"The Toe Incident"

To say that we had an eventful weekend is an understatement. Sunday evening (why do all the crazy injuries happen on Sundays?)...anyway, on Sunday evening we were all outside BBQing hamburgers. Lucy was standing right next to me, I was sitting on a chair looking up at my handsome husband and chatting with him.

OK, a little background on what's around us. When Brad goes running, he likes to make a pit stop in the backyard when he's done and lift his weights. He had left these dumbbells out on the ledge by the BBQ after one of his runs a few days before. This ledge is about thigh high, or if you are my sweet darling little Lucy, it's about chest high. Can you tell where I'm going with this? Soooo, while I wasn't looking, Lucy starting messing with the 30 lb. dumbbell (ya, I said 30 lbs!) Brad hadn't been too concerned about it being there, because he knew none of our girls could lift 30 lbs. However, 30 lbs. can be ROLLED. The next thing I knew, there was a loud metal thud right next to me followed by an immediate scream. My first thought was broken bones, then I heard Abbie say "Mommy, I see blood." I went to pick up Lucy and as I lifted her off the ground (ok, stop reading if your squeamish) I saw lots of blood and half of her right pinkie toe, hanging down toward the ground, only attached by a small piece of skin. Of course, being pregnant (yep, that's my announcement) I remained completely calm and unemotional. Now for what really happened...I completely flipped out! My brain was telling me to calm down, but my hormones were in control at that point. I screamed, "Brad, her toe is gone!" Probably not the best because Abbie and Lillie immediately started sobbing and screaming. He took her from me and I ran inside, grabbed a huge wad of paper towels, put water on them (didn't want them to stick to her wound) and put a few ice cubes in it (didn't want the toe to die). Thankfully, living with my Brad's mom has it's perks, she stayed with Abbie and Lillie and we hopped in the car and headed for the ER. As I was racing out of the driveway, Brad says, "Honey, you are pregnant you've got to calm down!" I drove like a crazy woman while Brad put her toe back in position and wrapped it up.

When we got to the ER he told me to run ahead and check us in while he got her out of the car. Next, is one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. First, what I'm wearing: Cut off gray sweat shorts, a bright blue family reunion t-shirt (from 1990), NO makeup and my wet hair in a bun (I didn't go to church that day because I'm so sick from being prego and had FINALLY taken a shower). Right when I walked up to the front desk I immediately started sobbing. The poor man working behind the counter just waited patiently until I could pull myself together enough to tell him what was going on. It sounded so funny to say through all those tears that my daughter hurt her toe, but they were great and got us right in. Brad said when he walked in the whole waiting room was quiet and staring at me. The first nurse to look at her toe says, "oh, it's not that bad." Did she want me to punch her in the face? I think everyone thought we were exaggerating until the PA numbed it and cleaned it and realized it was an "almost complete amputation" --their words. No broken bones though, miraculously it severed just above the bone. Then we started a 3 hour waiting game while a few doctors; the ER doc, a pediatrist, and a pediatric plastic surgeon decided what they should do with it. They finally put 3 stitches in her sweet little baby toe and we are waiting for more follow up visits to see if that little sucker is going to live. Luckily, it's still pink, only a little gray so there is a great chance it will survive. All of this for a little baby pinkie toe.

Lucy has been such a trooper through everything except the numbing needles (they had to do that part twice because they waited so long to decide what they wanted to do) and the stitches. She can't walk for a while because it hurts too bad so she has logged some SERIOUS TV hours these past couple days and I'm getting my workouts from carrying her around constantly.

Thankfully, this was only a toe. Keep her toe in your prayers, it deserves to live, it's REALLY cute. I've taken some pics that I will post soon...don't worry, no gross ones.