three cranes: November 2008

WARNING: This post contains graphic images.

November 12th was a Wednesday like any other. After the usual early afternoon crawling, climbing, and entertainment from Mable, it was time for a nap.

Ainsley had been changed, and I left her on the changing table quietly sucking her thumb because I needed to refill the diaper basket for the changing table.

We keep the diapers in the armoire across from the changing table, and that's where I was standing when I turned around.

I turned around just in time to see Ainsley beginning to roll off of the changing table. Even though it seemed as if she was moving in slow motion, I did not as I dove to catch her before she fell to the floor.

I landed on my knees, with Ainsley in my arms, and my face smashed into the dresser. Yes, I caught her. My glasses flew to the floor, and Ains began to cry. As I was assessing the situation, I reached to feel my left brow that was already hurting, and when I brought my left hand back down, I saw blood. I got up off of the floor, Ainsley still in my arms, and went to the bathroom. While Ainsley's crying was subsiding, and I could see that she was okay, I attempted to stop the bleeding in the gash to the left of my eye.

Since it was Wednesday, Canaan was in Stillwater. So, I called Carrie for some assistance and assessment of injury. However, she was in a meeting and did not answer her cell, and I left a very calm message with her student worker to have her call. While I was waiting for Carrie to call me back, there was a baby to take care of, and she needed a bath now that she had blood on her from her mother's head wound. By the time I finished bathing Ains, Carrie happened to leave the meeting to check on a few things, and decided to call me. When she called, all I could get out was, "I need you to come look at my head." When she arrived, Ainsley was clean, happy, and talking up a storm. I was not.

Carrie looked at the gash, and suggested I go visit OBU's campus nurse and let her tell me if I needed stitches. So, I changed clothes, put Ainsley down for a nap, put a load of laundry in the dryer, and headed to campus. Sharon, the nurse, took one look and told me I would need stitches. After a breakdown in her office, due to the thought of what could have happened and changing hormones, I headed to Shawnee's AM PM Clinic for further medical assistance. There was no one in the waiting room, and one patient ahead of me at check-in. Miraculous. After waiting for less than 5 minutes, I was taken into an examination room where a very cranky nurse assessed the damage. After she left, I was settling in for a long wait for the doc to come in, and about 30 seconds later, there he was. Miraculous. He decided that the proper treatment would not be a bandage or glue, but stitches. Panic. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I don't do well with anything involving needles. I almost passed out when I got my ears pierced. But, I knew I could handle this. I gave birth, right? So, the doc tells me they will move me to another room for the procedure. Again, I expected a long wait, but it was no time before the cranky nurse was back to move me to the Trauma Room. The gash was numbed and subsequently stitched up, and I was out of the clinic in less than an hour. Miraculous.

Even though she was virtually unharmed, Ainsley did suffer a bruise from when I caught her and my body slammed into the dressser. She did not require medical attention, has had no repercussions from the incident, and is continuing to roll over on the changing table.