Summer Editor's Letter

We parents do everything we can to keep our kids safe. But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, they get sick or injured and need emergency care. Both of my girls visited the ER as toddlers. At 18 months, my older had an especially bad tantrum and I had put her up in her bed to cool off. Shortly after I left the room, I heard a loud noise and knew it wasn’t a good noise. So angry I had put her in bed, she had jumped out of her crib! I looked her over for any bruises or bumps and didn’t see any, but noticed she would whimper when I touched her arm. Was it broken? I called my father-in-law (who wisely replied that he had no way of knowing without seeing her) and suggested that if we were worried we should take her to the ER for x-rays. Turns out she did have a greenstick fracture and was bandaged for several weeks while it healed. My younger slipped and fell while climbing up metal bars on our backyard playset. I can still hear her cry—an “I’m hurt very badly” cry. Luckily, she turned out to have only some surface abrasions.  Cue my growth of many gray hairs! Local mom and writer Christa Hines has put together some great tips on how—hopefully—to avoid an ER visit.

Pregnancy can bring its own set of worries, whether it’s your first or fifth! But don’t fret—we’ve got you covered! With tips on choosing your OB and dealing with pregnancy side effects you may not have expected, plus our Labor & Delivery guide, we’re here to help! And for fun, check out Belly Laughs for some things you should NEVER say to a pregnant mama. I think they’ll make you smile!

Enjoy the sunny days, KC moms and dads!