6 Stitches

I've been writing about my baby for a while now, and have realized that most of the exciting things that happen in my life are linked to her.  I've also noticed that it's annoying to constantly write, "my baby,"  so instead, when I write about her, I'll refer to her as CB.

Over the past few months CB has really started trying out her walking skills, and she's really getting pretty good at it.  She still looks like a drunk orangutan, but gets around.  Well, we were at Kohl's and she was doing her usual walk around attempt while my mom and sister were checking out.  CB walked to the carts and stumbled a little, but used them to stand up again.  She then started walking to the double doors.  I walked behind her, trying to make sure that she didn't walk in front of the doors or anything.  She went toward the wall next to wall that separated the doors from the carts.  She reached for the wall, stumbled, and I heard possibly the most awful sound in the world: my baby's head bouncing off the edge of the wall.

Quick as I could, I took her up in my arms to see the damage.  Sure enough, there was a growing puddle of dark blood on her forehead.  I stood, trying to tip her head back so it wouldn't get in her eyes (I don't know what blood does to eyes).  My wife came over, apparently more interested in CB's blood getting on Kohl's carpet, rather than the fact that her head was bleeding, as she told me to carry CB out of the store so that we didn't ruin their super fine, already stained, dark grey carpet.  My mom got kleenex from her purse to stop the bleeding and we rushed CB to the Instacare.

The nurse came out and looked at the wound while my wife filled out paperwork.  The nurse explained to us that we'd need to hold CB down, and that it might be traumatic.  I then went back to talk to the doctor, who seemed to feel a little inadequate for the job, and sent us to the ER.

By this time, CB forgot about the gaping hole on her forehead and wanted to play around the emergency room.  All the staff were really nice to her and us, but we figured she didn't really need to be pulling on chords to machines we didn't even know what did, so she got mad at us while we held her.  The doctor came in, explaining that what the Instacare folks told us wasn't really true, about CB needing anesthesia, and that we could just hold her while he stitched her up.  CB screamed the whole time, but once it was over, she was back to stumbling around again.

I won't lie, my wife held it together throughout much better than I did.  I allowed my little girl to get hurt.  I recognize that all kids get hurt, it was just my first time, and I didn't like it.