Poor poor Ambrose

I have major Mom guilt tonight.

We were rushing to swim lessons today and we were late. Once we pulled up I told the boys we would have to hurry and get dressed in the van, but Ambrose was telling me a silly story about his bum instead of getting his swim suit on and I snapped at him, "HURRY UP SWIM LESSONS IS STARTING RIGHT NOW!" And he squealed, "Oh no!" In a flash his swim suit was on and Asher and I were struggling to keep up with him over to the showers to rinse off, wrap-up in their towels because they are cold after rinsing off, and then up the stairs to the deck where the pool is.... Ambrose had his arms by his sides in the towel since he likes to be wrapped up tight and was heading up the stairs when I said, "hurry hurry!" and turned to wrap up Asher.... the swimming lesson coordinator stopped me to confirm our lesson time for next session when we both heard a sickening "CRACK!" and turned to see Ambrose doubled over on the stairs with his face firmly planted on the edge of the third step.

His arms had been wrapped in the towel and so his teeth, gums, and lips caught his fall.

OUCH.

I feel like I have probably said this before since my kids have both split a lip open as toddlers, but, I have never seen so much blood come out of a little mouth before. Ever. He was choking on it. It was completely awful.

Our PCP was not in when we called to let them know we were on our way so the receptionist told us to go straight to the ER. I left Asher with a good friend nearby and fled. Luckily the woman who runs everything at the ranch where we take swim lessons does CPR...etc. training so Ambrose had already been iced, given Tylenol, and we had applied enough pressure that the blood was no longer gushing by the time we arrived.

While we waited he was even entertaining himself by taking gruesome pictures and making pathetic videos on my iPhone (he said we should send to Grandma and Papa Hawkins):


Here's the least graphic photo:

(He's mad at me here because I clicked it and he wanted to even though he told me to... he was pretty sassy the whole time we were there... I guess it's allowed when you bust your mouth open. You should see the ones he clicked: extreme close-ups of the grizzliness.)

One tooth seems a little loose and his lips are currently GIGANTIC and shiny. It looks so painful in a Real Housewives of Orange County kinda way. His top gums are black, but nothing ripped past repair. We are giving him pain meds and are going to take him to his regular PCP tomorrow to see if he needs to see a dentist. He ate soft foods for dinner and seems to be enjoying being catered to.

He can enjoy this special treatment for a longer time than necessary I fear. My mom guilt has taken over. I rushed the poor guy so much he face planted. Oh and then, tragically, he sobbed, "I hate this place! I hate swim lessons forever! Let's never come back here again! I hate stairs! Let's never ever come back to these stairs again!"

Oh hilarious, but not at all, but funny-break-your-heart-in-a-million-pieces sad. My poor little boy.

I have to say the ER staff at Kahuku was the best ever! My iPhone camera and these gloves they gave him also really saved the day.

It's all about distraction when you have a fat lip, busted gums, a loose tooth, and a guilty Mom.