A Car, a Bloody Nose, and Water Play!

Why is it that every time I have an interesting story to tell I can't seem to find the right words to start it with?  It could have to do with the 18 month old child I have shoving a book into my face right now.

Yesterday, I had just put Jackson on the potty to do his business and walked out of the bathroom.  About 5 seconds after walking out, I hear a clink, clink, clank, splash!  I stop dead in my tracks because I know exactly what happened.  I calmly walk back in to find Jackson staring at me, then looking down at the toilet and saying, "Oh no Mommy!"  I walk over to see one of his cars in the toilet bowl.

As bad as that sounds, it's what came next which made the situation worse.  I see a piece of poop (in slow motion) slide down the toilet bowl and come to rest on the car.  Yes!  I'm staring at this happening thinking, this really can't be happening.  But, oh yes, it did!  After gathering my wits, I just go for it and pluck the car right out.

I'm washing my hands and am about to disinfect the car when I hear a very loud smack followed by a wail of a cry.  I stick my head out the bathroom door to see Cullen had fallen in the hallway.  I knew he was hurt because he was screaming his 'I'm really hurt' cry.  He stands up, and I notice his face from nose down is covered in blood.

Cullen is literally dripping blood like a faucet down his face, on his shirt and shorts, and to the floor.  I hastily finish cleaning my hands, scoop Cullen up, and run to the paper towels.  I had no idea where the blood was coming from, so my first priority was to find out then stop it.

I quickly figured out it was coming from his nose.  Have you ever tried to stop a massive nose bleed on an 18 month old?  If not, let me be the first to tell you its very difficult.  It's not that I couldn't stop it, but if Cullen would stay still long enough to enable me to get a hold of his nose in order to stop it.  When I finally was able to get it to slow down (which was about 6 paper towels, 2 bloody shirts, and some bloody floors later), Cullen finally stopped moving.  I don't freak out at the sight of blood (even my own kids), but I had a window of about 30 seconds (which felt about 3 hours long) in which I seriously contemplated bringing him to an urgent care clinic because I couldn't stop the bleeding.  It was a gusher!

After the blood flow stopped, Cullen and I looked like we should be in a horror movie.  I had to strip him, change his diaper (because he had just pooped), and take my shirt off.  After soaking the clothes and cleaning up the floors, I went to go put another shirt on.  I glanced at myself in the mirror and realized my face, neck and arms were coated in blood.  I seriously looked like an accident victim!

Cullen was okay in the end.  As a treat for being good during this whole ordeal, I took the boys out in the backyard and let them play in the kiddie pool.

My kids are crazy pale and white.  But they were covered head to toe in sunscreen.  Here are a few cute pictures.