October 28th, 2010. Coop's very first birthday! I got him all dressed in his birthday outfit (not to be confused with his birthday suit:)) & planned for a really fun day.
(I still get a little weepy thinking that my baby is already 1! Seriously? How did that happen??)
We had a fun day with a lot going on. Around four o'clock I noticed Cooper was kind-of wheezing. I watched him for a while & figured he must have been coming down with a cold/little cough. Then about two hours later I was in the emergency room. It was when he started crying and couldn't catch his breath that I knew something was seriously wrong. I don't think I have ever been so afraid of anything, ever. His lips started turning blue, and I had to try and remember anything at all that I had learned in infant CPR/choking training. Which was honestly years ago and did not help ease panic button.
I held him face down and started pounding on his back to see if there was something in his airway. Landon looked at me like I was CRAZY! He started crying and said, "Mommy, what doing? What doing? Copper okay?" So sad, and sweet at the same time. Ben still wasn't home from work, so I did the only thing I could think of, as fast as I could think to do it. I grabbed Landon in one arm & Cooper in the other & drove to the E.R. calling Ben and my mom on the way.
After a pretty intense half hour, and a chest/neck x-ray, we discovered that Cooper had swallowed a penny (on the x-ray it looked like a quarter) and it was lodged in his throat. A family friend (Dr. Hinckley) rushed to the ER and performed the surgery to remove the penny.
Poor Cooper. It was heartbreaking to have to see him get an IV & go into surgery. I was just so thankful that I was able to get to the hospital in time. Dr. Hinckley said we were really lucky, and it easily could have been tragic. (Ugh! Don't even say that!) I thought kids who swallowed pennies just found them in their diaper a day later. I guess Cooper is the exception! :) As the mom of this family I am making a new rule: No more trips to the ER on your birthday!! No...let me amend that rule. No more trips to the ER EVER! Please and thank you!
P.S. The next day Cooper was eating his birthday cupcake(a day late) like nothing had ever happened. We are, and were so blessed.
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