These photos of Kate were taken around midnight last night, just after Annie and I brought her home from the ER.Earlier in the evening, she and her sisters and Sophie thought up a (brilliant) game involving jumping off the coffee table in unison. We had some (very obvious) misgivings about this, but before we were able to put a halt to it, the four girls went for one last jump. After they landed they all rolled away giggling, except for Kate, who began emitting an ear-splitting shriek.
Kate's a tough cookie, so we knew something was very wrong. I scooped her up and tried to soothe her. But within minutes, her left arm was swelling at the elbow. Though Kate soon calmed down, we knew that we were destined for the ER.
Kate was a trooper through all of it. She didn't cry again, despite the poking and prodding and being carried around and X-Rays. In the end, the Kaiser staff verified that she had a 'green stick' fracture of her left radius at the elbow. It would require immobilization and a follow-up visit for a cast (Kate already plans to have a pink one).
In the meantime, their phenomenal (he really was fantastic) orthopedic technician splinted her arm and supplied her with a dinosaur-themed sling. We were in and out in two hours, a possible world record for an ER visit.
Annie and I were very conscious through it all that the three of us were experiencing a moment that we will ever after refer to as "remember when Kate broke her arm..."
Brian and Chris, who had been over for dinner, stayed behind to man the fort and watch the kids. Thanks you two.
This whole event has supplied Annie and I with the perfect cautionary tale for the kids as they grow up. The next time they jump from furniture, we'll drop a "Remember how Kate broke her arm?" Or, if they get too rowdy on the bunkbed, "Kate's arm, remember?" If they start mouthing off or won't finish their peas, I'll point to Kate's arm. Now that is making lemonade out of a lemon.
You'll note that, throughout the entire ordeal, trusty horsey never left Kate's side.
1 comment:
Poor baby...she was still so happy though. What a good girl. xoxo I hear ya with the thing about "remember when kate broke her arm jumping off the _____?" We'll be using that a lot on Sunday's I'm sure!
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