*** Turn back now if you are weak-stomached!***
On the last night of our trip, we left the nine cousins under the care of three very capable family members and headed to downtown Cincinnati for dinner and a concert. It was the first time all six of us had gone out together since before we had kids 7 years or so ago. We made it through dinner and were just getting settled into our seats as the opening band played, when we got word of Oliver’s accident: he had fallen down the entire flight of basement stairs (the kind edged in metal) and had a nasty cut on his eyebrow that would likely require stitches.
Andrew and I raced back in what was the longest car ride ever, knowing that Oliver was in good hands, but wanting desperately to be there to comfort him and see for ourselves that he was alright. We arrived to find him chatting away, partially lying down on Andrew’s cousin’s lap while she held a towel against his eyebrow. She uncovered him to reveal an inch-long gash on his eyebrow that was not deep, but gaped in a way that made me queasy. It was obvious that he needed stitches.
The whole time, Oliver kept talking in an animated, excited voice about how he had been allowed to have a Christmas tree cookie (!) after he fell down the stairs! He didn’t complain once about his head or eye, which was slowly swelling shut. We checked the rest of his body for broken bones while we waited for Andrew’s mom and stepdad to arrive (both doctors, thank goodness) and assess the situation. When they arrived, they quickly got to work. Michael had brought with him enough supplies to stitch up five little boys. They got some clean towels, washed up, and opened sterile supplies. The worst part of it all was when they had to give him shots to numb the area. I stood behind his head, tears stinging my eyes as I knew I could not take the pain away and even being in his view made everything somehow worse. I stood back and watched. 
Seeing everything from a step away was really amazing. All of these people who loved Oliver and knew him were helping him in the most intimate and basic way. They were stitching him back together and telling him stories to distract him. Gina and Andrew held his focus, telling him elaborate stories with details only Oliver would appreciate. Gina made him giggle and soon the stitches were complete- 5 of them to hold his baby skin together while it healed. This was when I grabbed my camera.
Maybe the desire to document this event in photographs disturbs you. And that is fine. But it comes from a place deep within me. A place that, once my mothering instincts were satisfied, took over. It seemed important to me in a way that I can’t explain, other than the observation that there was so much love and attention and careful tenderness coming from these people who are part of Oliver. Their hands holding his, not only to keep him still, but to reassure him. The relationship between father (sewer) and daughter (assistant and headlamp-holder) was touching. The concern and interest on the face of Oliver’s youngest uncle, Austin. It was beautiful and I couldn’t resist.
And mostly, my need to document this comes from a place of love. I want Oliver to see the story, not just hear about it. And I think that when he looks back on these photos, he will not be disturbed. He will see their faces and gentle hands and feel so loved and cared for. Because he is.
He is as cool as a cucumber!! What a brave kid. And I would’ve done the same thing on documenting after making sure all was fine! He’ll always want to know where he got that tiny scar near his eyebrow!
Happy New Year!
I’m glad you found it beautiful…it is, once you can remove yourself from the emotional gut wrench. It definitely is different when it is your baby getting that attention. I’m sorry that night was a fiasco but glad there was so much family to come to the rescue.
Maybe Andrew can run the numbers, what ARE the odds of 9 kids under 8 in one house with 3 staircases that someone will need stitches?
This was too touching for words. The depth of love and concern for Oliver is so clear in these photographs. I am really glad you were able to document this. Andrew’s family is absolutely the greatest!!!
Oh my gosh, that top picture looks like something out of a movie! What a story. Thanks for sharing!
Laura
What a brave one! And what a story. I’m sorry Oliver had to get so banged up, but getting stitches is like a childhood rite of passage, right? I’m just glad you all had a good sewer around! 🙂 Lots of love to you all.
xo
i got teary-eyed reading this! such love and nurturing. thank you for documenting.
my brother is an ER/IM doctor and comes from a long line of doctors on my father’s side of the family. there’s something so cool about having an MD in “your pocket”. i respect that profession so so much.
Wow, pretty cool. How lucky to have two doctors in the house, far better than a nightmare emergency room scenario. Oliver looks so brave and I’m sure he will love looking back at this scene. I doubt I would have had the pressence of mind to reach for the camera, I’m oddly forgetful when it comes to photographing key moments… but I think it’s very cool that you did.
Being tended to by all of those loving hands is better than an emergency room visit any day. What a lucky boy to have so much love surrounding him.
Poor sweet little Oliver!! Stuff like that is always scary – I think even more so for the parents! I’m so glad he’s alright. And what a special and sweet staff of family to take care of him – how wonderful.
Looks like you guys had a blast in Ohio! I love getting all the cousins together for some true shenanigans. 😉
xo
cortnie
Oh, poor little Oliver! This didn’t bother me at all, and I didn’t think it was gross. I thought the pictures were actually all very sweet. How wonderful that you have people in your family who can take care of this kind of thing. How lucky for him to know that it’s not just their job, but that they really love him.
Fortunately for Oliver, kids heal like Wolverine, so he will be looking like his usual dapper self in no time, I’m guessing.
I think he will love that you documented this one day. For the exact reason you descibed, seeing the details and not just hearing the story. So fortunate to have doctors and their supplies on hand!
So glad your sweet boy is ok. 🙂
Oh, he looks so very adorable in these pictures! Iris got stitches in her forehead this Spring. It was definitely harder on me than it was on her.
Glad he was taken care of so quickly and in such a loving way- best case scenario!
Happy New Year!
Poor Oliver!! Such a sweet smile through it. And I totally agree – the first picture made me think “wow, what a loving nice family!”. Glad you documented it, Lauren! He will appreciate it. Happy New Year, Knights!
I love this. What a great family! Kaspar, my kiddo, got a similar gash one morning at his Montessori school, falling just the wrong way by the edge of a table. I took him into the doctor and he was given ‘glue’ stitches (they literally glued the gash closed), which was painful for him, but quick, and I was relieved he didn’t need to be sewn. He has a scar, but no recollection of the event, which is fine; the doctor was kind but the memory — while not scary at all — kind of just makes me cringe. Your (collective) experience, however, begins with a nasty fall, but quickly moves into such a warm, safe place that highlights the togetherness and capability of your little boy’s extended family, with each person doing their part to make him well, from the initial cookie to the final documentation. Beautiful! Hope he’s healing up wonderfully.
What a brave little trooper you have! Sometimes he really acts older than his years.
And I think the pictures were a wonderful idea. They, along with your words, completely capture all the love that was in that room. It’s fantastic that people who adore your son got to make him all better.
And I’ll bet you good money that this story (including the pictures) become his favorite as he gets older.
Poor little Oliver! Despite what I’m sure is quite an overwhelming experience, he seems pretty unphased. What a lovely story to come from something so initially gut wrenching. I’m sure he will love to have these photos and to be able to look back and really see the love and care that surrounded him.