hello summer!

Monday, the first official day of summer, started out like most school days. Walk to take Ty to school, a little cleaning, a little playing, a little nap, and then picking him up. A little playtime at the playground (to wear off the sugar high from the TWO summer birthdays they celebrated at school) and then speech therapy. While Jason had speech my mom took Tyler on a "date". Afterwards I decided to let Tyler enjoy a summer tradition...running through the sprinkler. Eventually I let Jason join him. Jason was definitely leery, but eventually made his way in. He did quite well for his first sprinkler experience! They were out there for over an hour!







After our fun playtime we came in to enjoy a delicious summer dinner. Fresh jersey corn was part of the menu (purchased at the farmer's market on Saturday), and I was surprised when Jason begged for some. I can't believe how far his eating skills have come in the last couple of months, to allow him to eat corn on the cob. Too cute.


As Jason was finishing up his corn (which took a long time...everyone else was already up from the table) he spotted my dad outside watering the plants and immediately wanted to join him. My dad came inside just as I was carrying Jason outside, but he had his heart set on watering so I allowed him to squirt a few plants. We hung out for a little bit and then I told him it was time to go inside. He went to turn away from me to try to put a stone in the birdbath and managed to trip on his own two feet and fall straight into the concrete bird bath. I took one look at the fall and knew we'd be spending our evening at the ER. A look at the gash (vertical cut right in the middle of his forehead) and the blood confirmed it. Luckily both my parents were home, so my mom grabbed a towel so I could put pressure on the wound and then we got in the car (she drove so I could sit in the back with him) while my dad stayed home with Tyler. He was screaming initially but then calmed down, but seemed very lethargic and generally just "not with it". We got to Mt. Holly hospital and of course he perked right up....trotting around the waiting room, looking at fish in the aquarium, etc. Anyway, because he was "obviously doing okay" (as per triage nurse) they deemed it a "minor emergency" and we ended up waiting about 1.25 hours to be seen. Great fun. Eventually they came to see us and decided they wanted to do a catscan, due to the location of the injury, his young age, and he size of the bump. We waited an hour to go get the catscan. Catscan was torture for me as they strapped Jason to a board and would only allow me to stand there and "comfort him" by touching his lower legs and talking to him. Let me tell you, my rendition of "twinkle twinkle" did nothing to calm down the child who was hysterically screaming "ma ma ma ma". Heartbreaking. From there we waited another 1/2 hr before they came in to stitch him up. The staff was discouragingly NOT confident, which didn't help ME have much confidence in them. I had to help show them how to use the papoose board (I was brilliant enough to read the freakin directions posted directly on it. Rocket science). Then they seemed really wishy-washy about how they were going to drape his head, stitch him, how many stitches to use, etc. At this point I wish I would have demanded someone else. In all actuality they stitched him up nicely (or so I've been told). He ended up requiring 4 stitches and then 2 steristrips at the top and bottom of the cut. He was such a trooper through it all, only crying during portions where he was strapped to boards. He even let her clean it and use the numbing agent without fussing. My little man was so brave. This photo was from the waiting room, prior to stitches.

So 3 hours in the hopsital, 1 catscan, 4 stitches, 2 steristrips and we were back hom. Jason seemed totally fine at home and luckily did well that night.