An ER visit and a few doctors snickering at us later, we've learned this lesson: babies are pretty darn tough, and we're pretty crummy parents...
It started out like this:
On Saturday night Justin and I brought out the Santa hats, put cider on the stove, and took Ellie on her first Christmas tree buying adventure. Since southern Mississippi isn't exactly North Georgia, where Frasier fir tree farms are in abundance, we ended up sorting through the pre-cut and already wrapped trees at Lowe's until we found our perfect-for-a-hardware store Christmas tree.
We made it back home just in time to watch the SEC Championship game across the street, only to swiftly jet back home at the final to decorate and light the tree.
At this point, Ellie sleeps, a lot! So, as we were getting the tree in the tree stand, ornaments unwrapped, and putting the finger foods out on the counter - we placed our sleeping Ellie in her Boppy on the couch. (Parental mistake: can you see where this is going?) As we walked out of the living room, we barely made it to the middle of the dining room before Justin and I had locked eyes and were running back into the living room in a panicked motion. After a loud thump and a sudden burst of little bitty lungs coming alive with a deafing wail, we immediately knew what had just happened.
She looked so pathetic. So scared. With a big red rash on her forehead, above her right eye, where she had landed when she rolled off the couch. Her uncontrollable cries scared me beyond words. A cry I had definitely never heard before. Scared of everything that might happen because of a head injury at 3 weeks old- through my tears, I frantically asked Justin if we should take her to the hospital. Being the supportive husband to a crazy wife, he said we could do whatever would make me feel better.
We rushed to the ER, and while we were explaining what happened over the loud cries coming from the infant carrier as we checked in, I swear several of the nurses were holding back their snickers as they reassured us that babies don't break that easily. No one seemed worried. We were called back quickly, since the waiting room was empty. When the pediatrician came in he explained to us that the soft spot on the top of her head keeps her safe in case of falls and accidents - it acts like a pressure release valve in case the brain actually swells. They sent us home with a list of symptoms to watch out for: abnormal pupil dilation, vomiting, loss of appetite. None of which happened.
Everything turned out fine. She's back to her normal hunger and gassiness cries instead of the my-parents-really-need-to-not-take-the manufacturers-instructions-so-lightly cries. From that moment on, she only lays on the floor or in her crib when we are not sitting beside her. Lessons learned from a first time mom.
It's really not your fault, Casie. She is Justin's child. He doesn't lie when he says the ER at our local hospital was his 2nd home. It might just be in her blood to have these kinds of things happen. ;) Glad everyone is well though. I know it's scary when they pull crazy stunts like leaping across their boppy, off the counch, and onto the floor. Gabs' first fall was off the bed in a Brazilian hotel room onto a tile floor...ouch.
ReplyDelete