Cayden's Trampoline Accident

Wednesday evening I was watching out the back window of the house as Shaylee and Cayden were jumping on the trampoline. They are always out jumping...when it's not too hot outside! The blue pad that goes around the springs of the trampoline was a joke and shredded up from the wind long ago...so we let our kids jump on the trampoline without a pad, OR a net around the whole thing! I know, go ahead and let out that *GASP!*. Anyway, I saw Cayden kind of fly through the air like he normally does, but this time he landed face first onto the springs area. I was looking away when it happened, but turned around just to see Shaylee helping him up. I yelled for Tyler casually because I wasn't sure if something was wrong, but then Shaylee screamed as Cayden turned to face us, and I saw the blood pooring down all over his face. I screamed loudly for Tyler and I basically started running around the room in circles. I think I went into shock before Cayden! Tyler bolted outside and brought Cayden in. We put him on the table...it looked like someone had taken scissors and cut from his lip...up. His teeth looked weird...but it was hard to see with all the blood. I've never thrown a diaper bag so quickly in my life...and within about 3 seconds I'd woken Addy from her nap and had got her buckled up and ready to go. We flew out the door and I drove...shaking and speeding like a wild woman... while Tyler held our son and tried to calm me down (Cayden was in complete shock at that point). I cried while Tyler and two nurses held my son down as the doctor gave 2 shots in the gums, and 5 stitches. For days his upper lip looked more like a duck bill, and he couldn't hardly open his mouth so I had him drinking water through a dropper (which he LOVED because he would squirt our new dog and Addy with it!) and I had him eating Addy's soft, disolving snacks. The E.R. didn't say anything about his teeth so we thought they were fine. After a couple days he had an appointment with his Pediatrician where he had his 4-year old birthday shots as well as a flu shot, and the doc examined his mouth and sounded really concerned, because 3 of his front teeth are all messed up!! (He was also a little concerned that Cayden was 4 lbs lighter than last year on his birthday...he's drinking 2% milk now to help put some more padding on that body!!) I was glad to see that someone was as concerned as me about his teeth!! Today he saw an Oral Surgeon who took x-rays...and with the opinion of a dentist that is a friend of his...he decided that the two front teeth must go. One of the teeth he is actually biting down on...and the other one is rubbing...so to compensate, Cayden has been trying to OVERbite with the bottom teeth! At first I just imagined all of his pictures over the next few years without front teeth. Vain and selfish I know. Now I'm more concerned about his speeth though, since he hasn't mastered being able to say words correctly that have two constanants (you know, "fr" "tr"...etc). I know it'll be okay...I guess it's just the incredible guilt I'm feeling, from thinking that if Tyler and I were okay jumping on a trampoline with no pad on it, that my kids would be fine, too. NOW we want to eventually buy one of those expensive ones where the springs are actually UNDER the trampoline, and a net goes all the way around, so there is no way to hurt yourself on it. With our luck though they'd be jumping on that and his mouth would hit Shaylee's head and the exact same kind of accident would happen. Wow I wish I could put my kids in a safety BUBBLE!!! Luckily this is our first big accident so we are very fortunate. Poor Shaylee cried so hard the whole night because she said it was her fault because she was purposely jumping too high. I love my children...even when they drive me nuts, they have such tender hearts.

Well at 8 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) I will be taking Cayden in to be "put to sleep!" with an IV, and then have his two front teeth removed. What a week for my poor son.

This pic was taken today...stitches all gone!! Considering the doc at the E.R. had a lazy eye, I think he did an INCREDIBLE job making sure his lip was lined up correctly while stitching it up!!

This pic was taken a day after the accident...along with the pic that's at the top of this post.