Bump on the Noggin

Evey got her first boo boo today, and in hindsight, the situation (aka: my reaction) was pretty comical.

She sits up in her boppy all the time, and she's not a huge squirmer, so I had her sat up on the couch with the boppy, the way I normally do. I ran back to her room to lay some tights on her changing table and I heard a thud, immediately followed by my daughter's screams.

I knew what had happened, and I sprinted back to the living room and scooped Evey up of the floor. I tried to console her and time was at a stand-still. I held her close as she cried, and some time later, something triggered in my mind: Oh my gosh, Jenni! You have to make sure she's okay!!

Still in tears, I started feeling my daughter's head for scrapes and bumps. I wiggled al lof her extremiites to make sure nothing was seriously hurt. I wasn't even sure what she hit when she fell because I'd picked her up so quickly, I didn't have a chance to see how she was laying.

Once I was sure nothing was seriously injured, I consoled her again. As soon as she stopped crying, she fell asleep. My first thought was concussion. I don't even know if babies can get a concussion or not, but I was sure that's what happened. This is where it gets funny:

I called Christopher.
     No Answer.
          I texted Christopher: E fell off the couch.
          I texted Christopher again: Call me.
          I texted Christopher a third time: ASAP.

As I said earlier, time was crawling, so I'm not even sure I gave him time to respond before calling him back again. This time he answered.

     Him: What?!? (rather agitated)
     Me: Evey fell off the couch! (sobbing and panicked)
     Him: Well, call the doctor!
     Me: Okay. I'll call you back soon.

So, why didn't my brain register to call the doctor instead of my husband who was at work and could do nothing? Let's just say I wasn't thinking too clearly. When I called the doctor, the nurse helped me get back under control. She asked me all kinds of questions about the way Evey was responding, so I woke Evey up and began saying her name.

Evey's a smart kid. She knows her name, but for some reason, whenever I say it, she ignores it. I guess I should've seen that one coming - I know from experience that little girls ignore their moms. So was I surprised when she didn't respond to her name this time? Of course. I start snapping all around her face to get her to look in the direction of the noise and she seemed a little lethargic, so the nurse had me bring her on in to see Dr. Storey.

I called Christopher back to let him know what was going on and he decided he was coming with me. I told him he didn't need to and he said, my daughter is being rushed to the doctor because of a head injury. You'd better believe I'm coming.

I got all the way down Tates Creek Road and realized I had no idea where I was going. I was definitely taking the long way to the doctor! We'd practiced many times the shortest routes to Central Baptist (which is where Commonwealth Peds is located) when I was pregnant, but in that scenario, Christopher was always driving! LOL. I quickly jumped into the left turning lane to Alumni and waited for the light to change. All of a sudden, I heard a roar and saw a black sports car race past me to the front of the stoplight in the right-hand lane and I was on the phone in and instant. Before Christopher answered, the light changed and he was peeling out and on his way. He picked up the phone and I - half serious, half joking - told him to slow down. He was going to beat us to the doctor's office!

We pulled into the parking garage and I woke Evey up again on the way in. Something that I love about Evey's doctor's office is that they rarely keep you waiting. We sat down, got her out of her carrier and the nurse was calling us back.

Dr. Storey came in and took a look. He checked her pupils, nose, throat and ears. He checked her hips, knees and ankles. He checked her shoulders, elbows and wrists. He checked her tummy for broken ribs. He said she seemed to be okay, but he wanted me to monitor her for the rest of the night. He said to arouse her every 20-30 minutes to make sure she's responsive, but it was okay for her to sleep. The idea that a person with a concussion shouldn't go to sleep was "a little old-school" and after a head injury it's only natural for someone to want to sleep after trauma.

Since we got home, Evey's been asleep on my lap, with me tickling the back of her neck every now and then (more often than not) to make sure she's okay. So far, so good.



I used to be amazed at how parents could let something like tihs happen. I thought it was lack of attention, but lo, and behold I have joined the club. I formally apologize to anyone I may have laughed at for instances like this. I am guilty as well! I suppose that you get uesd to your kid's abilities and before you know it they're stretching their limits and BOOM!

I'm so glad my daughter is okay, and even though I wished this hadn't have happened, the first injury was coming sooner or later. I guess the days of leaving her unattended on the couch are over and the days of baby-proofing are fast approaching!