First Big Injury

Warning: Sad, pitiful post ahead. Spencer and Ella Ann worked a big floor puzzle before bed last night. Ella Ann started jumping up and down (socks on) when it was completed because she was so excited to have finished it. Well she just slipped and slammed down on the hardwood floor face first. No hands, elbows, knees or anything else caught her first....just the face. It happened so fast but Spencer and I knew it was going to be a very painful fall. Spencer grabbed her and cradled her and she was just screaming. At that point she started bleeding from the mouth. It was not a pretty sight. After icing her big busted lip and getting her to finally open her mouth we saw that she had really done a number on her lip and her teeth. Her front left tooth was pushed back and crooked but it was hard to see anything because of the blood and she wouldn't open her mouth wide at all. We knew she would be visiting the dentist asap in the morning. She did calm down pretty quickly and we soothed her to sleep (Spencer fell asleep with her) because she couldn't suck her thumb....she didn't want to either.

She actually slept fine all night long...not a peep. She woke up with a very swollen face, mouth and lip. Bless her heart. She slept in a big puddle of bloody saliva because she wouldn't swallow. She drooled all morning long and finally shut her mouth after I told her she could wear her leotard if she kept her mouth shut. I knew that would get her! She wouldn't eat or drink anything but she did eat a little lunch and some ice cream after we went to the dentist. Ella Ann said it didn't hurt so I think she was just afraid of swallowing because it might have hurt and she saw all the blood last night in her mouth and she was scared she would swallow more of it.

We talked a lot this morning about her being brave at the dentist....just like Mara Kate was when she fell down the steps at our house and busted her lip and gums wide open. She did so well at the dentist and didn't cry through the x-rays or examination. The doctor said that because she was so swollen they couldn't see a lot, except that her tooth was in the wrong place and she had a lot of inflammation. He, along with the nurses, I think were in a little bit of shock when they looked at her because she looked so sad and pitiful. She wouldn't speak and would just communicate through grunts mostly. They just kept staring at her lip...it's pretty nasty. However, he did say that 1) the tooth IS going to turn dark and 2) we will have to come back in a week because he is going to have to do something. It is either going to be a root canal or tooth extraction. Great. He pushed on it and said because it wasn't loose he couldn't push it back manually.

So that's that. We came home and after she ate a little lunch she was much more energetic and was back to playing. I think once the swelling goes down in her lip she will feel much better. It's just so awkward she doesn't know what to do with it. I took some pictures this morning and afternoon. They didn't turn out too well but I figured you'd want to see anyway.

After waking up. She has matted hair because of the bloody drool.

The 3 white slits are where her bottom teeth went through the lip.

A blurry shot of her pushed back, crooked front tooth.

Looking a little better at nap time this afternoon.....

and she even cracked a smile for me.