Two Stitches And A Black Eye

Well, it's been a year (more or less) since the fan incident with Jeremy. So, (apparently) in true Nielsen fashion, it was time for another adventure. No, not the same. Not even the same kid! Or parent! (Bob tried to tell me we were even, then I reminded him that I wasn't involved in this accident)

Peter is transitioning away from naps - which means that when he does nap, it's usually in one of our big green popham (mushroom) chairs. He snuggles in there, with a blanket, to watch a movie and usually, if he's going to nap, is asleep before you can press play. Well... he was napping. He prefers to be on his tummy when he sleeps, so he'd turned himself over. Since he'd been sharing a chair with Jeremy (who had since left the room since the movie was over), that meant he'd turned himself over to nearly the side of the chair. But, he was fine.

Then he woke up - fussed a little (which we tend to ignore because he'll be happier sooner if we do), found he was tangled in his blankets and then tried to get out. As he did so, he turned the whole chair over. So there he was, in a tangled mess, Beth jumps up from her clean up chore and starts this weird panic noise that she does - but just stands there. She is, after all, not quite 5. Since she's closest, I told her to go over and help him up. All the while he's screaming (but that's not unusual when he's already irritated and then something goes wrong). Beth gets near him, then jumps back as he sits up and starts a little panic screamy whimper thing (I can't repeat it... it was too strange). By this point I can see past her to the little boy who obviously has blood running down his face!

So over and through the train tracks all over the living room floor, I grab him up (I think the carpet was spared), all the while (having taken one quick look) yelling for Gabi to get a cool wet washcloth and for Beth to get the phone. Peter had cut the corner of his eye when he hit it on the train table (folded up into the wall).

Bob was off trying to clean up a frozen / broken pipe disaster down at one of the apartments, but I had expected him to go to the new restaurant to help out that afternoon. So I called there for him (since my van still wasn't starting). He had only just stopped in looking for something because the job he was doing was taking much longer than planned. It's a good thing that one of us wasn't starring at a little boy covered in blood - he reminded me that there are others closer who could help (all I could think about was that my van wasn't starting and I needed to get the little guy to the hospital - it's something about having four kids and living in the middle of no where that puts ones brain into such a funk).

Anyway, the bleeding is more or less controlled at this point - I called my home teacher who came and got the van going - packed the kids in the van and took off for the hospital (cell phone in hand to call for assistance there). The good news was that since I had to wait for my home teacher to arrive, I as able to have Gabi put together a bag of things for Peter and have all the kids get their thing on - and stock the fire - so we were ready to go just as he got there!)

We called some other friends and one met me at the hospital to trade vehicles and took the other three to his house where they would be able to run around, play and be happy. I took Peter in - and amazingly, there was only one person in front of us and the staff all worked together over lapping things like triage - registration and got him in very quickly. Peter was great! He didn't like the wound to be touched or a bandage put on it, but other than that, he was quiet and held still. He was really amazing!

Bob made it to the hospital just before the stitches were to go in, so he was the one who held Peter still, which helps a lot!

Anyway - Peter has two stitches and a mildly black eye. He's happy and tormenting his siblings as usual (he gets that from his brother). We also found out that he's a whopping 29#!!!

Since I've been struggling with the remains of a cold as well as fighting off this fluish thing that Beth had earlier this week - and I didn't want the van out in the snowy mess today - I stayed home with Peter and Beth. Bob took the other two as well as our neighbor - in the Subaru - carefully - leaving with extra time. I'm sure it will all work out.

But now that I'm done updating, I'm going to try to rest. My head has felt like someone beat it like a drum for the last week! I'm sure getting up to stock the fire every night hasn't helped - but the extra rest will be nice! Though I'd love a nap, that will wait until Peter goes down - in the mean time, I'll see if I can read my scriptures.