Our First Broken Bone

The "Walk the Plank" at the Tree Fort

It only took a few minutes of Jason's back being turned for it to happen. As I had called all of the kids to come up and help me bring dinner down to the tree fort, Emma had climbed up the stairs and walked across the plank alone. Jason had spent the afternoon putting up a plank, or a bridge, between the two forts. Emma had been napping during the construction. He was in the process of putting railings up on the plank, when it grew closer to dinner time, and he would finish the safe-proofing of it after. But, it was too late. Emma had been guided across the plank several times since waking up from her nap, by her older sister, Megan, and apparently had felt comfortable in walking the plank by herself. But her decision to run across the plank in her cute, pink cowgirl boots, proved to be a detrimental one. For as she ran across the plank, her right foot slipped, causing her to tumble five feet to the ground below, landing in a frog position, and resulting in an oblique spiral break of her right femur.

After spending five hours in the E.R. and watching them try to put in an iv several times, and administering lots of heavy drugs, she and Jason were lifeflighted down to St. Luke's Hospital in downtown Boise to be seen by a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, who would determine the best option for correction and healing. Jason's dad drove me and Eli down that night, and we ended up beating the lifeflight because they were so busy. We left our home at 11:45 pm and arrived at the hospital at 1:45 am, lifeflight followed around 2 am.

If anyone knows Emma, she is a pretty serious, but easy going little girl. She would rarely cry, unless she was being bugged by her brother. She screamed and cried in pain from the time it happened (about 7 pm on Friday, June 26th) to 11 am the next morning on Sat, June 27th. It seemed as though her binkie, favorite blankie, her dad and I, and a combination of hourly doses of morphine and valium could not relieve the pain.

On Sunday morning, June 28th, she went into the O.R. under Dr. Showalter's care, and he set her leg and fixed her up in a beautiful purple hip spica cast. So, for the next six weeks, our chunky little Emma will be confined to what enetertainment we can provide for her, and will probably lose all of her baby fat. These pictures are of the hospital journey and the first few days after being home, when her adventure was still new and unkown, and she was still our happy little, easy-going Emma.

We went into the pre-op room at 11 am on Saturday, as they had scheduled her surgery (or setting) for 11:30, only to find out that the surgeon would be unavailable until Sunday. They had finally given her enough drugs for relief and FINALLY she was sleeping, and NOT crying. And after a night of trying to sleep next to her in a crib, I requested an adult bed for her, so that Jason and I could both have a bed to sleep in. Jason and I took turns laying next to her, but Jason liked her bed.

Emma and Jason finally getting some sleep.

The temporary casting job done by the McCall Hospital in order to transport her down to Boise.

After finding out that she wasn't going to have her little surgery (setting) on Saturday, we got permission to give her some food. She wouldn't eat much, but found favor with jello!

Sunday morning after they set her leg and put her cast on. Just waiting for her to wake up...


Emma mauhling her new little brother, Eli, whom she lovingly calls "Ah-lie".

First sponge-bath at home.

Happy to be outside with Dad!

Every day has proven to be a challenge so far: eating, changing diapers, and mostly entertaining. Oh... and getting all of us ready for church on Sunday - me and six kids (one newborn and one handicap) without my husband, by 9 am - FUN STUFF, let me tell ya! It requires LOTS of planning and teamwork to make it happen. This summer has proven to be busy thus far. In four weeks, I have had a baby, had my little 19-month-old put in a hip spica cast (the total of the two adding up to nearly five days in the hospital) and hosted two reunions at our house on back-to-back weekends (the first reunion, approx. 65 people, the second reunion, approx. only 35 people). Life is crazy, but we are surviving, BARELY! Thanks to my support group anyway: loving husband, children, extended family, and friends! I am just grateful for a husband who has had much experience with people with physical handicaps, because he has guided me along this journey with Emma, and has helped out tremendously!

I am so grateful for all of the visitors, prayers, and people who fed us and brought entertainment to Emma in the hospital. We have the best family and friends in the world. And I am equally grateful for the family and friends who have helped out in watching our children during this crazy event in our lives, as well as when we had Eli. Words can't express how humbled and grateful we are for family and friends who love and support us, and willingly offer a helping hand in our times of trial and joy. Thanks to all!