The Blood Warning?

Toddlers, children in general are so unpredictable, so quick and agile that you can't guess their next move. Our Isabela is a nonstop energy bunny. Today we had come back from lunch at grandparents home celebrating another month of life. (Every month since Isabela was born we have celebrated her "birthday" today she turned 17 months old and we had a small cake, most times it is homemade). So we were in our apt. reading and Isabela was bouncing a balloon and trying to sit on it and balancing herself on it. She has been doing this for a while now that we thought it was fine and would caution her to be careful, go slow. Suddenly I hear a cry and Davor says she is bleeding, I rush her to the bathroom and there is a gash on her forehead. Blood is now on her face, her shirt,I try not to panic but I scream at him to bring me coffee grinds (this is what my mother used on my sister when she had a cut on her nose 2o years ago) "Coffee?? expresso coffee?" he asks, I say never mind might get infected anyways. I keep rinsing and blood is just flowing, I try to console her as she is crying, we then decide ok ER Visit, but she is pooped and I need to change her diaper. I then give her tylenol and a sippy cup with milk and by now she has calmed down. By the time we are in the car she is AS if nothing has happened, only a cut on her forehead. She is just looking at us like "what is wrong with you, why are you looking at me with those frowned faces?"

Finding a place to park at the Hospital was frustrating, no where to park and it was raining!

Nurses were super nice, very reassuring for Mama but I was asked to leave the room as only one person was allowed to stay. Since I don't speak Croatian,as much as I wanted to be there, Dad had to be the one to stay. I didn't hear a cry and few minutes later she walked out with a gauze pad covering her full forehead. No stitches required, ahh relief.

We were instructed not to get the wound wet, and return in 3 -4 days for a check-up. Another magic word:NO COPAY! FREE, yeap in Croatia healthcare is free for Croatian Citizens (Alot of paperwork involved though in getting registered). Isabela has dual citizenship.


I get a hold of my support group across the globe and this is what my sister had to say:

Didn't we tell you about the BLOOD WARNING??Well here it is: when your child bleeds...it looks worse that it is...REALLY la sangre es como el chile rojo....ESCANDALOSA (Meaning blood is a mess when trying to clean it up but harmless) She said FIRST clean the blood...afterwards...you will see it is not THAT bad... every mom has a blood story and now you do....welcome to parenting.


NOW what do we do?Do we blame each other for what happened or do we learn from this and as partners try to come up with a solution? Do we cushion half of the apartment to prevent this from happening again? Do we implement "discipline" ie: no running in the house, and if so how do you do it for a 17- month old??


Unfortunately there is no manual out there for first time parents to tell you what the right thing to do is. But you do have friends and family who have experienced what we have just experienced and if we are willing to listen then maybe one of their suggestions can be our solution.