Hard Hit...

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.