The price of the perfect picture- Happy 4th of July

This year is going to be different. I have been chanting this for the past few days. Last year it was less then fun it involved a day of arguing between Chris and I (hormones were on overdrive), oh yeah, and an ugly family fall out. Let's say it again shall we... This year was supposed to be different.

We had a great plan... get up, get through the morning routine (including Charlotte's nap) load the girls in the car and head to Sandy Point (local beach). Plan in the sun and sand, a first for both girls. Head home have a nice cook out and maybe sparklers tonight. Sounds like good'ol family fun right?

We got to get up before the plan changed. We woke up to a yucky sky and the threat of rain on and off. If the girls were a little older we probably would kept the plan on track. But, trying to get a 2 year-old to understand that we have to leave as soon as we get somewhere wasn't going to fly. So we put the beach to next weekend and were going to go out shopping for a new kitchen table.

By this time it was already time for Charlotte's morning nap. Once she woke up we put the girls in their matching 4th of July dresses and started to take some pictures on our bed.

This is where it all goes terribly terribly wrong :*(

The photos were going great and we were just taking fun pictures when the unthinkable happens. In the blink of an eye, even less then that Charlotte rolled off our bed and hit the floor. Chris and was taking a picture of Lily and I was fixing the sheet while Charlotte crawled around on the bed(a completely normal thing). Chris was watching her, she just got to the edge and misplaced her hand and down she went. Chris and I have a poster bed that sits high off the floor at least 2 1/2 to 3 feet.

When she landed she was at my feet. We still aren't sure if she hit her head on the fan base. It was just too close to tell. She started screaming, I instantly picked her up and held her to me. We tried to call her Ped but the calling service was just taking too long to answer so Chris called 911. They tell him to keep her as still as possible and to keep her on her back. So I laid her back on the bed and she started trying to fall asleep. I kept making her wake up. Poor Lily, her little eyes were so big. All she kept saying was 'Mommy sad'

It seemed like forever until the ambulance got here. They came in and Charlotte started screaming even harder. They wanted to take her to the ER to get looked at just to be sure. They brought in a baby back board and strapped her to it. Oh my. I have never heard her scream like that. It became like The Twilight Zone. Chris and I stood there as our hearts were braking, not able to do anything. But tell her it was going to be OK, neither of us knowing at that point if we were lying to her.

They took her out to the ambulance and I rode with her. A first for me-not fun don't recommend it. Chris took Lily across the street to our neighbors house. Chris said as he was knocking on their door Lily just lost it and started yelling 'Mommy, Rdette' over and over again. Thank God for these wonderful ladies, they took Lily in without hesitation, made her feel at home and took wonderful care of her until we got home. We knew that she was in great hands.

Chris made it to the hospital just as they were about to wheel her to x-ray, and Cat scan. She was miserable. They wouldn't (rightfully so) UN-board her until they made sure nothing was wrong. They wouldn't let us go into x-ray or cat scan. We stood outside the door. It is truly a horrible feeling listening to your baby panicked and screaming and you can't get to them. I had to make myself stand there literally stand there.

They took us back the ER room as we waited for the results of the scans. Chris and I each held her tiny hand and we sung "her song" to her over and over again. Finally she started to calm down, and started to try to sleep again. We were told that she could. As soon as she fell asleep the doctor came in she woke up and started screaming again. At least this time we were told that everything looked OK. We could hold her again. Once we did she completely relaxed. The doctor told us to watch her overnight and rouse her every few hours. She also said the scariest thing I have ever heard. She was apologizing for making her stay on the back board for so long. Then she went on to say that they didn't want take her off until they were sure she was fine and that they had been making plans to fly her to Shock Trauma if need be! Chris and I silently thanked Jesus that this didn't have to happen.

We got her home and went to get Lily who was very happy to see us. Once we got in the house the day's events really caught up with Lily. She had a total meltdown. We couldn't be out of her sight. I pulled her onto my lap and asked her if I looked happy or sad. She told me happy. Then I asked her if Charlotte looked happy, again she told me happy. Chris and I told her how brave she had been, how proud of her we were and that we ALWAYS come back and that we would never ever leave her. That seemed to be exactly what she needed to hear.

I will tell our tale of the afternoon in another post. Yes this all happened before noon!

For now our babies are happy and sleeping peacefully. My motto now is 'Next year is going to be better, it has to be!'