CRAP!

Huge Mess here my friends. Miss L got her little self burned yesterday. We're all ok, and likely she's doing better than mom. Armed with that information, I relay the story.

Sometime around 3:30 pm I was sitting on my comfy chair tilted toward the fireplace, which was lightly warming my feet as I flipped through a magazine. The girls were happy as can b playing well if not destroying my house when Heidi called and asked if I would watch her kids for an hour or so while she got a massage (lucky bastard). I of course obliged and moments later Addie and Matthew were at my house under the guise that they would be entertaining my children while I continued reading my magazine and kept an eye out that all kids three and under were safe. What a farce... Heidi left Addie crying for a band aid for some unknown, too small to see injury to a finger. I told Ella and Addie they could help themselves to band aids if she really needed one....before Addie even had her band aid and was out of the bathroom Ella, in an attempt to squeeze between the dog and the fireplace was pressed up against the metal rim and burning her forearm. She's looking at me all frightened, eyes big as coins, and wondering what's just happened. We hoisted her up onto the counter, and I immediately began to question everything I know about first aid (which, in this situation, actually seems to be nothing!). I had no clue if I was supposed to douse it with water or leave it dry....cover or air it....warm or cold water....Vaseline or no Vaseline? I basically had no idea. I didn't figure the burn was too big of a deal, but I certainly didn't want to exacerbate it. Ella demanded a band aid (because they fix everything...duh!) and I finally resented, putting it on lightly enough that it didn't press into the wound. her arm was at this point mostly red with a white strip down the side about the size of the average band aid, the skin looked really thin and loose, much like a peeling sunburn. I was already making phone calls like mad...Grandma Terri (on account of her being a nurse, as well as having dealt with Delainey putting her hand palm down into a hot frying pan), my neighbor Jackie (nurse), Diane, Jill, Brenda....No answers all around. Before I could take any further action the babies, who have traveled to the basement are screaming, likely because they can't decide who should get to play with whatever particular toy (or decoration) they are playing with. Babies are fine, but Matthew is stinky....change diaper, Mia's mad I'm with Matthew so pic up Mia....Mia's stinky...change diaper.
I finally called the clinic in town....cover the wound, put some Vaseline on it if you want....at this point the burn is already mostly covered with a good few smiling Barbie band aids so we slapped a non stick gauze pad on it and held it on with four additional smiling faces. I skipped the vasaline on account of having to take the original band aids off to do so and generally trying to keep her freak out to a minimum. Call Ginger....."what do you think?" More so....what was I thinking....the poor girl has two sick kids of her own and is desperately trying to keep her baby girl in utero for as long as possible....she has enough stress in her life than to worry about what I should be doing with a wound I've already dealt with. So we chatted....that was nice! :) Off the phone, Mia pushes Matthew out of the way, he falls, bites his tongue - blood. Run downstairs for Popsicles for everyone (because that is obviously the best course of treatment for a bit tongue/lip/cheek/etc.). Have to feed the Popsicles to the babies on account of if they do it there is Popsicle all over my house. Still haven't spent more than a few moments with my Ella. Before we're done with Popsicles she tells me "my arm doesn't hurt anymore" and she's off and playing! She was fabulous tough. And Addie was a true friend if I've ever seen one. The little angel was so compassionate and caring I can't stand it. She sat beside her friend, was giving, quiet, loving. Went to get Ella's Special Blankie for her, brought her her juice, and generally cared for her pained friend. If only we as adults could do such a thing.
We're alright now...Ella didn't mention it all night....we went to tumbling and ran a few errands. Stopped at Meredith's to get the burn ointment they used on Lainey, and the only fuss Ella made was removing the Barbie band aids so we could apply said ointment. It is now wrapped in mediwrap so as to not have to do the tearing off of the band aid thing again. Jill tells me to keep an eye on it....clean it VERY GENTLY (thank GOD no scrubbing) and send her pictures so she can tell me exactly what she's already told me, but tell me after seeing the picture so I feel like it's more viable. I love her. :) But mostly we should be in the clear - Miss L slept all night, which surprised the heck out of me. I thought for sure she'd wake with her arm aching. What a trooper...
I promise to post the picture once Ella awakes and I am brave enough to clean it up and document the damage...