the SmockLady

So many people seem surprised Bairno is still nursing. I wouldn’t be still nursing him if he didn’t want to. This isn’t necessarily about extended nursing but it does relate. Bairno is almost 18 months old. I, myself, am a bit surprised we are still a nursing duo. That is what it takes, the duo. I have not really given much thought to the fact that we are still nursing, we just are. I did not set out or plan to nurse a toddler of 18 months. It just happened and I’m fine with it. So is Bairno, obviously.

Yesterday I found myself really glad that he is still nursing. He usually only nurses at night before bed, most mornings when we first wake up and sometimes in the middle of the night. That one - I’d like to do away with, but we are not yet ready to do what I think it may take to give up that middle of the night cuddle. Yes, he still often sleeps in our bed. Back to yesterday.

While playing a game of patty-cake that went terrible wrong Bairno fell over (might have been pushed a bit too hard, but either way it was accidental) and there was a very loud double thud sound. He was in the den/family room with SmockDaddy and some siblings and I was at the other end of the house and I heard this double thud, but also heard SmockDaddy’s quick response. But that fatherly response was followed quickly with a bit of a scream (more of a very loud voice), “OHMYGOSHWHATHAPPENED?”
While the double bump thump sound didn’t get me up immediately, that did.

I knew it was worse than just a bump on the head. But then I go into Triple M gear (that’s short for Major Mom Mode) and realize that I have not yet heard anyone scream or cry. Still not knowing who exactly got hurt.

DING! DING! DING! This is bad! Move it! Put it in GEAR! NOW!

By the time I get into the kitchen SmockDaddy has Bairno on the kitchen counter leaning in to the sink and there is one red paper towel next to them and Moggie is getting a washcloth wet and cold. I see that he is taken care of and while I want to rip him from his father’s arms I fight it with everything I have so I can go talk to the other two (6 and 4) to see if they can tell me what has happened. Cowboy (4) is white as a ghost and at first I think he is hurt too, then I realize he is scared. So I take another peak at Bairno to make sure things were under control and no call to 9-1-1 is needed, or a trip to the ER for stitches. (Because we don’t ever go to the ER or anything.) I reassure CowBoy that everything is OK after SmockDaddy tells me its his lip, but it won’t stop. I gave CowBoy a hug then tell him to go play in his room while we take care of the baby. I see Princerella on her bed looking really confused and scared herself. I do what I can to get her to tell me what happened.

With Princerella’s language skills getting misfired when she is upset it is extremely important to talk very calmly to her not to upset her anymore than she may already be. Stress and struggle and fear cause her neurologically unable to process the words that want to come out of her mouth properly. She understands what is said to her and asked of her, but she has trouble getting out the response and then she gets upset about that and the cycle goes on.

I finally get it out of her that they were playing patty-cake and he fell. I don’t know the whole story, but I needed to get to him - I couldn’t hold back any longer and he was calling me. By this time SmockDaddy was sitting near the table with him still wiping the blood off his mouth. I reached out for my baby and seriously thought that as is his usual I-have-mommy-now response he would settle down fairly quickly. No such luck. I couldn’t get his face off my shoulder to look at him and make another assessment though. My heart was aching and I knew I needed to get him to calm down. It seemed like every heartbeat was squirting a bit of blood (and it probably was). I could feel his little heartbeat against my chest and it was fast, too fast. He was hurting and scared.

I took him to my bed and asked him if he wanted to nurse. I have not made a habit out of comforting with the boob for just any old thing. Yes, the boob is a good comfort at times, but not for a scraped knee or anger for not getting his way. This was a job for SuperBoob! He wouldn’t let me look in his mouth and his lip did not seem to be swollen or busted. I was at a loss from whence the bleeding came. Even as he nursed drops of blood were oozing out. (sorry for the graphics) But he was calming down, mostly. I knew that nursing might be hurting, but he didn’t want anything else. And as he nursed he put his sweet little arm around my neck as far as he could reach it and wouldn’t let go. Oh how I was aching for him.

Finally, he looked up at me and gave me a very weak grin and it was then that I saw it. A large gaping hole in his tongue and just inside his bottom lip. I cringed all over. My baby had bitten all the way through his tongue into his bottom lip. The hole is much more obvious today and it’s yogurt and mashed potatoes for meals and more frequent nursing today as just about everything seems to hurt. Other than that he is not much worse for the wear.

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