I had just finished explaining to the pediatric ER nurse that the horse actually dragged and later trampled over my daughter while she was cantering during her lesson. The nurse left us alone in the waiting room and an announcement came over the PA system "Code something. Trauma. Pediatric ER. Code something. Trauma. Pediatric ER." I looked around, realized that "Code Something" was directed at us and for the first time in my life I swore in front of my child through my tears. Shit.

We were immediately escorted into a private room and a rush of different doctors/nurses started probing her. My Lola. Her face badly bruised and swollen twice it's size from the horse kicking her as he trotted over her in the show ring. Her chest torn and bruised with a permanent hoof mark right above her heart. The trauma team squeezed into the tiny room tossing around orders for xrays, urine samples and vitals. What exactly happened they asked. "It was her first time cantering, which is a fast trot, on the horse. The horse titled his head down and she slid right off, in front of him. She held onto the reigns being pulled across the earth before she let go and the horse trampled her." The image of my daughter been dragged and trampled upon will forever haunt me.

A dose of bubble gum motrin. A check for vitals. A hospital smock. A head-to-toe examination of wounds. A few rounds of xrays of the trampled upon chest. A urine sample to check for internal bleeding. A teddy bear appropriately named Sunny (on the car ride to the ER I distracted her by pointing out the incredible sun set God had bestowed on us as a sure sign of happiness). A purple Popsicle. And one halloween sticker later she spoke through her quivering fat lip, "Mom? What does shit mean?" And we were discharged.

Children have a beautiful gift for healing fast.  I, on the other hand, am still a little shaky.  I've neurotically checked in on her twice this evening. The glowing night light is just enough for me to see her terribly swollen cheek peeking through her covers, one bruised arm with a hospital bracelet holding onto Sunny and as I watch her take shallow breaths I'm screaming to myself "Oh my gosh... my daughter was trampled by a horse today."  That is one thing I never imagined happening.

She's okay.  I will be okay.  But my daughter got trampled by a horse and had a McFlurry for dinner as promised on the way to the ER and this isn't what I imagined motherhood as and oh my gosh what will tomorrow bring. Everyone is okay and well and alive and tonight we count our blessings that we survived another day of parenting.

Excuse my profanity for the second time on my blog.  First post where I swore is here. For my own sanity let's hope this is the last time I swore on my blog and/or in front of my children. Cause, seriously, how many lives does one mommy get?