I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in my ninth month of pregnancy with the little man. Madolyn was just a few months shy of turning four. My mother watched her while we worked. It was a Monday afternoon and I had a doctor's appointment. I left work and went to the doctor...just like with Madolyn, he assured me I was progressing well and could go at about any time. I wasn't due until the end of April.
I call and find out that mom, dad and Madolyn were at my grandma's house along with two of my nieces. So I headed straight from the doctor's office to my grandma's house. I can remember what I was wearing, my long maternity gray skirt, pantyhose (yes, I know), heels and a blouse. I was as big as a house, of course. I arrive and everyone was in the living room. I filled them in on the status of the little guy and we visited for a bit.
I don't remember exactly what the girls had been doing, but I'm sure that at least Madolyn was a little hyper, she was, after all, at that age. My nieces that were there were five and six. Quite a trio there, if you know what I mean. Madolyn sorta skipped or ran through the living room and was getting ready to jump over this couch pillow when her foot caught the edge of the pillow and the chaos began. She fell straight down and smacked her forehead into the very solid handmade oak entertainment center in my grandma's living room. She hit is so perfectly, it was like a knife sliced just above her eye. It didn't take two seconds for us to spring into action. Even in my nine-month-about-to-pop glory, I was on it. I scooped Mad up and ran her to the bathroom. Here's where I fell apart. Thankfully, my mama was there so I didn't have to be the strong one...and I was nowhere near the strong one.
When I saw my sweet daughter's forehead split and her eye drooping, I thought I would just die. Blood was pouring out (you know how a head bleeds) and her little eye was hanging low because her forehead just above that was exposed to the bone. You could see it. It was as if a knife had made a perfect cut above her eye. We immediately applied pressure with a towel and the Quackdaddy called 911 for an ambulance. We were in panic mode and not sure what to do or how serious it really was. I just remember standing in my grandma's bathroom holding onto that towel afraid to move...in a total panic. Again, my mom was there so I didn't have to be the strong one.
The Quack and the 911 operator is a whole separate story in and of itself. I remember hearing my dad shout at them through the phone about coming and coming fast. I know it wasn't really life threatening (now), but at the time we were all just freaked out. My dad included. Again, those 911 folks (one Jay's related to) has to just cringe when they see any calls from my family come through.
The ambulance came and loaded up the little stinky (that was her nickname) and I rode along. That girl totally took advantage of the opportunity and soaked it all in. She was quizzing everyone and everything. Calm as could be. It was hilarious. She asked the driver if he could stop hitting so many bumps. It is quite bumpy in the back of an ambulance. Just by looking at them you can tell they were not made for smooth riding. We made the decision to go to Robinson because a) Jay was there working and b) that is where I would deliver Lane ,and if I would happen to go into labor, it would be awfully handy. We should've went with plan c...
Robinson hospital was not equipped to deal with Madolyn's injury so they told us to put her in the car and take her elsewhere. L-O-V-E-L-Y. But that is what we did. We drove to Terre Haute and headed for emergency room #2. They took a look and decided it needed a surgical team and called one in. It was pretty late by the time the team all arrived. The surgeon was also a plastic surgeon so he was going to try to repair her with as little scar as possible.
I will never forget the surgeon coming out to talk to us before he took Madolyn in for surgery and saying "After speaking with your daughter, we have determined she is not a candidate for stitches." We laughed. Wow, it only took you five minutes to figure that one out, huh? Super glue it is. Amazing. They ended up putting dissolvable stitches inside the wound to close it up and then super-gluing the outside portion. Everything was gonna be okay.
It was a very long night for this about-to-pop-prego woman in her pantyhose, high heels and skirt. I think I did finally ditch the pantyhose. (Honestly pregnancy and pantyhose do not go together, ever. What was I thinking and who was I trying to impress?) Madolyn has a pretty good scar above her eye. In the summer it is pretty noticeable when she gets hot because it turns bright pink. Fortunately, we have thick bushy eyebrows, and when and if she ever chooses to have bangs again, they will cover it up nicely. I'm not sure who was more traumatized by this event...the stinky or her big fat mama. Thankfully, Lane decided to wait one week and let me recover:)
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