A Post of Updates

I have been asked to elaborate on Hugo's accident so here goes... Hugo was nicknamed Tree Frog from the moment we brought him home from the hospital. Well, he was listening and has tried desperately to live up to his name. He is a climber. The kid can scale just about anything. Chairs, couches, footboards, his crib, all of his friends cribs, bikes, motorcycles, Papa's truck, play structures which are far too old for him and ladders, don't get me started with the ladders, please. He almost never falls and when he does it usually turns out to be no big deal. Hugo is tough. We didn't ask it of him, it's just part of his packaging.

Friday morning began like most others except for one small thing. One small something was different. I opened my eyes to Hugo's smiling face and knew that it was my birthday. What promise did the day have in store for me, for us? Cesar was yet sleeping so we snuck out of the room. As Hugo and I walked downs the stairs with Rodrigo and Bella trailing behind I began to crave a warm, yummy bagel fresh out of the oven. We opened the door for the dogs to run outside and discovered it was a beautiful morning. We sat together, Mr Hugo and I, on a low wall overlooking our garden watching the bumblebees busy at work amongst the flowers. The thoughts in my head at the time went something like this, "Bagels, bagels, bagels. Strawberry cream cheese! Should I get blueberry or sesame? Or cinnamon raisin? Maybe strawberry cream cheese would taste better with a sesame bagel. I am still in my nightgown, I'd have to change clothes. Rats! I'd like to take a shower. Hmmm, maybe simply cereal this morning and I'll get bagels later today for the weekend! Yes, yes, good thinking Alissa!"

So inside we went and I began to pull out the bowls and cereal for us when I heard an odd thump. I turned around and there was Hugo spread eagle on the floor starring wide eyed at me with one of the high backed stools from the kitchen counter smack dab on top of him! How did this happen?! Blood was on his lips. I moved the stool to the side of him. Hugo raised his hands up to cover his mouth. I grabbed a clean dishcloth, wet it quickly at the faucet and bent over him. At that point he started to cry and I scooped him up. It took a little while to slow the blood down. It was a little while longer after that before I could figure out the complete damage. Really I was in a bit of shock. I have no idea how it happened. He climbs up and down the stools multiple times a day without any trouble.

The cuts to his upper and lower lips looked awful to me. But I learned this past Thanksgiving that doctors don't like to make sutures around the mouth if not completely necessary. Hugo had received a nasty scratch from his Aunts cat on this exact same upper lip. We had just gotten used to that scar when Friday morning happened. So this is why Cesar referred to Hugo as Our Little Frankenstien.

Cesar woke up and found me holding a whimpering little boy with a wet and bloody dishcloth pressed up to his face. Hugo's lip was HUGE at this point. Looked more like a duck bill than an upper lip. Somehow or other he stretched out his body in my arms. He titled his head back just so and I could see somewhat into his mouth. It didn't look right. I stuck my finger inside to investigate. Hugo was not happy. But my fears from each and every one of his past falls was upon us. A tooth had been knocked out of place. The good news is that it doesn't have to be pulled out. The knocked back tooth thankfully does not interfere with his bite and so can remain where it is, knocked back. I assumed the dentist would simply straighten the tooth. Silly me. Nope, not gonna. If it had interfered with the bite or the root had been damaged the tooth would have been pulled. Pulled?! A whole lot of missing front tooth pictures between now and Hugo's 7th or 8th birthday would fill up this blog and our albums! The tooth might, might straighten out on its own. It could take months to find out if there will be any nerve damage. The dentist doesn't think that the budding adult tooth will be compromised.

A small birthday funny note from the Husband:
We were in our patient room waiting for the Doctor to arrive. Cesar was filling out our emergency visit paperwork while I held a nervous Hugo. Cesar turned to me and asked the date. "6/20" I answered all annoyed like. "Oh. Oohhh, it's your birthday."

We ordered Chinese for dinner. When we were nearly finished eating Cesar said, "I don't have a cake for you."

Shoosha Update:
About 2:45am Hugo was up and at my bedside. The two of us were up, down and up, down and up, down till about 5am when I finally gave in and let him in bed with us. At that point none of us got any sleep. While I was rocking Hugo in his room earlier, trying to get him to fall back asleep he stretched out his hand to the drawer where I keep the shooshas. I hadn't removed them - chicken momma that I am. I opened the drawer and handed him one. He realized that it still didn't work. Wasn't gonna fit right. He was sad but gave it back to me.

Yesterday he didn't ask for a shoosha at nap or bedtime. Once he was asleep last night I opened the drawer and removed them all to a keeping box in my room. I plan on keeping just one to show off later on.

I should also mention here that snipping the tips off the shoosha's did not help us. Hugo ended up preferring them snipped up. I found one a week ago which had not been cut and I thought oh well, and handed it over to the boy. He didn't want it. He only wanted the snipped up shooshas. Interesting.

Hugo's Blanket:
This post of updates would not be complete without mentioning Hugo's beloved blanket. Although, this is blanket #2. He completely and utterly destroyed blanket #1. I dropped him off at a girlfriends one day while I ran to the city. I left her with the scraps of his blanket. Mere remnants really. These remnants were so small that when her husband came home from work he began to clean up and tossed Hugo's blanket #1 in the trash! My girlfriend figured out what happened and rescued the pieces for me.

Thank heavens I was a little overzealous in my knitting for my unborn child and had made him two blankets. I switched out one cashmere and silk blanket for the other without missing a nap.

Blanket #2 is now sadly in shreds. I keep gathering up pieces and knotting them together into a giant lump of a knot. I have no idea how much longer the delicate fiber can hold out. Do I make him a blanket #3? What if he destroys this one also? Should I use a more durable cotton? Will he accept it if I do? Is he getting too old for a knitted blanket from his Momma? I hope not because I think I will want to knit for him until the day I can't see straight.