I’ll Be Needin Stitches
So that Miss Mabel girl. She likes to keep us on her toes. After she finally decided to forego her signature butt scoot to get around, and quickly ditching crawling on all fours, she decided to just started running laps everywhere instead.
I don’t remember Abigail moving as much as she does. Which, there is a good possibility that my memory absolutely blows. But, there’s another good possibility that she actually DOES move way more than Abigail did at her age.
Which brings us to October 1st.
Jim’s parents were coming to spend the day with us, so I was doing some dishes in the kitchen, Jim was doing some cleaning in the living room, and the girls were playing in our sun room. Abigail was picking up her toys and craft supplies(the room was a disaster!) when all of a sudden I hear her panicked voice start shouting, “Mom! Help! Help! Come help, Mabel! She is bleeding!!”
And sure enough, I pick her up and she has blood running down her face.
Apparently, she managed to fall just right(while walking) onto a toy that had been left out on the floor, and earned herself a pretty good gash right above her eyebrow.
All of this happened right around 11am. I immediately facetimed my Mom(who is a RN) to see what I should do. First up, ibuprofen and an ice pack(which Mabel HATED). We watched an episode of Mickey Mouse and then called Mom back to try and let her see how it looked.
She said from the looks of it that they probably wouldn’t be able to do anything for her since there wasn’t any loose skin flapping. She suggested getting some butterfly bandages to try and help it stay shut. So we called Monty and Jenny and asked them to stop and get some on their way to our house.
Thankfully they did(along with some other ice pack options that hopefully Mabel would like- she didn’t) bring the bandages for us and after a lunch together, I got Mabel ready for her afternoon nap. Before I laid her down I put the butterfly bandage on her- I attach one side and then pull up! to attach the other side and oof. I just knew. The way that it went back together was not good. I knew we had to take her to urgent care.
So, we let her nap and then after she woke up we headed over. (So thankful Monty and Jenny just happened to be here that day so they could stay with Abigail!) When we arrived a nurse looked at it and said that it definitely needed attention. At the least, glue. At the most, stitches.
After an hour and a half wait(ugh) in the urgent care waiting room, we were finally called back. At first glance the Dr. thought he could glue it. But after moving it around a little and looking at it some more he ultimately decided that she needed to have it stitched.
What happened next was probably the most traumatizing thing I’ve had to go through as a parent so far. I mean, at the time you’re all hopped up on adrenaline and you just do it for your baby and don’t think twice, but later that night, after we were in bed, Jim and I just looked at each other and were like “that was SO horrible”
But she came through! She was such a tough little girl. We kept it covered with a bandage for a few days just until we felt like she would leave it alone and then we let it “air out”.
Finally, 11 days later, she got to have it taken out.
One quick snip and she was all done! Seriously. Easiest trip ever. I didn’t even have to pay a copay! The nurse just walked it, snip, and off we went. Mabel didn’t even fuss over it. Total champ.
Of course, I won’t mention how we had to go back to the pediatricians office for a second visit later that afternoon because a certain little girl has contracted a strain of HFM disease……
But that’s likely a story for another day.
Oh serious, when it rains… at least it will heal up well ?poor thing.
Oh Courtney, how terrible! Poor sweet little Mabel – and you! It’s a terrible feeling taking your little one to urgent care and watching them get stitches. We’ve had to take Emerson twice – once he got stitches and the other time staples, but both times were just awful. The scariest part for me was seeing blood gushing from his wound and knowing you have to get him to the doctor right away. The sinking to the pit of your stomach kind of feeling. But you’re right, you just do it and you’re strong and you hold your baby close because that’s what you have to do. I’m so thankful for doctors who can take care of our babies when it’s more than we can handle. But oh my goodness – you had to wait for an hour and a half?! That’s nuts! Maybe the fact that we had blood every where helped us be seen sooner than that? That’s terrible you had to wait for that long. And now she’s sick? Poor sweet girl. Hand foot and mouth is no fun [I had it a few years ago, it’s awful!], I can only imagine how much worse it would be for a baby! 🙁 Prayers for you times ten this morning. Also, I would bring you coffee if I lived closer 🙂
Oh Mabel! Oh Mama! I am so sorry you both had to go through that. It’s so hard to see your child with any amount of blood on them. I’m so glad all of that is behind you all.
Been there, done that–so I completely understand how you felt! Brantley had stitches TWICE by the time he was 26 months old! And yes, having to hold your baby while they literally sew his/her skin shut is brutal!! Be extra careful from here on out…..I mean, as careful as you can with a toddler…stitches once means that spot is more likely to split yet again. (Which is what happened on our second go-round!)
I thought I was going to be a chill mom about cuts and things, but the first time it ever happened R fell and cut her mouth on the coffee table. I picked her up and there was blood in her mouth and lips and I was like OH MY GOSH THERE’S BLOOD SHE’S BLEEDING OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH. And I just sat there useless while Jordan did everything and later he was like, “Well good to know you handled that well.” So basically you’re my hero.
oh man that is the worst! So glad that she took it like a champ. And any time there is a cut on the head it always seems like so much blood. I know the first time anything super bleedy happened to me I was a wreck and didn’t not handle it well at all! Hopefully next time I’ll be a little cooler.
Poor little peanut can’t catch a break!! Hope she has an uneventful rest of the year… I mean rest of her childhood 🙂
When it rains it pours. So sorry Mabel had to get stiches. Thankful for InLaws and tough babies. How are YOU doing lady?!
Poor baby girl! I hope she’s feeling better after some meds and rest. And prayers no one else gets it!
Poor sweet Mabel! And what is it about babies hating ice packs?! You can find a “boo bunny” on Amazon that is like a stuffed animal ice pack. I need to invest in one of those I swear!
I feel like we’ve dodged a bullet with not having an ER trip for Aria yet, but I feel like it is some sort of impending doom. The days are ticking. We can’t luck out forever! I need a chill pill, but it totally stresses me out when I think about it. Bubble wrap? Although I think with Aria in the NICU with little IVs in her it toughened me up for shots. So at least there is that…I don’t think it will extend much past shots though. Fingers crossed it never happens again!!
Poor thing! I’m glad it healed quickly. My oldest has had his fair share of stitches…and then some. I hope you manage to avoid the ER for a while!
Poor Mabel!! Little lady can’t catch a break.
I hope the little lady is feeling much better post stitches and the HFM isn’t too terrible.
Oh man, I can only imagine having to hold her down while they stitched her. It makes my heart start pounding just thinking about it. I had to hold one of my babies down for an iv once and it was totally traumatizing. Glad all that is behind you.
Any time medical assistance is needed it’s a scary situation with your little ones.
oh, poor Mabel. poor you. i got stitches when i was a kid and i remember my mum crying and i was like ‘dude, you’re not the one they are sticking needles in, do you mind?! focus on me!’ now i understand 😉
Bless her little heart! I’m so glad she’s okay!
bluhhhhh this seriously has me hunching over with that icky full body feeling, i would be the worst nurse… but even more, watching your child go through something like that! i’m literally constantly paranoid about it – having a boy! and there your sweet mabel goes down on a silly toy. poor girl!!!! and yeah the getting the actual stitches, i can’t imagine. i mean. ugh. i am so glad you guys are through it!! you are a tough mama!!! and hope she’s feeling better from the nasty illness. 🙁
Oh poor Mabel 🙁 I can imagine what happened when they actually had to do the stitches, and oh it’s so hard as a parent sometimes. I’m glad the return trip was better!