Crying Wolf
So if you discount the visit to the ER, Wednesday was a pretty fun day.
Ainsley had a morning spa appointment, so Mimaa and Grandpa joined Ryan and me for a hearty breakfast buffet, if your definition of hearty includes powdered doughnuts. Everyone marveled at how cute Erin was while the three adults took turns walking her around the restaurant to keep her occupied.
Ryan and I hit the pool around 10:30, though he seemed less interested in everything (and still wasn't feeling well), though we had a good long splashing war in the kiddie pool that he seemed to enjoy. The intent was to swim with Ainsley and Erin, have lunch, then get the kids down for a nap for a change, but at 1 o'clock, Erin was in hour three of a deep morning snooze still, so there went those plans. Lousy service kept us at lunch way too long, though we Ainsley again marveled over how great a kid Ryan is. I watched him unwrap his napkin, pull out the fork and spoon, and say, "There you go," to Mommy, who was engrossed in the menu. "There you go-oo" Ryan singsongedly said again. Then, as if to emphasize his point, he said, "That's a knife." Ainsley hopped up on her buns, grabbed the knife, and kissed her son on the head.
I stayed in the room with the kids while Ainsley went to get a massage, trying to coax Ryan to sleep while walking around with Erin, occasionally let her nibble on a bottle. Just too much distraction for the two of them, though, and Ainsley found three awake people back in her room when she returned at 4. No naps again. The plan was for the whole pack to meet in our room at 5 for drinks and snacks before going out to eat, but I wanted to go work out or use the hot tub to stretch out my sore Erin-holding shoulder muscles. Ainsley popped in the shower first, while I started to change Erin's outfit up on the counter by the sink. But Ryan wanted to get in the shower with Mommy, so I quickly reached down and pulled up his shirt and down his pants and off his diaper--which of course was full of diaperfilling stuff, so I had to reach up for wipes and clean him up first and
T H U N K !
A floor-reverberating, brief gunshot of an impact, and Erin was on the floor, face-first. As dainty and feminine as she is, you just think of her as a little feather, a light, bendy, echo of a person. But the sound she made was as loud as dropping a dumbbell on a gym floor.
After a stunned half-second, she started to cry, and Ainsley was out of the shower, offering to take her from me to nurse her back from hysterics, but she was obviously in shock and/or pain. I just couldn't look at her. I couldn't believe it had just happened. Ryan even tried to hold up my chin, but I was stone-cold, white-faced, blood-chilled still. A couple pink welts began to appear on her head and forehead, so I called a buddy of mine stationed at nearby Langley AFB for directions to the clinic.
I'm not saying anything, but let's just report that the Sienna does very well at a high rate of speed.
While Ainsley kept her from going to sleep in the car, she protested, but seemed to simmer down and smile occasionally, so we were less worried as we got to the Hospital. A small bruise was on the top left of her head, but the knot wasn't swelling all that much. We were seen after a couple hours, and the doc said that it was good that she cried right away, all her limbs and neck seem to be fine, the fact that her head is still fusing means her head is still pretty malleable at this stage, and as long as we watched her for the next 24 hours, she should be fine. He also said that he's dropped each of his kids less and less, so that's somewhat comforting. One was reminded of dropping Ryan on his face in the tub years ago.
So the bad news is I screwed up a good portion of planned family time, though Ryan had fun with his cousins and grandparents. The good news is that Erin was her old self, sleeping on and off as usual. But Ryan had another midnight crying fit, and then coughed in my face almost non-stop from 2 in the morning, so I should be good and viral in a few days.
Ainsley had a morning spa appointment, so Mimaa and Grandpa joined Ryan and me for a hearty breakfast buffet, if your definition of hearty includes powdered doughnuts. Everyone marveled at how cute Erin was while the three adults took turns walking her around the restaurant to keep her occupied.
Ryan and I hit the pool around 10:30, though he seemed less interested in everything (and still wasn't feeling well), though we had a good long splashing war in the kiddie pool that he seemed to enjoy. The intent was to swim with Ainsley and Erin, have lunch, then get the kids down for a nap for a change, but at 1 o'clock, Erin was in hour three of a deep morning snooze still, so there went those plans. Lousy service kept us at lunch way too long, though we Ainsley again marveled over how great a kid Ryan is. I watched him unwrap his napkin, pull out the fork and spoon, and say, "There you go," to Mommy, who was engrossed in the menu. "There you go-oo" Ryan singsongedly said again. Then, as if to emphasize his point, he said, "That's a knife." Ainsley hopped up on her buns, grabbed the knife, and kissed her son on the head.
I stayed in the room with the kids while Ainsley went to get a massage, trying to coax Ryan to sleep while walking around with Erin, occasionally let her nibble on a bottle. Just too much distraction for the two of them, though, and Ainsley found three awake people back in her room when she returned at 4. No naps again. The plan was for the whole pack to meet in our room at 5 for drinks and snacks before going out to eat, but I wanted to go work out or use the hot tub to stretch out my sore Erin-holding shoulder muscles. Ainsley popped in the shower first, while I started to change Erin's outfit up on the counter by the sink. But Ryan wanted to get in the shower with Mommy, so I quickly reached down and pulled up his shirt and down his pants and off his diaper--which of course was full of diaperfilling stuff, so I had to reach up for wipes and clean him up first and
T H U N K !
A floor-reverberating, brief gunshot of an impact, and Erin was on the floor, face-first. As dainty and feminine as she is, you just think of her as a little feather, a light, bendy, echo of a person. But the sound she made was as loud as dropping a dumbbell on a gym floor.
After a stunned half-second, she started to cry, and Ainsley was out of the shower, offering to take her from me to nurse her back from hysterics, but she was obviously in shock and/or pain. I just couldn't look at her. I couldn't believe it had just happened. Ryan even tried to hold up my chin, but I was stone-cold, white-faced, blood-chilled still. A couple pink welts began to appear on her head and forehead, so I called a buddy of mine stationed at nearby Langley AFB for directions to the clinic.
I'm not saying anything, but let's just report that the Sienna does very well at a high rate of speed.
While Ainsley kept her from going to sleep in the car, she protested, but seemed to simmer down and smile occasionally, so we were less worried as we got to the Hospital. A small bruise was on the top left of her head, but the knot wasn't swelling all that much. We were seen after a couple hours, and the doc said that it was good that she cried right away, all her limbs and neck seem to be fine, the fact that her head is still fusing means her head is still pretty malleable at this stage, and as long as we watched her for the next 24 hours, she should be fine. He also said that he's dropped each of his kids less and less, so that's somewhat comforting. One was reminded of dropping Ryan on his face in the tub years ago.
So the bad news is I screwed up a good portion of planned family time, though Ryan had fun with his cousins and grandparents. The good news is that Erin was her old self, sleeping on and off as usual. But Ryan had another midnight crying fit, and then coughed in my face almost non-stop from 2 in the morning, so I should be good and viral in a few days.
posted by Dan at 1:56 PM
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