These little suckers cost our family $75 and 4 hours of my time. But they could have cost us a lot more. How might you ask?

DD was sitting by DS last night while he played with his Magnetix toy sets. Bob and I were both in the room, monitoring the activity, but were surprised when we heard DD cough like she had a frog in her throat. She was fine right away, and we did not see her put anything in her mouth (she has never been one to put toys in her mouth), but we were immediately concerned that she may have swallowed one of the balls. We asked her…she said no. We asked her again…she said no again. We asked her a third time…”DD, did you swallow a ball?” This time she said yes.

We had no way of knowing which answer was the accurate one, so off DD and I went to the children’s hospital in our area. DD was so good the whole time. We got there at her bedtime, so I was sure she would be a mess while getting examined, x-rayed, etc. But she was so good. After her initial exam, but before her x-ray, DD played doctor, checking my heart beat and telling me to say “ahhh.” I explained to her that during her x-ray, she would have to lay perfectly still, and she could only move her eyeballs. I demonstrated by darting my eyes back and forth. She cracked up laughing.

We were finally escorted down to the x-ray room and DD laid perfectly still…what a trooper. “What did she swallow, Mom?” the tech asked.

*side note: I find the whole “Mom” reference so amusing. I’m not sure when the general population of teachers and medical professionals decided this was the blanket “name” they would give mothers when addressing them – I’m sure it’s probably the least threatening and most convenient option…but I always find it a bit patronizing, though I know that’s not how it’s intended. I’d personally prefer “Mrs. Mercer” or “Rebecca.” O well.

So I responded by pulling out the sample ball I had brought with me. “We think she may have swallowed one of these.” The tech’s eyes widened. “I just heard about a boy who…” She trailed off and completed her sentence with “Let’s get the results first.” “What’s the story?” I insisted. She proceeded to tell me about this. I had such a pit in my stomach at this point.

Not much later the tech smiled from behind her computer and chirped, “Nothing there, Mom!”

“Are you sure?” I replied. “It’s not up higher or down lower?”

She invited me back to her computer and showed me what amounted to a full torso x-ray of my baby girl. From chin to pelvis, there was nothing but normal DD innards. I don’t think I have been that relieved in a LONG time.

After getting our discharge papers, a juice for DD, and parting with a $75 dollar copay, (oh, and asking about a million times “Are you sure there’s nothing hiding in there?”) We headed home. In a driving rain. At 11:00 pm.

What a night.

If you own a set of Roseart magnetix, please check out the link above, and others, if you care to do an internet search on the recall. We are SO blessed that DD did not swallow anything. But by the sound of the recall, had she actually swallowed a part of this toy, the results could have been horrible.

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