Maybe the real question I should be asking myself is, what kind of a parent let's their children buy a funky monkey? Oh wait, that would be me!
Over a year ago we were traveling to SLC and when we stopped at a gas station in Beaver the kids begged for a quarter to buy a cute little monkey called a "funky monkey!" Lydia ended up with a red one and Emmett with a yellow one. They came in your typical little plastic bubble with no instructions. Should they have come with instructions I'm sure it would have included "small monkey's can be a choking hazard . . . or not for children under 3!" Ironically, Emmett had never put the thing in his mouth before he was three. Well, now he is three and as I'm learning with three year old boys, anything is possible!
You see Emmett has never been one to put things in his mouth. Even as a baby he never crawled around putting everything in his mouth. Thus when he started putting things in his mouth last week it surprised me. A week ago I asked him what he was sucking on and he pulled out a quarter and a penny. To which I demanded the money and explained the danger of putting small things in his mouth. A few days ago while he was playing I again found him with something in his mouth. This time it was some of his sisters polly pocket toys. He earned himself a time out and sisters little toys became off limits.
Then there was this morning. I had just finished feeding and changing the baby when Emmett runs to me with panic in his eyes and barely able to talk. He was trying to cough and saying "Funky Monkey" as he grabbed at his throat. I instantly realized he was choking on the blasted plastic animal. I quickly lay down Amelia on Lydia's bed and bent Emmett over my knee while repeatedly hitting my palm against his back in hopes that it would come free. He started resisting wondering what on earth I was doing so I told him to open his mouth so I could see if it was in there. It was sitting at the back of his throat and I thought I might be able to fish it out with my finger. As I swiped my finger at it he flipped out again and tried to pull my hand back out which caused the little monkey to go further down his throat and out of sight. At this point I started to panic. My boy was still not breathing and it was clearly lodged in his throat. I flung him over my knee again reassuring him that I had to do this to get it out. After more attempts at hitting it out a sudden fear flew through my mind, "what if my little man doesn't start breathing again, I can't let him die on my lap." It was the most awful feeling in the world, my heart sunk and I knew I needed help, NOW! I yelled for Lydia to call Daddy but she didn't know where my phone was. I remembered it was in the kitchen so I hollered for her to go sit on the bed with Amelia so the baby would be safe and I threw Emmett up onto my shoulder and ran down the stairs. My mind was racing as to which neighbors house I should run for help or if I should call 911. As we hit the last stair I heard Emmett make a swallow noise and then he started screaming. What a wonderful sound, at last he was breathing! I flew to the couch and again had him over my knee thinking that maybe it was making it's way up & I just needed to get it out. He started yelling and said, "stop it, why are you hitting me!" I turned him around on my knee and hugged him, I was so happy he was breathing and talking. I explained that I was trying to dislodge the monkey and that's why I was pounding on his back. I looked in his mouth and couldn't see it. When I asked him if he could feel it in his throat he said it was in his tummy. He was pretty certain he'd swallowed it. With myself shaking and my son pretty shook up I called Dan and asked what I should do. I was so happy he was breathing and he seemed to be fine now. We figured he had screamed because it was painful to swallow, but now what? Would he poop it out or was I supposed to take him to the hospital?
After leaving a message on my pediatricians phone I called my dear brother-in-law, Karl, he's a family practice doctor and he was so helpful. Luckily he knows all about Funky Monkey's as his kiddos have a couple of their own. He felt confident that it being small, plastic and pliable it was likely swallowed and in the stomach. An x-ray may or may not show it and the only concern would be for it to be stuck in the esophagus and not make it into the tummy. He too recommended I check with my pediatrician. Luckily, she called back not long after that and agreed that the best route to take is to "wait and watch." It will most likely come out in his poop any time from a day to two weeks. However, if he has trouble swallowing, starts gagging or choking, or throwing up to come in ASAP for an x-ray. Well, I am happy to report that Emmett is eating, drinking and swallowing just fine. He seems to be back to his normal happy little 3 year old self! Thus we will continue to watch and wait! What a fun job I have as the mother who gets to watch every bowel movement until it comes. As my funny bro-in-law said, "we hope it all comes out well in the end!"
I'm glad we can laugh about it now as I was pretty shook up this morning. I hope it shook Emmett up enough that he will never put anything in his mouth again and learn to listen to his mother! The sad thing is that I don't believe he was trying to be naughty by putting it in his mouth. He was just not even thinking. He was playing with his big sis, picked it up and started chewing on it with out thinking until he suddenly found himself choking. You can guarantee all little choke-ables will be banned from our home!
One sweet note was later that day during lunch when Lydia noted how great it was that Emmett was eating and drinking and acting just normal. She asked me, "Mama do you know why Emmett is doing so well?" "Why," I asked? To which she so sincerely responded, "because I prayed for him when I was upstairs!" One more time today my eyes filled with tears and I felt so thankful for a little girl who understands prayer, has faith, and loves her brother!
