I've always been afraid of a few things. Spiders, snakes, the dark, heights and fire. Friday night I came face to face with the last one. We went camping (more on that later) and Carver got burned. I'm not exactly sure why I even want to blog about it - my heart rate is increasing and I'm starting to sweat and feel anxious just thinking about it. But he's okay and there were so many little miracles. And I guess it's on my mind so much, I need to write it all down.
We were all kinda hanging around the campfire after dinner, starting s'mores in the semi-dark. There were at least 10 adults, maybe 20ish kids? It was a little after 9 pm. I heard Carver cry and knew it was a pain cry. I turned around, saw him running around and freaking out. This was by far the scariest part to me. I chased after him, equally freaking out, and yelling "what's wrong? What's wrong?" I kept looking all over, thinking of burns and animal bites on arms or legs. My friend, Melissa, hurried over and noticed some ash on the back of his shirt. Sure enough, we lifted it up and saw several burned places on his back. The back of his diaper was melted away and so were parts of his nylon shorts. Honestly, it was less yucky that I would've thought - but I'll spare you details all the same. It was from one of those charcoal lighter chimney things that was on the ground - but no one knows how it happened, if he fell or leaned against it or what. There are 2 big sections of 2nd degree burns, probably about 2 inches high and 3-4 inches wide, on his lower back. There was another smaller burn up on his back that is really only a 1st degree burn and it's already healing.
Derek held him and eventually took him to our tent to put an ice pack on it (not a super cold one, but I guess you aren't supposed to do that - oops) and Carver calmed down really quickly. Derek is steady and calm - a perfect guy to have around in an emergency - and Carver benefited from that peace. I was having a hard time settling down with lots of people crowded around and talking at the same time. Between the noise and the adrenalin from the emergency situation, it was hard to think and figure out what to DO. I called our after-hours nurse from our cell phone and she helped me find an Urgent Care just 10 minutes away that was open to 11. I was going to go along and have a friend watch the girls, but asked Carver if he wanted me to come or stay with the tent and he was emphatic about me staying. He was disappointed to have to get out of his sleeping bag because he'd been looking forward to sleeping in the tent, but he went with Derek. I stayed with the girls, made myself eat a s'more and then put all the girls to bed. We talked a little about Carver, how he was fine and then I sang them lots of songs while they laid like little angels in their sleeping bags, all in a row.
Derek brought Carver home at about 11:30 and said he'd been AMAZING. They cleaned the wound and Carver hardly flinched. The nurses said that it makes grown men scream in pain, but this little boy of ours is tough as nails. It can be a blessing to have an under-sensitivity to touch at times like these, but I'm still completely baffled at why it doesn't hurt him more. It's a huge blessing. They gave us antibiotic ointment and bandages. We change those twice a day and he doesn't like having the bandages come off, but he doesn't cry out in pain. He won't sit down in the bathtub, which is probably a good thing. And he doesn't lift his legs well for diaper changes, so I know there is a level of discomfort. But otherwise, he's acting totally normal. I think I'll need to take him to our regular doctor tomorrow just to be sure it looks okay. There are half a dozen tiny, tiny spots of 3rd degree burns (like smaller than a pin head), but I don't think there is any concern over those. Or at least nothing to be done. Everything I've heard and read says that it won't leave a scar. But I'm not too concerned about that.
I sure wish I'd brought our bigger first aid kit, but we did get out the emergency card in our little one that stays in the van. I wish I paid better attention to first aid in general. It scares the heck out of me to imagine my kids getting hurt, but it's a terrible feeling not to know what to do.
I'm so grateful that it's on his back, not his hands or arms, feet or legs. His back is easy to keep clean, is nice and flat to bandage and is covered by clothes. I'm so grateful that his clothes didn't catch on fire. I'm grateful for my wonderful friend, Melissa, who stayed with me and talked through it all, held Grace while I talked to the nurse and offered to watch my kids. I'm so grateful for a close, clean, empty Urgent Care! I'm so grateful for Derek's steadiness, for the way he took care of my sweet little guy, and put up with my freak-out mode. Most of all, I'm so grateful for Carver, that he is safe and sound.
We owe my parents big time - they watched our kids while we escaped for 2 days and a night to Bend, OR. They took on Grace and her hunger strikes, Carver and his burn care, the girls and their bickering. We were tempted to come back sometime next month.
Yep - you read that right.... WE (as in me, too!) went mountain biking. It was my first time, so I was a little tentative at first, but once I realized that I could pedal up hills and ride over roots and rocks without trouble, it was a LOT of fun. My favorite part of the trip.
We rode along the Deschutes River between these two waterfalls, which were great motivation to keep going. This is Dillon Falls:
And this is Benham Falls, which isn't really tall but still beautiful:
Saturday morning, we ran a grueling 5 miles in MUCH higher elevation than I'm accustomed to, but it was nice to run together for a change. That afternoon, on our way back to the kids, we stopped and hiked almost to the top of Black Butte, but I have completely irrational fears about getting sucked off the trail by the steep edge of the mountain. We had to turn around when the trees stopped protecting me from the gravitational pull of the cliff. But it was really gorgeous up there.
What a rejuvenating trip! We ate restaurants without high chairs or kid menus, we drove hours without passing toys around or breaking up fights. We remembered again what it's like to be just us - how it feels to be in love. And goofy. Plenty of teasing and laughing and acting like kids. Thanks, Derek - I love you!
