My Little Daredevil

It was inevitable. We had been spared so long in having any serious broken bones in the family that it was bound to happen soon. Last Thursday, my sweet little Quinn decided to roll headfirst down the wooden basement steps and land squarely on his right arm. It could have been much worse as he could have broken his neck. God in His mercy spared his spine and just gave him a broken arm.
He had stood at the top landing and asked if he could have a cookie, to which I said he could have just one. I heard him carefully take one out of the canister, then carefully close it up and put it back in the kitchen. The next thing I knew I was hearing a thump, thump, thump, thud, and saw him somersaulting down the steps. As soon as I rushed over to him, the arm break was unmistakable. Halfway down from his elbow to his hand was literally bending backward toward his elbow.
Normally, I would feel faint and squeamish, but since Brent was 2 hours away in HAGERSTOWN I knew immediately that I would be doing the emergency trip alone. He was crying, but not hysterically and once I scooped him up and took him to the bedroom, he had finished his tears! Amazing. He didn't have a shirt on (don't ask, it's a long story about boys who would love to go around naked if they were allowed) but I KNEW that he's the kind of kid that would flip out more if he had to leave the house without all his clothes than about a broken arm. I have absolutely no idea how I managed to get it on him, but I suppose that his arm was quite bendable and made it easy.
After flipping out a bit to Brent on the phone, and telling him where we were headed, we made the longest 10 minute drive of my life. Caitlin was an angel during the whole ride. She, too, doesn't handle emergencies well, but she really came through with supporting his arm and telling him all kinds of princess and dog stories along the way.
Thankfully, Mom Trautman and Ryan were home and quickly met us at the hospital to take the kids home for me. After a 40 minute wait we were finally "triaged" and they gave him a bed right away. It really is amazing that from the time I put him down in the bedroom until he had to get an IV he didn't cry. Only a few whimpers. He was even falling asleep in my arms.
Brent finally arrived in time for an xray and then an IV full of morphine. Unfortunately, the tech wasn't the best with IV's in kids and used too big of a needle, so he had to stick him twice. My momma heart was breaking for him. He screamed a bunch, but was quickly quieted when he got to see the "cool" blood in the tube!
We kept talking about how God makes him brave and at one point he asked, "Is I as brave as David when he fighted Goliath?" Too cute. I guess those Bible stories have personal application even for 3 year olds.
After the morphine kicked in, he was wired. He bounced around the bed as much as a broken right arm and an IV'd left arm would let him. He didn't stop talking and attracted MANY sweet onlookers and other patients. At one point the doctor came in to introduce himself and went to shake Quinn's hand and he held out his foot so the Doc could shake it! He thought himself hilariously funny. I think he was loving the attention!
The orthopedic doctor came and looked at his arm and skillfully put on his cast. Quinn did cry a little bit during the setting of the bones, but it wasn't super long. Later he wanted to know, "Why did the doctor have to squish my arm?"
Once his cast was hardened, and another xray was taken, he was so wired and lively I wasn't sure he would go to sleep at all that night. (It was after midnight by then.) Finally, we were discharged and made a quick stop to Dunkin Doughnuts, like Daddy promised.
So far Quinn has been our child that causes our hearts to stop beating- falling off the bed as a baby, having a trailer gate fall on his head, getting lost for half an hour in Dutch Wonderland, and now breaking his arm.
He is so full of life, though, and takes all of the events in stride. Today he is running around like nothing has happened at all! I love his kid so much!