A trip through my very favorite antique store and I found The Cabinet. It was perfect. The only thing not perfect about it was that it wouldn't fit in my car. I had to wait an eternity [ok, fine, two days but it felt like an eternity] for Tony get it for me. The night we picked it up a monsoon blew through while the cabinet was still in the back of the truck. Fortunately we were at Tony's office so I ran for a tarp and covered it and later we backed the truck into the warehouse, unloaded my now wet shelf and again I had to leave it so it could dry.
Another eternity passed before I finally got Tony to bring home my shelf. We got it inside, I ran out for bins the next day and we were in business.
Tony mentioned to me that I should probably check old things like this for lead paint, but I blew it off. The lady who sold it to me told me she doubted it was old enough to have lead paint. Then on Friday I happened to be at the office when Tony's paint salesman was there. They got to talking about lead paint and the salesman started telling stories about how dangerous it is, and how it can even cause death, especially in children. I broke out in a cold sweat.
The next day I went to Home Depot and bought some lead paint testers. I tested the shelf in two spots and the strip didn't turn red as it would if there was lead. Wooo. Big sigh of relief. I was so scared that I had poisoned my kids by bringing in this flaky painted shelf. Tony came home and did his own test. Fire engine red. Talk about a bad feeling. Not only has this thing been flaking on the floor and Kaylen is still crawling, but also most of their toys have been sitting in, on or around this shelf for 3 weeks.
We moved out the shelf, all the toys, the rug, and everything near it to the garage. Then Tony and I got on our hands and knees and cleaned the floor. The dust from this shelf could be everywhere, even tracked on Kaylen's hands and knees and Jacob's shoes. I washed all of their bedding and blankets too, just to be sure they were completely clean.
Over the weekend I got to thinking that maybe I should have the kids checked for lead poisoning. Kaylen has been a little under the weather for the past week, Jacob has been coughing and I have a sore throat. Could it be...gulp...from the lead? A finger prick at the doctor's office and we got the results, Kaylen's levels were very low in the safe zone and Jacob's came back a little bit above the safe level. Again the cold sweat. The doctor said it wasn't a level that would even require treatment, but they wanted me to go have blood drawn intravenously since there was a chance that Jacob's fingertips had contaminated the blood sample they took. A trip over to the lab, two hours in the waiting room and finally we had our sample. That was the hardest part of the whole day. Jacob was so brave through the whole thing, but I wanted to cry when I had to hold is elbow and wrist so that he wouldn't move it while the needle was in. It hurt him a lot and he cried and said, "I don't want to do this anymore!" I didn't want to either, baby, I'm so sorry I've caused you this pain.
Today I got the call from the doctor that the new sample was well below the first reading and he is completely safe and well. All the hassle, pain and trouble were worth it for the peace of mind I have tonight as I sit and type while my babies are sleeping in their beds. I'm so grateful they are healthy and well. What a gift.
It hurt me so much to put Jacob and Kaylen through this whole ordeal. It's my fault. A little responsibility on my part would have prevented the whole thing. It's really hard to watch your little child suffer. It kind of makes me wonder how God the Father bore the agony of sending His Son to the Cross. I could barely stand to watch one little vial of blood be drawn from Jacob's small arm and the heavenly Father had to watch His Son endure horrific brutality. A barbaric death from a "civilized" society. Imagine your baby being beaten with a whip, kicked, punched, hung on a rough cross by huge railroad ties pounded through his wrist and ankles. Imagine his agony as he suffocated from the weight of his body bearing down on his lungs. Imagine his suffering as he hung hour upon hour, hungry and thirsty, weakening every moment. How could the Father bear this horror? Because He loves me that much. He loves you that much, friend. His suffering, was for us. His death was for us. His resurrection was for us. A Father's love, so vast we can't comprehend it.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:16
No comments:
Post a Comment