+++STITCHES+++

CAUTION! A FEW BLOODY CHIN PICTURES BELOW!

Just a warning in case you are a bit squeamish.

Friday February 20th: 

We were getting ready to go on a walk

to the park and Mabel hopped on her bike and started pedaling towards the

mailbox. I had Elliott in the stroller and was coming down our driveway.

I saw her turn her head and she must have twisted her handlebars

or something crazy because she went flying over the top of her bike.

She has crashed a few times before but never this bad.

I ran over to her and the second I saw her chin I knew

we would be heading to Urgent Care.

She actually wasn't crying too bad, she was more upset

about her little pinky which got kind of jammed on the sidewalk.

I got a paper towel for her chin, gave her ibuprofen, called Nate,

and ran Elliott over to my neighbor's house.

Waiting at Urgent Care...I knew it would be stitches.

I just knew.

But that doesn't mean I didn't pray 

begging they could just use glue. 

She was sad but such a trooper.

Pretty good gash. :(

Post stitches. I initially thought it was four

stitches but it ended up just being three.

It felt like they put in twenty.

She was brave but it was so hard. After

the numbing shot she just wanted to go home.

She just kept begging to go home.

The stitching process was awful.

I feel sick just thinking about it. 

I had to help hold her down while trying 

to calm and soothe her. In the middle of it all

she managed to yell one word, "HOT!"

She was sweating so bad from being so upset and

crying. I hurried and took off her socks and boots

and started blowing cool air on her neck.

When they finished she just kept saying,
"That was so hard mom. It was so so hard."

She just wanted me to hold her.

I scooped her up and told her how much

I loved her and tried not to cry. It was pretty traumatic 

for both of us.

I knew of a few things that would cheer her

up: a BIG balloon and some frozen yogurt.

After she went to bed I sat on the couch and cried. I had been

keeping it together for her all afternoon and finally could let

it out! I know I can't control things like this happening, 

but dang it I wish I could!

The next morning when we changed the bandaid:

We Skyped with my mom and she asked Mabel if she 

planned to get back on her bike after her chin got better.

Mabel said, "No, I am taking a break. Just for 60 years."

Sounds perfect to me!! How about we put you in a bubble

for those 60 years too?

Several of her friends came by with cards and notes,

it was really sweet!

More friends came over with cards and a cozy

polka dot blanket! So nice!

We started alternating the way the band-aid was facing 

because it was irritating her skin.

She would randomly ask,
"So did they sew me?"

Five days later we went to our regular

pediatrician to have the stitches taken out.

Daddy came with us for moral support.

Plus we threw Elliott into the mix since 

he needed his 9 month check up!

She was waiting patiently with her dum dum sucker

but when Dr. Hurley looked at the stitches he 

said they needed a few more days!

Ugh. I just wanted it to be over. 

So did she.

A few days later Nate went in to work late

one morning so I could take Mabel back

to Dr. Hurley. This time I came armed with a 

HUGE bunny ring pop.

She was loving that thing.

Grins for days.

Until it was time to get the stitches out.

However, it was not nearly as bad as getting them in.

Plus, Dr. Hurley taped the stitches to a popsicle 

stick so we can keep them forever.

Because I loved this experience so much I want

to always remember it. NOT.

The next day she wanted to ride her bike to her 

friend's birthday party a few houses down.

I wanted to say no. I had been saying no when she

asked me all week. I told her she had to wait until the 

stitches were out. Now they were.

She got on her bike, kissed it, and said, 

"I missed you bikey."

A few days after the stitches were taken out:

Two weeks later:

Her little chin is healing so well! Aren't our bodies

incredible? She now gets to join the under the chin

scar club!