You Can't Spell "Easter" Without "ER"

This past weekend, I hit a parenting milestone: our first-ever trip to the ER! (Do you get bonus points if emergency room visit coincides with a major holiday?)  Raia, who I have lovingly dubbed "Klutzy McGee," fell on my aunt and uncle's walkway and sliced her hand open on our way in to Easter Brunch.  She screamed, as any 3-year-old would do, and I did my best to clean it and bandage it, but there was just too much "stuff" under the skin.  We watched it for a couple hours, realized that it was getting red and swollen, and so, myself, my dad, Joel, and my nurse-in-training cousin tried to tag-team the situation, to no avail.

My father strongly suggested we take her to get checked out somewhere, just to be on the safe side. Of course, there were no walk-in clinics open, being Easter Sunday and all, so we headed for Hasbro Children's Hospital.

We were greeted by a friendly woman upon arrival, who took our information and told us to take a seat.  As we sat down, I looked around the waiting room and noticed how cheery and kid-friendly it was.  Bright artwork everywhere, televisions playing cartoons, and some crazy game in which kids do different activities on a screen projected onto the floor.  We waited for an hour or so before we were taken to a room.

We were ushered into room 16, a small room with two-toned blue walls, two chairs, and a gurney.  Our nurse, Oscar, was great.  Friendly, kind, gentle- everything you could want in a pediatric nurse.  He made a little bubble bath and told Raia to soak her hand until the doctor could come in to see her.

As in any ER, we waited for what seemed like forever for the doctor. Dr. Wylie was young, charming, British, and took excellent care of my baby.  To make a long story short(ish), he numbed Raia's hand with a topical anesthetic and then scrubbed it really well.  It was determined that she did not need stitches (phew!). [Funny side note: when Dr. Wylie came back to give us our discharge papers, I was nursing Nola.  He got all flustered and wouldn't make eye contact with me...and then left the room with the papers he was supposed to give us!  You'd think a doctor would be comfortable around a nursing mom.  I digress.]

But, this story isn't really about Raia's hand.  As I sat in that tiny room for three hours, I realized how lucky we were to have made it almost 5 years into our parenting career before needing to visit the hospital.  On top of that, it was something SO minor that I almost felt silly for being there.  Not every family can say the same.  I left Hasbro feeling very thankful for the health of our girls and thinking of those children and parents who are regular patients at the hospital, who are constantly being faced with major medical problems, decisions, and all the emotions that go along with such things.

And so, I'd like to leave you with this: http://rhodybloggersforgood.com/2013/02/21/meet-belle/.  An amazing group of women has put together a sit-a-thon for Belle, a two-year-old girl with leukemia.  If you are able to stop by this weekend, please do.  It is sure to be lots of fun, and you will be supporting a great cause!  For more information, go to http://rhodybloggersforgood.com/.

P.S. Title cred goes to my very witty husband. :)