The Terrible, Horrible, Pathetic Three Days, Part Deux.

So, once the great Coach Caper was discovered, and we went through all the rigmarole associated with that nonsense, everything went seemingly back to normal. For exactly 3 hours and 43 minutes. Thursday afternoon, I was sitting at my desk at work when my office phone rings. I look down and that lovely little creature called caller ID was staring back at me, saying, "GROWING ROOM AUB."
Great. Did she get bitten again? Did she bite? Is her hiney as red as an apple again?

Me: This is Amy
GR: Hey Amy, this is Mendy (Assistant Director. Uh-oh, this is serious.)
Me: Hey Mendy, what's up.
GR: Weeelllllllllll, a parent was leaving Emma Kate's classroom and she was standing next to the door and her finger got slammed in the door.
Me: (at this point I am thinking maybe a little pinch. Negative) OK, I...
GR: I really think you or Mike should come take a look at it. It's pretty bad. Her pinky was on the hinge side of the door and the door closed all the way. We had to open the door to get her pinky out.
Me: (I think I threw up a little at that point). I will be there in 4 minutes.

As I gathered all of my things----oh wait I don't have things, I have keys. I realized as I was running out the door that I didn't have a cell phone to call Mike, so I had to run back to my office and call him from there. I told him we would come by the house and if we needed to go to the doctor, we would just all go together.

When I got to Growing Room, I parked the car like I was on the Dukes of Hazard. As I neared her classroom, the Director, and two assistant directors of the school were standing outside the classroom looking in. It was like people standing outside of a hospital room, waiting for the bad news.

I started to realize this was not going to be good. Mendy stopped me before I got in the door.

Mendy: Its pretty bad, it is swollen and already purple. She's really upset.

I walked in and saw my pitiful, limp baby on her favorite teacher's lap. They were trying to hold ice on it, but she (of course) would not let them. All 15 of the other kids were sitting at their tables, quiet and scared to death. It was erie.

I walked over to her and she reached up her hands to me. I picked her up and carefully removed the wet, red-stained paper towel from her little pinky finger. It was awful.

Me: Hey baby, are you okay?
EK: I hut my singer in da daar.
Me: Let's go see the doctor and she'll make it better.
EK: Yes ma'am........(Big crocodile tears in her eyes started to stream down her face as she looked up into my eyes, which were also welling up with tears..)......Docker Mimmis make it better?
Me: Yes baby, Dr. Williams will make it better.

I hurriedly exited the growing room, only to reach the door and remember that I DON'T HAVE A CELL PHONE. **&%^$##@&*%$#. I run back inside, but try not to seem too excited as I was trying to keep my baby calm. I borrow the phone to call Mike.

Me: Meet us at the doctor.
Mike: Is it tha.....
Me:Yes. Click.

I start to drive to the Pediatric Clinic and realize that I don't have an appointment, so I reach in my pur..... *&*$#*@*&$#. I cannot call ahead. I hope they are not too busy.

We walk in and it is more crowded that the health department during flu season. There are coughers. There are criers. There are teenagers getting some sort of physicals. UGH.

I walk up to the front desk...

Me: I don't have an appointment. I brought her straight from school.
Lady: Well, I am not sure.....

But then she sees it. THE FINGER. Immediately she hands me a clipboard.

Lady: What is her date of birth?

They put us on some overflow list and we sit and wait. And wait. Mike got there, and then my mom. Mike had a meeting, so he had to leave before we went back to see the doc, but thankfully mom stayed there with me. She was so helpful keeping Emma Kate distracted from her purple, I-am-sure-broken, bleeding finger.

And WOW, my kid is tough. I mean, this massive, heavy door closes all the way and her finger is stuck in the closed door. It made me queasy to think about it. But she cried very little. She just kept saying, "I hut it in da daaar" or "It huts, mommy."

When we did get to see the doctor, it wasn't Dr. Williams. But the doc we did see was excellent and he checked her joints and made her feel like a princess. Her finger WAS NOT broken, because at two her bones are still "rubbery," as he put it. Her fingernail was completely gone and the door had closed right on her nail-plate. Her naidbed has to heal first, and then her fingernail will start to grow back.....in about 6 weeks. The biggest concern is infection, and with Emma Kate it is a valid concern. It has to stay covered in anti-biotic creme and the dressing has to be changes three times-a-day. She had gauze wrapped all the way down her finger and around her wrist so she didn't try and remove the bandage.

She didn't cry and she was a trooper all the way. (I cannot say the same for me.)

MAN, this parenting stuff is hard, huh? But when that little face looks up to yours and says, "Dey fis it mommy," and pushes out a smile, I am pretty sure it is all worth it.

So, at least we only had one medical emergency for the week.....or did we????


***Mom, I realize that there are major tense shifts in today's story. At least I realize it. Please ingnore them. It is just a blog.

***Oh, yeah, I would love to post pictures of the injury. But I cannot. I do not have a camera. *&%$#&*.