And then I got a glimpse of Hell

We had an awesome day.  

That van that kept having issues needed to be serviced.  They didn't find anything "wrong".

We decided to get out while the getting was good.

So we traded it in.  Found a newer-used van.  Drove home excited.

We picked up the big kids and had a quick pizza dinner with Nana and Papa.

At 6:30 we headed for home.

I had plans with my 3 girlfriends for a long night of snacks, drinks, and talking until we ran out of words.  I love these girls.  I also didn't want them to see my dirty house.  So I went into cleaning frenzy.

The big kids were told to shower and get into bed.  My little Knight was toddling around.

He followed me into the storage room, which is down 3 concrete steps.  I picked him up and held him out in front of me to lift him back up the steps and I tripped.

Even as I type I am taking deep breaths.

I screamed before he hit.

But he hit.

Hard.

Everyone came running.

I had already grabbed him but blood was spraying everywhere.  It was hard to tell exactly how bad the injury was.

What follows is chaos and trauma...

~phone calls

~driving like mad to the E.R.

~big kids not really dressed

~blood

~more phone calls

~lots of prayers OUT LOUD

~lots of swearing via the Princess...turns out she knows some choice words and isn't at all afraid to scream them

~more blood

~arriving at the E.R.

~I was not in my right mind at all.  I will say this once and I mean it to the core of my being.  I thought I had killed him.  I knew how hard he hit.  I can still hear it.  I know about traumatic brain injuries.  I didn't think there was anyway that he was going to escape without a skull fracture and a brain bleed.

~They grabbed him from me.

~The E.R. doctor was quite possibly the best E.R. doctor I had ever been around in my lifetime.  He was IN CHARGE.  He wasn't interested in my opinion.  He was going to fix it.  I am so very grateful.

~Additionally, my beautiful doctor friend found childcare for her own babies and came to the hospital immediately and took over.

~I completely fell apart.

~As they stitched his beautiful little face, my husband sang and my little Knight laid still and relatively comforted.  In awe.

~The doctors sent him for a CT scan.

~My baby laid perfect for the scan.

~The news was good.  No brain trauma.  No skull fractures.  One nasal fracture but it was not displaced.

~Following the accident countless friends and family called, stopped by and supported us.  The power of community is not something to take lightly.

~I made a list of things to be thankful for.  The list is very, very long.

~My emotions are still out of control.

~But my baby is healing.