Claire's Injury

It happened last Tuesday night.  It was bedtime, and the girls were already in their pajamas and ready for bed.  They were both standing on the rocking chair in their bedroom and fighting over a toy.  Hallie pushed Claire off the chair, and Claire fell backwards and hit the back of her head on the square corner of their bunkbed.  She came crying to me, and I saw the blood and yelled "She's bleeding!" Rob came running in and we took one look at the gash and put her in the car to take her to the emergency room.  I ran and got her some shoes and a blanket (all she had on was her nightgown), and they were off.  I stayed home with the kids and Rob's wonderful mom went with him and Claire to the ER.  Claire was a real trooper.  After her initial crying, she calmed right down, and during the car ride she wasn't crying at all.  She said, "Daddy are you taking me to the hospital?"  and Rob said "Yes, honey." and Claire said "Thank you Daddy.  I love you."  Little sweetheart.  At the hospital, the doctor recommended staples instead of stitches.  She said that stitches require more intense anesthesia which would take about 30 minutes to take effect and that Claire would have to hold still for the whole time they were stitching her up.  The staples on the other hand just had a topical anesthetic, and although Claire would feel them being applied more than stitches, they would be done in a matter of seconds and we wouldn't have to worry about her squirming.  So staples it was.  She didn't cry much at all when they had to clean out the wound, and only cried a little when they actually put the staples in her head.  Once the doctor offered her a toy, the crying was forgotten. 

The staples.  This was taken a couple days after it happened.

Right when she got home from the hospital.  This was the new toy she got.

Hallie meanwhile, started crying as we were throwing things into the car.  She said she was sorry and kept repeating "I just love my sister!" through her tears over and over.  Since she and I were both very worried about Claire, we said several prayers together and Hallie told Heavenly Father she was very sorry and that she wouldn't do it again.  After we prayed, Hallie wanted to draw a picture for Claire.  She drew Mommy, Hallie, and Claire.  She wrote "I'm sorry Claire" in her cute five-year-old writing.  It was very sweet.  Claire and Rob didn't get home until about 10:30, and Hallie was dead asleep by that time, but Claire got to see the picture right when she got home. 

The next day, Aunt Marla and Aunt Stacey got Claire some get-well balloons and candy.  Both items were a big hit in our house! Thank you again, Stacey and Marla.

She wore her bandage for about a day, and got to show all her preschool friends her cool bandage.

It is healing nicely and she will have the staples removed tomorrow.  Our first family injury! Ah, the milestones!