Screw?

For those of my friends who are kidless, here’s just a gut check to see if you’re ready for parenthood. The story: last night, my son Gardner screamed from his bedroom around 9:15. Normally this means he’s playing around, got frustrated the closet light won’t come on, lost his cup of water, etc. But I went to check on him nevertheless. He seemed more adamant than usual.

I opened the door to find him standing there, tears welling up.

“I ate a screw,” he said.
“what?”
“De screw is dawn,” says my near 3-year-old.
“where is it?”
“it’s in my tummy,” slightly more calmed. Not quite amused.

Sure enough, we looked over the entire room and find the knob to his dresser (there are 8, there were now only 7 screws) on the floor and the bolt that holds it in place missing.

We were convinced this wasn’t some elaborate scheme to stay up late, and after calling our doctor, the on call nurse, and a good friend who’s also Gardner’s nurse, we decided to take him to the ER.

Long story short, after 5-6 hours of sitting in the ER, getting examined by a nurse, x-rays, two doctors, countless very friendly nurses, it was determined (1) my child did, in fact, swallow a 3/16, 1.5″ long bolt and (2) he would pass it normally, or so we expect. The way it’s sitting in his stomach, it will probably just work itself out. If we don’t have it in a week, it’s back up for more x-rays and other options.

My next few days will be filled by the sorting and sifting of poo. But we’ll do anything for our little guy to insure he’s OK. And that includes, well, verification.

Not to over spiritualize, but when I was sitting in the ER with my little boy, I found myself at first scared and then comforted. The first thing Meg and I did when we decided to take him was to pray, for him to be well and for us to be calmed. I’m sure that worked.

My second thought, “this is my little boy.” What I felt seeing him helpless, even in this now comical story, pales in comparison to what God felt when his Son was allowed to be harmed. To be put in the place of the Father seeing his son in peril, I was strongly reminded of Christ’s sacrifice and the pain God must have felt through it all. Again, I’m not trying to draw some deep spiritual conclusion, but these are thoughts that hit me last night… somewhere around 1:00.

Thanks, God, for protecting G and for it not being something more serious. And please let him sleep in this morning as he went to bed at 3 last night.