Traumatic Thursday

So on Thursday we decided to head into the city for a Mom's Movie in the afternoon. It was free and they were showing Duplicity. That Morning mom had to get some blood tests done left the house early and spent almost two hours waiting in the clinic and had 7 vials taken, with two pricks... Daddy made her some breakfast and then we were all off. Holly had gotten up late and was given her bottle in hopes of falling asleep in the car ride to the city, and then hopefully to nap for some of the movie.

We arrived on Chestnut street near the Presido Theatre at around noon, and it took only about 10 minutes to wait for parking just across the street. Holly had fallen asleep only a few minutes earlier at around 11:45. The movie was scheduled to stat at 1:00 but mom was eager to get in and settled. After a few minutes she saw some other mom's with there babies and decided to gather her stuff to go into the theatre. It was around 12:30 and the second the car door opened Holly woke from her nap. We strolled over to the theatre and found the doors were still closed with a sign stating they didn't open until 1:30.. Confused mom saw the other mother's in a cafe next door and went in to ask if they knew anything. They also though the movie was starting at 1:00 but said the doors open only minutes before. So Mom orders OJ and a bagel, Holly had some Banana and Cherrio's and we waited.

Once the doors opened we went inside and found we would be in Theatre two, up a flight of stains, non accessible, which meant no stroller. So we parked in the lobby and gathered all our stuff. Mom was hoping to have the stroller and basket for help but managed. The screen was about 15 feet off the ground and couldn't really be seen from the first 5 rows, so we settled in the second section first row off to the side. There was a lot of floor space here and another baby was already comfy on her quilt playing. There was a bar in front off us and then the other seats below. The bar went above Holly's waits, to around her armpits and she decided to use it for some cruising back and forth from mom to the side wall. We spread out her blanket and toys and she began to explore and play.

She was being very well behaved, not fussing and having fun with her toys.. But then she decided she wanted to throw them. First went some sticky beads, and then a few minutes later went her Loopy Toy. This was about 30 minutes into the film. I looked over the ledge hoping it was simply on the seat in front of us but Alas, it was down below in the concrete floor behind the seat. I handed holly another toy and told her we would have to get the loopy toy after the movie. She seemed contented to play again and so I resumed to watch the film. She had previously been cruising and crawling around the entire area safely so I was not worried but then, next thing I know I saw her feet in the air and I jumped to out to reach them but I wasn't fast enough. I remember hearing a shrill scream and thinking ok, this is a good thing, she is crying. I thought this as I was leaping over the bar and down onto the seat below and then to the floor. I remember seeing her there behind the seat and I tried to reach her from the floor.

The dad in the row in front of us, also jumped up to my assistance. he too tried to pull her out but she seemed stuck. I remember I was sobbing hysterically and I was telling Holly it was ok, Momma is right here. The dad looked over the seat to try and get her but could not reach. I remember in the background someone said turn on the lights, go get help and then another mom came and was able to squeeze down behind the seats also. From this vantage point she could bend down far enough to pick up Holly. When I tried to get her from underneath I felt that one leg was up and I had been trying to straiten it out.

As soon as she would out and handed to me I rushed into the lobby holding her tight, I felt her relax a bit and though still screaming her cry softened. I was able to rub her back and head and she began to calm. I realized how upset I was and put myself in check. She needed to see me calm, not frightened, so she would know everything would be ok. I remember thinking, her neck isn't broken, there is no blood.

The dad came out with me and I learned he was an EMT and had experience with Concussions. He felt and moved her arms and legs and checked her neck. He looked at her back and head and so far everything seemed to be ok. She was beginning to calm down and we brought her to the light to make sure she was reactive. her pupils went tight and then back in the hall large again. From what he could tell there was no concussion. I found two little lumps on the left side of her head, one had a little scratch but they weren't even that big. The dad went to get me some ice, which she wasn't happy about and thing started to settle down.


I knew she needed a bottle so we went back into the theater to get my bag and we sat and I made her a bottle. She lied in my lap and drank. It was actually at this point that another woman, the wife came out and explained her husband was an EMT and what the Pupil dilation thing meant and what to look out for. Once Holly finished her bottle she was almost back to her old self. I knew her head still hurt at that point because she would begin to cry every time i tried to put ice on her bump. I let her crawl and cruise around climbing through the maze of strollers. The theatre was packed, there must have been over 100 mom's with there babies anywhere from new born to 4 or 5. Once I saw signs of my Holly I relaxed a little and began to sob and try to piece together what had happened. It was all a blur to me, but I realized that she must have stepped on Kylee the other baby to get enough leverage to go over the bar. She had seen me lean over to look for her toy, and well at home she is pretty fearless and dives head first into her ball pit. I think in the end it was a godsend that she fell between the seat and the wall because I am sure that slowed her down. The drop was around 4 feet, similar to as if she had went head first out of her crib, but onto concrete.

All of our stuff was still inside spread out by our seat and I went in to begin to gather our things. The dad helped me. Then I sat for a while longer in the lobby letting her cruise around and called the doctor. The Dad said she seemed fine but if it were his kid he would want the clinic to check her out to be sure, and well he wasn't a pediatrician.

I called and they asked if she lost consciousness, no i said. How far did she fall they asked. 3-4 feet. Did she vomit. No I replied. Are her pupils responsive to light they asked. yes I told them.. Well she seems fine, no need to bring her in they said. If she vomits, give us a call, once is ok, more then once we need to check her out. Can she sleep i asked, I am 30 minutes from home and it's her nap time, she will fall asleep in the car, do I need to keep her awake. Yes she can sleep they said. make sure her sleep patterns are normal and she isn't excessively sleep and that she can be aroused. and that was it. They didn't even seem to think it was much of a big deal, and i suppose compared to falling from a window it wasn't but for me, it was horrifying.

I strapped Holly into the car seat and we went for a walk around the block, I held the ice on her head and she didn't seem to mind it at all now, she was comfortable and apparently seemed to had already forgotten all about her fall. After a few minutes I decided she had been awake long enough and I put her into the car and headed home.

The traffic was bad, and she fell asleep right away. About ten minutes into her nap I reached back and started shaking her car seat, she growled at me, very unhappy, but I smiled. She was aroused, and I let her drift back into a slumber. She rested almost an hour while I sat in traffic. I didn't want to call and tell Joel the story until we got home so he could see her right away, which is what I did once we got over the bridge, it was just about his break time and I had him come out and meet us, so he could see her happy and cheerful in the car, and then I told him about our traumatic day.