Another First

But not nearly as cute or fun as first words or first steps.

Monday morning.
I'm getting things ready for our trip. Laundry. Mail hold. Making a list.
Luke is watching TV or so I thought.

Fast forward**.

Operator: This is Poison Control. How can I help you?
Me: My child just ingested hand sanitizer.
Op: How much?
Me: I'm not sure.
Op: Can you smell it on his breath?
Me: Yes.
Op: How old is he and how much does he weigh?
Me: Two years old and 32 lbs.
Op: How big is the bottle?
Me: 12 ounce pump bottle
Op: How much is left?
Me: About 4 ounces. But I know it wasn't full.
Op: How long was he alone with the bottle?
Me: I'm not sure.
Op: Is it on his clothes?
Me: Yes, and on the kitchen counter.
Op: Do you know what brand it was?
Me: Purell
Op: (calmly) Now that does have alcohol in it.
Me: I know. What do I do?
Op: Did he throw up or gag?
Me: No
Op: Since it was a pump bottle and he's two it was probably difficult for him to get a whole lot in his mouth. But I'm going to walk you through a series of steps. First, take a wet washcloth and wipe out his mouth. Inside his cheeks, tongue, teeth. I'll wait while you do that.
Me: Ok. I did that.
Op: Now I need you to get him to drink 4 ounces of juice and something sweet like a cookie or candy. Alcohol can cause hyper(or hypo) glycemia in this case so we need to get his blood sugar up.
Me: I have apple or orange.
Op: Apple. I'll wait for you to give it.
Me: Ok he is drinking juice and eating marshmallows. (Luke is enjoying himself since he had already had a snack and hadn't had lunch and I just gave him straight up not diluted apple juice and 4 jumbo marshmallows.)
Op: Now you need to observe him for the next two hours for unusual behavior. Typical drunken behavior. Slurred speech. Staggering. If that happens, then either call us back or go to the ER. No naps until the two hours have passed.
Me: (thinking OH MY GOD I'VE JUST POISONED MY CHILD) Ok.
Op: Do you have any other questions?
Me: No.

**I thought he was watching tv. He had pushed the barstool to the kitchen counter, climbed up on the counter to get to the phone. When I walked into the kitchen, he was playing with the phone which is a no-no. I went to get him down and saw the hand sanitizer pump, then smelled it. Then saw it on the counter and on his clothes. Then smelled his breath.

The rest of the day he was fine. No signs of anything. At 11:30 that night he woke up with a 102 fever. I don't know if the two were related or not, but after I gave him some Motrin he slept all night and woke up ready to go.

I'm not sure if this is a phase or a lifestyle for him. :-)