In Which Connor Scares The Bejeezus Out Of Me

So I walked into Connor's room today when his nap time ended to discover my child covered in blood.

He didn't seemed concerned about it at all.  He was giggling, wiggly and as happy as ever, only his face, hair, hands and bedsheets were liberally and artfully streaked with pink and crimson blotches and lines.  It looked like he'd been finger painting with a raw steak.

I, of course, was more than a little concerned.  I believe it would be accurate to say that I reacted the way most mothers would when in a similar situation; I completely freaked the heck out.  Connor and I have covered a whole lot of territory in the crazy medical emergency department, but walking into his bedroom to discover that he'd apparently been hemorrhaging all over the place was a new and terrifying development-- especially since I couldn't figure out where the heck he was bleeding from. 

My first thought was a head injury, though I couldn't figure out what he could possibly have hit his head on since he was square in the middle of his twin size bed.  I carefully parted his hair.  Nothing.  I felt up and down his sides.  Nothing.  I carefully rolled him over and felt his back.  Nothing.  Then I checked his hands, thinking he might have bit himself.  Nothing. 

When I pulled up his shirt to check his stomach,  Connor thought I was going to tickle him and gave me a big, open mouth grin.  A ribbon of blood spilled down his lower lip.  Oh, and that bottom tooth-- the one I've been telling you about the past few days?  Hanging by a thread.

Who knew a loose tooth could bleed so much?

After taking a moment to sit down and indulge in a fit of hysterical laughter (and coughing, as I'm still sick and miserable), I washed my hands, grabbed a tissue and carefully gripped his tooth, which came out without any pressure at all.  As near as I can figure out, Connor must have been pulling on it with his fingers (something he's been doing a lot lately) and managed to yank it most of the way out.  He's on an aspirin regime, and gums bleed pretty well anyway.  Then he kept putting his hands back in his mouth to feel the spot, keeping it bleeding and artfully decorating himself and his surroundings in the process. 

I kept a little pressure on his gum for a few minutes, and the bleeding finally stopped.  After I cleaned him and the bed up, I put my protesting child back down for a few minutes and went and sat down in the library.  I needed a cup of tea and some chocolate.  Badly.

So Connor lost his first tooth, and in his usual style managed to do so in the most dramatic way possible.  Only nineteen more to go. 

I can't wait.

~Jess