Safe At Home

I just wandered around the house for 15 minutes looking for my coffee, if that is any indication of things around here. It was so hot last night that I couldn't sleep, so about 12:30AM I went down to the basement where it was much cooler. I think I dozed for a while, but then something woke me, and I couldn't stop thinking of Sam's impending oral surgery. I watched TV for a while, and then Sam woke up at 4. At 5 I let Sam out and M got up while I went back to bed until 8. Sam was NPO (nothing to eat or drink) after midnight Wednesday, so we emptied the snack drawer and hid the hot dogs in the pantry under lock and key. Babysitter Extraordinaire (BE) had made a couple of batches of jello for Sam, so he ate some of that along with some watered down apple juice. We didn't send Sam to school today, so after The Little Person went to school we three just hung out for a while and got our stuff together.

The worst part was the wait, we had to wait in various places for about an hour and a half at the hospital. Also, parking was free, which would have been great if there had been any. Sam looked really cute in the hospital gown, and Matt and I wore gowns over our clothes so we could go in with him while they sedated him. Aside from being asked the EXACT same questions at least 5 times, the staff couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating. Once they started the sedation (a tube they wave in the vicinity of your mouth), it was only a minute or two before he was out. Then they put the mask on and voila! We were told it would be over an hour, and they don't want you to eat in the waiting room (because of the kids who can't eat before surgery), so we went down to the cafeteria and ended up at an outside table and chairs. We wiled away an hour playing on our laptop and blackberries and sharing some french fries and then headed back. As we sat down in the waiting room someone was coming to get us to let us know Sam was awake!

This was the worst part. When we got there he was struggling and crying against the tubes and wires and bandages, and there was dried blood on his face by his nose. He was also missing his two front teeth! In total he had three teeth pulled (the two front and a molar) and one cavity filled. They also put a sealant on all of his teeth. He was very agitated and after they had checked his vitals and given him some apple juice they said we could take him home. M went to get the car, and I waited with the struggling child. Then we walked him (I ended up carrying him) to the car and entrance where M was waiting. Once he got in the car, he was fine, totally calm, if not a little confused. He passed out soon after and slept most of the way home. At home he got on the couch with a blanket and relaxed to Spongebob. He and I snuggled for a while, and M went to pick up The Little Person from the babysitters.

That was about 2 hours ago, and he's already been outside since then and is now swinging in the basement and playing on the computer. Ah, the healing of a little boy! Unfortunately, he can't eat whatever he wants yet (clear liquids till dinner, and then chicken noodle soup, and soft solids tomorrow) and can't go to school tomorrow, but other than that, (and us being tired from a combination of early wake-up and anxiety over the unknown) we are doing great and the worst is definitely over. The Small People are both coughing intermittently and due to parental exhaustion I think the TV will be on for a while to ease the parenting duties. Hopefully, Sam will sleep well and easy tonight. One can always dream...