An eyeball in my nose

Today was a dreary afternoon...too wet to play outside before church.  So, the boys worked on these 3-D crafts...a snowman and a reindeer.

However, what started out as a fun winter craft, turned into a 2+ hour ordeal.  

   While on Mama's lap working on his craft, Joe decided to stick one of the plastic eyeballs up his nose.  It wasn't in very far, but of course the first instinct is to suck air up...taking the object up further, too.  And, when I pulled out tweezers to try to get it (since it still wasn't very far in), that got Joe worked up, crying, and...sucking snot/air up his nose.  So, that further took the eyeball up his nose to a pretty lodged spot.
   When I stated that we were going to need to go to the hospital to have help getting it out, both boys broke into sobbing cries.  And that didn't help anything. 
   Mama called Aunt Rachel, the nurse, for any ideas.  After trying several things for over an hour, nothing was loosening it.  Aunt Rachel headed our way since she was on her way to work anyway.  She had a tool that would allow her to try to grab it out of his nose...but would Joe stay still enough?  At this point, I explained to Joe what Aunt Rachel would be doing (trying to prep him). Then I explained that if we couldn't get it out, we'd have to go to the hospital.  I hoped this would help him understand what was going on, help him stay more still, and help him know this was an important option.  As a mom, I was sure he wouldn't stay still enough, that he would get hurt because he would jerk, and that we would end up at the hospital anyway because it was lodged so far back in his nose. (I feared they would have to put Joe under just to get it out and I feared they would have to push it in to go down his throat instead of being able to pull it out...which could have some bad results, too.)

   Josh came home shortly after Rachel arrived. We tried a couple of times to have me hold Joe's legs and arms while Josh held his head still and Rachel had the flashlight and tool.  However, Joe got so anxious about the object up his nose and was jerking and crying...which also caused problems seeing up his nose.  I walked around with Joe and explained that our only other option was to go to the hospital.  I tried to gently explain the urgency of the situation and the importance that Rachel help him.  By now, it was almost 2 1/2 hours later.  So, I was really losing hope...and Joe was now stating he was tired (he didn't take a good nap today) and wanted to sleep.  That was the last thing we needed.  I set him down as we walked back across the room and asked if he wanted Rachel to try again or if we should just go to the hospital.  As I stood from a squat, I thought tears dripped down his face as he let out a sob.  But Josh jumped up saying, "What was that?"  I said, "It was just tears." Yet, Josh delightedly said, "It came out!"  Sure enough, on Joe's hand was the freed eyeball (I even had them show me the second one still on the table, just to be sure Joe didn't somehow have the second one stuck to his hand.).  The work Rachel had done must have been enough to shift it around in his nose a little. And this, mixed with his crying, must have dislodged it enough causing it to slide out.  Praise the Lord for Rachel's guts to stick her tool up his nose and try to pull it out despite how far back it was and how hard it was to even see.

   Jake was very quick to thank Rachel (repeatedly) "for helping get the eyeball out of my brother's nose". And Joe was glad..."my nose spit out that eyeball...I didn't like that eyeball in my nose!"

   And here is the finished craft...with the eyeballs where they should be!!!!