First...you should know that we are in the midst of the snowiest January in NJ history. We barely make it through 24 hours without a flake falling. The kids haven't had a full week of school all month. This week, we managed 5 days...2 of them were 1/2 days!
Top the ridiculous weather off with the fact that Shane was on a business trip Tuesday and Wednesday. He was in Chicago stressing about how he was going to get home in the midst of yet another storm on Wednesday night. I, however, was home stressing about what to do with the crazy kids!
To say the kids were bouncing off the walls, would be an understatement. It was snowing...AGAIN. School had been dismissed early. They'd blown through all the DVDs they wanted to watch. Dinner was over. Dad was on his way home. I was trying to keep them up so he could see them.
Now the scene has been set...
Sure enough, Little Miss Ava was trying to keep up with her brothers while they were jumping off the play table.
Not really sure what happened, but some how, she hit the entertainment center and came crying to me in the other room. Being the loving, patient, empathetic mother that I am, I half-heartedly went to pick her up to shush her. That's when I noticed the blood...dripping from her chin!
My knees went weak. My stomach flipped. It was 730p on a snowy night and I was home alone with 5 kids ages 8 and under. "Please Lord, don't let the cut that I'm about to look at be bad. Please."
No such luck. I knew the minute I looked at it, that Ava would be going to the ER. But still, I sent a picture to my pediatric nurse friend, Sue.
She agreed. That's when I called Shane. He was still a half hour away. As soon as he walked in the door, Ava and I headed out.
I should point out here, I had to actually ASK where the ER was. I've lived in NJ for 13 years, yet still...never been to the ER.
It took us about 25 minutes to go about 7 1/2 miles. Thankfully, Ava calmed down on the ride (she had started screaming as I was putting her jacket on...thanks to Zoe recounting how "she had stitches once and they really hurt") and she even fell asleep.
Our time at the hospital was rather dull. Sue and her husband (Rob) met us there to keep us company (and hold my hand). The numbing gel didn't work and Ava needed Lidocaine...not a fun experience and one that I'd like to forget. Rob is one of Ava's favorite people and having him there really helped her. Sue is one of my favorite people and having her there while Ava was fighting to get out of the papoose really helped me!
After 4 stitches and a dose of Tylenol, we left for home around 1030p. 7 1/2 miles, remember? There were at least 4 inches of fresh snow since we got to the hospital, so I knew it was going to be a journey. I figured the highway was a better bet than the side roads and we headed out.
We were going about 10-15 miles an hour behind a tractor trailer, and I was fine with that. Then...we stopped. Completely. As in "Park".
After 20 minutes, the plow to my right got off and the car in front of me followed. So did I! Turns out, there were power lines down across the highway and it was closed about 20 feet in front of us.
We fish-tailed our way through unplowed streets to a parallel street that would bring us home. Of course, as we pulled up to that street (Franklin Turnpike) our light was red. Oh boy. How was I going to make a right onto the road from a dead stop in 5 inches of snow in my minivan? Just as I finished a quick prayer, two plows passed in front of us and cleared a path right as my light turned green. I gunned it...and followed them within a half mile from my house.
At 1145p, we pulled into the garage. My whole body was tense. It felt so good to exhale. What an adventure.
Ava slept until almost 9a Thursday morning.
And when she woke...she was smiling! Swollen...but smiling!
1 comment:
Oh my word! That is just crazy!!! I'm so glad that she's okay and that you both made it safely to and from the hospital.
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