couple nights ago we put Joseph to bed and the older three slept under the tree. I heard Joseph get up in the morning and he went straight downstairs. I didn't want him to wake up the other kids who were up pretty late so I went down to get him. He was curled up under his blanket by the tree. I asked him if he wanted to come upstairs and he said no, he was sleeping under the tree with the big kids. Ahhhh, poor little guy got left out. So I told him he could sleep down there with them next time. Just one movie I told them, then they need to get to sleep. Who knows if that will really happen, cause I am going to bed! It was quite an adventurous day and I am glad it is over!