Superhuman Mom Strength? I Think Not.

If last night was a test of the strength I have as a Mom, I failed miserably. I am not sure if it was the fact that Darin stepped up to the plate, that it was my birthday, or that there was so much blood pouring out of my child's mouth. Any way you look at it, I turned into a bigger baby than my 15 month old last night.

It was a perfect birthday. My family decorated my office to the max, so I was so surprised when I got to work! I got to wear a tiara at work (for those who know me, know that I am a big fan of tiaras!). I was showered with gifts, including the most beautiful bouquet of 30 long stem roses from Darin, Jameson and Hoyt. Had lunch with my family and the day flew by at work. After work, my Mom, Dad, Darin and I went to State Farm Park to go swimming. Jameson was super crabby on the way over, so I thought it would be a flop, but the kid loved the pool once he got used to it!! He hung on to Darin and me for dear life most of the time, but he was all smiles and even learned to float on his belly and to jump off the side of the pool! After we were done, we had dinner at the clubhouse and then Jameson had his very first ice cream cone! He usually eats it with a spoon, but he took charge last night and ate the cone all by himself at one point! He was getting pretty sleepy, so we ventured home, said our goodbyes to my parents and then headed inside.

We weren't home for more than 15 minutes before Jameson decided to get into an altercation with the hardwood floor. He was playing with one of my birthday balloons and slipped on his pants and boom. The crash and the screams that followed are noises that will honestly probably haunt me for the rest of my life (Dramatic? Yes, but it was awful). The worst was what followed. We both rushed over to pick him up and there was blood everywhere. He was dripping and it was getting all over Darin's white shirt. This is when I lost it. Any amount of strength I had went straight out the window. Instead of stepping up like a strong mom, I retreated into a sobbing baby. Luckily, Darin became Superman and was calm as can be. He did so well with calming Jameson, as well as his crazy wife. As I reflect on it now, I am so extremely impressed with how well he did in the situation and am thankful to have such a strong husband.

After I calmed a little, I wiped Jameson's mouth with a wet towel and a chunk of skin came with it, hurling me back into a state of panic and horror. I tried to look at his teeth and between my shaking and Jameson's crying, it looked as if they had been pushed up in his gums. I immediately said we needed to go to the ER. I had to leave the room while Darin assessed the situation, coming to the same conclusion about the ER. I called my parents and we went on our way.  Jameson had stopped crying and I managed to get some Advil in him, but the whole way over, I just held his hand and apologized over and over. He was beyond tired at this point and was just making these little whimpering noises. The good thing was that he had his plug in his mouth and he wasn't letting go, so I was hoping that was a good sign.

We got to the ER and he was actually talking (behind the plug!) and smiling. We got checked in and at this point, I was the only one still upset. Jameson did not like getting his blood pressure done, but overall, he did an amazing job. The nurses all loved him and he was hamming it up with them, brushing his hair and waving! He got some Sesame Street stickers and he was just beside himself with those! Once we got back in the room, the Elmo sticker and my phone kept him busy for awhile. However, I am thankful that my parents were there to help, as that distracted him...and me!! Doc came in and Jameson wasn't too thrilled about being looked at, but the doc was able to look at his mouth and determined that no stitches were needed and that it looked like his two front teeth had been pushed up into his gums a little. Next course of action was to go to the dentist. Good thing we have a connection! Grandma Kim told us to come in first thing the next morning and everyone would take care of him.

Jameson slept great - woke up once screaming, but I think it was mostly because his plug fell out. I, on the other hand, had a tough time going to sleep and then had dreams of toothless children and adults!! Ugh. We woke up and Jameson was happy as can be. If you didn't know what happened, you would think nothing was wrong. He ate breakfast and was talking up a storm. We went to the dentist and after doing an X-Ray, both Kim and Dr. Randolph agreed that it looked more like Jameson gave himself a Frenectomy and that his teeth may have been pushed a little, but nothing too bad. They may come in a little discolored, but they may not. So, the huge chunk of skin I saw was definitely part of his frenulum. I can't tell you how relieved I am that it was nothing serious and that his little teeth are going to remain intact. I am not sure I would have been able to handle stitches! I took my little bean to Barnes and Noble after the dentist, so he could pick out a book and/or toy. I figured his first trip to the ER warranted a present!

The good thing is Jameson is one tough little cookie. I am so impressed with how well he did and how well he is doing today. I, on the other hand, am not so tough!  After all of this was said and done, I realized that I really need to learn to control my emotions in these types of situations. Jameson is a very intuitive little guy, so I know he can pick up on emotions. And, when he gets older, I am just going to exacerbate these situations with my crying and worrying. As much as I would like to hope this will be our only ER visit/major scare, I would be delusional to think that. So, I need to step up to the plate and develop that Superhuman Mom strength. Jameson knows that I am always there to wipe a tear, kiss a boo-boo or just give him a good squeeze when he needs it. He knows that's what Moms are for. But, I need to ramp it up so it carries over to the extreme situations. Let's just hope I don't have to be tested again for a VERY long time!  This whole situation also proves even more that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, worse than seeing your child in pain. I know I will not be able to protect him from everything. But, you better believe I am going to try my hardest.

....or at least dress him in bubble wrap from head to toe.

Hanging on to Daddy for dear life. I love these boys.

Floating on his belly like a big boy!

J Man's first ice cream cone!

Talking to the fishies at the dentist!

Trying to decide what toy and book to pick out at Barnes and Noble!
He may or may not have left with 2 toys and a book.

The goods! Plus, his little frog from Gma Kim at the Dentist's office.

J Man's X-Ray!

And, Ray decided to buy a Superhero helmet for the little man!
Couldn't find a toddler helmet, so this will suffice!

Eating lunch like a champ. I am so very proud of my little trooper.