A guilty trip to A & E

Today was an ordinary day, walks to and from preschool, a trip to the park afterwards with one of Alex's friends and then a quick wait for Daddy to pick us up from my parent's house. As it was nice Alex was desperate to get out into the garden and on his bike they bought him for Christmas, he's barely been able to use it as the weather has been so poor.

Then in a matter of minutes in turned into quite a panicked few hours...

I was busy hanging a few bits of washing on the line, and all of a sudden I heard Alex cry, I knew he'd hurt himself and wasn't just whining,  it was the sort of cry that a Mother knows her child is in extreme pain that rips right through you and leaves you with that gut wrenching feeling. He'd fallen off his bike, and hit the back of his head on a plant pot. The pot had broken, but at first I thought that was the bike that had broken it, until I looked at Alex's head. The bright red blood staining his golden blonde hair in an instant, I will admit I panicked, but then something, I guess instinct and adrenaline kicked in, I ran for the kitchen roll and applied pressure whilst ringing James. At this point I thought he was 40mins away in Newbury, but thankfully he was only 10 minutes away and rushed over in no time! For those that don't know I don't drive, so before I'd rang him I was really panicking about what to do for the best, Sam was screaming away in his car seat, Alex was crying in shock, pain, and also because he was frightened-mainly because he thought he might be going in an ambulance, and I was home alone with them at my parent's also noticing blood splats on their floor!

By the time James had come to get us the bleeding had calmed down and almost stopped, although my hand was quite horribly blood stained and Alex's top was covered around the neck. Luckily we only live less than 10 minutes from the hospital, and gratefully we didn't have to wait too long in A & E. The hole/crack he's made in his head was about the size of a 10p, and they managed to glue it back together, we just have to keep an eye that it holds ok otherwise he will need stitches.

He was so brave though, in the car I could see he was scared and frightened and holding back the tears, but when he came out of the room with his certificate of bravery he shouted out to the waiting room proudly, "look Mummy I'm done" smiling about getting a certificate and and a sticker, it's funny the way children work. In the car on the way back he kept saying sorry and sorry for breaking Nannie's pot, also telling me it wasn't my fault!

It didn't put him off his appetite so that's a good sign, he had McD's as a treat for being so brave, he crashed down a bit tonight, I think it started to hurt him a bit more so he stayed up a bit later and snuggled up on the sofa. I've not long put him to bed, it's the first time he has wanted me to stay by him in ages, and the first time since he was a baby that he's fallen asleep to me singing lullabies and stroking his forehead, just before he fell asleep he wrapped his arm around my neck and told me he loved me...bless him, made my heart melt.

I feel so guilty though, if he'd been wearing a helmet this would never have happened :( his helmet is kept at our house, and because he only goes around my parent's small secluded garden we have always thought he'd be ok, especially as he barely moves on it as he can't pedal properly. Just shows you should wear a helmet even when not on/by roads or cycling about properly.

Really does make you realise how easy accidents happen and how easily they can be prevented, also how precious children are. I'm going to be feeling very guilty for a while!