Next Step: Bubble Wrap

Paul graciously stayed home with Jacob this morning so I could go to a PTA meeting at school. I attend my meeting and pick up Julia and her bff, Preston, at preschool and bring them to our house. As I walk in the door I immediately hear the sounds of a sobbing toddler. I couldn't even get out the words "what's wrong" when Paul says "I think I need to take him to Urgent Care." And then I notice The Gash in Jacob's head and help get them out the door. I try to get the story about what happened as they are leaving. All I can gather is that Jacob was playing with a clipboard and somehow he fell (and close your eyes if you're squimish) and the metal part of the clipboard cut his head. Deeply. They head up to the Duke Urgent Care that's conveniently located about 3 minutes from our house. At the rate we're headed we'll continue to be grateful for this. The doc there checks out the wound and suggests Paul take Jacob to the ER so that doctors with more experience with stitches can attend to it. Apparently when doing stitches for deep wound in a toddler it's best to sedate them and they couldn't do it at that office. I suggest they go to UNC Children's Hospital. Our wonderful next door neighbor works there so Paul called him and he met them at the ER and kept them company for a while. Turns out he did need stitches - got 2 of them in fact. I guess it could have been much, much worse and thankfully that's all that he needed. Phew. But Paul spent 4 hours at the ER and missed a dinner meeting. Oops.

Of course this is our 2nd trip to the ER in a year and a half. Boy is only 2 1/2! Third trip to the doctor regarding a face laceration. I've lost count of the number that didn't require an emergency trip to the dr. The doctor said to keep the steri strips on the wound which Paul said he had peeled off before leaving the parking lot. He also said not to get the area wet which Jacob poured water on his head tonight. And he said to try to keep him from getting any head injuries for a few weeks as the area will be tender. Clearly we need a helmet. Or bubble wrap. And better insurance.