Trip to the ER {Emmitt}

Two weeks ago, I loaded the boys up and drove an hour north to Paducah, Kentucky to go shopping.

Since living here in Martin, I've realized that I took the amenities in the larger cities for granted.  I recognized how "nice" the area was and how plentiful the shopping and eating out was, but I didn't ever realize that I'd miss having it so accessible.

Anyway, back to shopping.  Traveling an hour to shop was the norm when I was growing up, so off we went on a pretty and crisp Saturday morning.  

The trip began very smoothly, and the boys did great all morning!  I had a few stops to make before heading to the mall, one of them being T.J. Maxx.

Over the past few months, Emmitt has refused to sit in the "baby seat" of the shopping cart, and because it hasn't been worth the fight/melt down, I've allowed him to "sit" in the larger part of the cart with his back against the folded up "baby seat".  No problems.  He is happy and shopping is happy.

Happy in T.J. Maxx didn't equal safe. 

After about fifteen minutes of shopping, we were in the ladies' sweater area when he stood up and grabbed a sweater.  I told him to sit down and at that time, I was slowly backing up to turn out of the aisle.  At that point, he grabbed the end of the railing that goes across the top of the rack where the hangers rest, and as I turned the cart, he toppled over the edge landing on the concrete tile floor.

It was very, very, very sad.  

I instantly scooped him up and called Russ, all the while trying to keep Lawson calm.  After finally explaining to Russ what had happened, I gathered Lawson and ran to the baby department and ripped open a blanket as he was desperately needing something to comfort him.  He loves his blankets, fortunately no specific one.  As I sat down in the middle of the floor with both boys, the goal was to simply get him calm.  He cried for about twenty minutes before I could get him to stop.  I have no clue where his pacifier went; I suppose we lost in when he fell, but we sure did need one.

As I sat there, two ladies gathered around me to see if they could help, and Russ and I had to make the decision of what to do next.  With me having an hour-long drive back to Martin, combined with his lethargic behavior, we decided taking him to the emergency room to be checked out would be best.

So, Russ jumped in the truck, made the hour-long trip in about forty minutes, including being pulled over by a cop, and let go after finally convincing the cop that he indeed had a child at the ER in Paducah although he was from Tennessee!!!  I'll be quiet about that - no ticket = no complaining! :)

{Even though people continue to shock me from time-to-time.}

Anyway, we were super impressed with Lourd's hospital in Paducah.  Got us in immediately, three nurses filed into the room in less than five minutes of us being in there.  Went straight to CT Scan, only to realize that we had to wait for Dad to get there so that we could both work to hold him down.  Rough!!!  And thankfully, all was clear with the exception of his pretty eye and the side of his head.

I learned my lesson about cart safety the hard way.  

It was a very scary and sad time.  

Although I will never forget him falling over the edge and me not being able to catch him, and watching him hit the floor, he has already forgotten and still pitches a fit not to sit in the "baby seat".  This mama is not giving in... crying and screaming, meltdown, kicking... doesn't matter.  He will sit in that seat where he is safe.  Once I get him buckled in, he is fine, but it is a battle, no doubt.

I would like to encourage you to safely buckle your children in the "baby seat" of a cart so that you don't have to experience this same fear.  As sad as it made us, and as bad as it looked {still looks}... it could have been much worse.  The guilt when having to explain what happened to most everyone who sees him has also been hard.  It was so tempting to be dishonest initially as I felt so guilty, but it seems as though many people have similar stories, then pat you on the back, and tell you that he will be fine.  I hope I will be as comforting to someone else as most have been to me.

And I mustn't forget... Lawson was very concerned about us going to the hospital.  He was tearful most of the time, and full of questions about whether or not E was going to be ok, if they were going to give him a shot, if he was going to spend-the-night in the hospital, etc.  Thankfully, I was very calm through this ordeal, and continued to assure him that he would be ok, as I attempted to explain to him what I thought they would do.  He was still scared, which was understandable.

BUT... the most precious words came out of his mouth once we got to the hospital.  As I was getting Emmitt out of the van, he was very quietly standing beside me, when all of the sudden he said, with great excitement and a complete change of tone in his voice, "ahh, Mom, God will take care of Emmitt and he will be ok!"

Tears fell down my cheeks at this point in time.  The faith of a three year old was precious.

There are days when I am at home with them, hoping and praying that I am not "scarring" them in some crazy way, only to have moments like these, when for a little while you think, "maybe we are doing something right".  
I will never forget those words coming out of his mouth.

Buckle those babies in.  

Thanks for reading and thank you, God, for a clear CT scan and for healing his eye.
May we all have the faith of a three year old.