This post is a bit belated--I should've posted it about 2 weeks ago, but here goes. Caitlin and I were out for the afternoon
getting our hair cut. John had texted me that the twins were horsing around in their room and not really napping, so as soon as we got home, my intentions were to get them out for a snack and get going to swim class. When I walked in, I could hear them talking and laughing. While Caitlin was going upstairs to get ready to swim and open Nora and Ryan's bedroom door, I kept myself busy in the kitchen for a moment.
After a second or two, I heard Caitlin yell something down to me, but couldn't hear what she was saying. I stopped what I was doing to listen again..."Moooom. Nora has a real boo boo. A real one." Unalarmed, since we do boo boos all the live long day around here, I asked the 3 kids to come down to me. A few seconds later, a bloody-faced Nora showed up in front of me. I cleaned up the mess from her face and saw where the wound was--it was a small, but open gash just above her eyebrow and it looked pretty fresh. Nora was not upset, not crying--nothing--just patiently let me clean her up and change her dirty shirt which had a bit of stain on it from the injury as well. She was not, however, answering any questions about the incident--totally acting like she didn't speak English.
I went to her room, and with the exception of a smear of blood on her bedsheets, no evidence could be found. Her accomplice was also pleading the 5th. John and I decided that, since the wound was on her face and didn't look like it would close anytime soon, we should take her to the ED. So, John took Caitlin and Ryan to swimming. Nora and I headed to the hospital.
On her way to the hospital, which is about a 15 minute car ride, she decided to take a nap. Once we got there, she fell in the parking lot and became much more concerned about her not-very bloody scrapped knees than her head. The triage nurse had to deal with her knees first before Nora would let her mess with her head--she got them wiped clean and a way-too-big bandage put on it--Nora was contented with this. After that, I answered "I don't know" to approx 15 people who separately asked me "what happened?" I had to convince the ED doc not to mess with her knee bandages as she was thinking that needed to be checked out based on Nora's answer to "what's wrong today?" Then, the doc recommended stitches--no surprise--that's basically why I brought her in. With a cut on her face like that I wanted to give it the best opportunity to heal nicely.
The actual stitching was a little rough--mostly because Nora's arms were pinned down and a cloth was draped over her head (except for a cutout where the wound was), so she was mad about that--no one blames her for that. All was made well again with a bandage full of her favorite friends.
And a very concerned and sympathetic brother who requested his own matching head bandage.
The stitches were in for 5 days total. Nora was great about taking care of it and was very gentle when taking her clothes on and off. She let John and I clean it and change the bandage with zero fuss. She's always been a very good little patient.
On the day that we took her in to the pediatrician's office to get the stitches out, we were asked again over and over "what happened?" This time, Nora answered before I did "Ryan say me to jump and then I got bloody," to both the nurse and the doctor--and she has stood by that answer every time she has been asked about it since. So, the truth finally came out. I think. John and I figured that they were jumping on the bed--or at least doing something they shouldn't, mostly because there was no crying involved and neither wanted to talk about it on the day of the actual injury. What I'm really surprised about, if indeed her story is true, is her willingness to do what Ryan suggested. I'm also surprised Ryan suggested it. First, Ryan is NOT a risk taker. At the playground, at the pool, he hangs out by me mostly--doesn't do any dare-devil climbing or jumping. He's never encouraging others to make any dangerous maneuvers either. He loves to run and throw himself around, but he still does it with some caution. Nora on the other hand, is a daredevil, but NOT a kid who is a follower, nor is she a good listener---so why would she listen to Ryan when he suggests attempting to jump across the room? I was not at all surprised that she was the first of my kids who needed an ED trip related to an injury (vs an illness because Lord knows
we've done that over and over), however I am surprised that it was Ryan's suggestion and that she followed it. She usually plays alone, but occasionally joins in with what the other two are doing. She is her own little woman and doesn't follow the crowd--or really like to be part of the crowd. So, maybe it's different when it's just the two of them alone in a room? Maybe they act differently when they just have each other? I'll never know.
So, there is only a very tiny little scar and you can't really see it. Hopefully this is the worst of the twin shenanigans, but I doubt it will be.
