Brian turned 35 today, and we celebrated big. The boys made him cards, a video, a painting, and we got him a photo of our family that his sister Kim took on canvas. My dad came this afternoon and surprised him with a new blower! We went to dinner with our family, who gave him such sweet gifts and had a great night. We are incredibly grateful for his big love for us!
We have had a week of sitting still and resting. After Daniel's concussion on Tuesday, he was limited to no television or outside playing for 48 hours. I knew we needed to do something fun after so much stillness, but it had to be small and not involve much movement.
The boys and I attended a local park's Fun Friday event, which happened to be Touch a Truck this week. We have gone in the past, but the really enjoyed it yesterday especially since it wasn't crowded and it rained for 10 minutes! The rain cooled us down quite a bit.
Touch a Truck is an event where all the city's service vehicles are in one place. The children are allowed to climb to into the vehicles and explore each one! They get to talk with the drivers/community helpers. It is both educational, fun, and free!
Tuesday started off like any other normal morning. The boys were up, had eaten breakfast, and began playing with paper airplanes in the living room while I was cleaning up the kitchen. It was maybe 8:30.
I then heard the worst thud I had heard in a while, and I went running to the living room. I knew that whoever had taken the hit was hurt badly, but in those first moments following the sound I'd heard and dashing to the scene, there was only silence. It was just a matter of seconds, but I quickly realized Daniel had fallen into our coffee table while retrieving his airplane. He was screaming at this point, grabbing his ear.
It was huge, red and swollen, but he wouldn't stop crying. The tears continued to fall after Ibuprofen, ice, and an hour after it occurred. He then started getting really irritated with his brothers... every noise and move they made. I moved them to their room so Daniel could lay in the living room alone.
He was hysterical, though, complaining about my cell phone vibrating and the boys' whispers from across the house. Then, he got nauseated. I knew his ear wasn't the only place that had taken the hit from the coffee table...
The pediatrician said to be there in 20 minutes, and she was incredibly caring. Daniel still hadn't explained how he had fallen, but the swelling of his ear and head was quite noticeable. He was dizzy and not very clear. The pediatrician noticed an indentation on his skull behind Daniel's ear, fearing a fracture. We were sent to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for imaging, where we learned that the "pothole" on his skull was actually swelling. The CT scan showed bruising and swelling, and he had a concussion.
I am reminded that through these scary moments of the calm I felt... it was never overwhelming. I realized how thankful I was for God's protection of my family and how good it is to rest in His peace through the times that could have been so fearful.
Pictures are:
1) comparison of both ears a few minutes after falling, 2) sleeping for a few seconds on the way to Vanderbilt, 3) sitting with Dad in the waiting area, 4) Daniel beside the CT scanner, 5) the bruising behind his ear the day after the fall, and 6) feeling better more than 24 hours after the fall.
Written April 29, 2015
Yesterday was harder than I want to admit. It's probably going to be a day I will always remember. Samuel struggled, and as his mom, I will admit that I struggled too. I cried out to God (and to Brian) a lot more yesterday than I have before, and I made more phone calls to doctors than I have in the past.
It seemed like a normal day when we woke yesterday. We went to the homeschool/classroom, but Samuel was moving very slowly with his blanket in tow. His eyes were dark, and it was almost as if he hadn't slept 9 hours the night before. This child of mine who loves school and learning didn't go to his green desk; instead, he went to the corner of the room, laid down in the floor, and put his blanket over his head.
The rest of the day went slowly. It involved a lot of falling asleep, waking up only to get sick, moaning, very little speaking, and falling asleep again. Yesterday... it was scary for me. I waited on phone calls from the neurologist and from our pediatrician, but I couldn't help but notice how tired and how different he seemed from just a few days before.
In God's sovereign grace and provision, He cared for Samuel yesterday when I was frightened and unsure of what to do. He seemed to lifeless to me, but God was sustaining him and knew exactly what to do when I didn't. How grateful I am for my Heavenly Father! His care is so much greater than mine for both me and the children that He's entrusted me with.
Today... oh, TODAY.
Today, Samuel is filled with laughter and smiles, and he is gladly sitting on the couch, doing his school work because he realized he missed it yesterday. I am typing this through tears of thankfulness because joy truly does come in the morning. Friends of ours are going through trials that I cannot fathom. Their children are facing battles that shouldn't be comprehended by little ones at their ages.
Yet, I see God. I see him working it all together for good. Romans 8:28. Even through the hard, disappointing, sad, unfair situations, I see that God has a greater purpose that I cannot truly understand at this time. I have to be willing to trust His plans and know that His will is going to be done in each of them... because yesterday, oh yesterday, I had no control. God had it all.
I don't know what tomorrow holds or what next week brings, but I know God already has it planned. I want to be willing and able to trust Him whatever it looks like...
The doctors believe Samuel was having an adverse reaction to his new medication. The dosage will be lowered and monitored for a short time.
