Two Books and a Tick

Today was Memorial Day and it's a tradition in my family to go to the stock yards (our local flea market, it's called the stock market because they also sell animals there). Sarah and my mom found lots of flowers. Sarah also found a dresser that she is going to refinish. I left the stock yards with two books and a tick. Yes, you read that right, a tick. When we got home I was carrying my 7 week old daughter in and saw something black in her ear. I lifted her out of her car seat, and to my complete shock and surprise I saw a bug in her ear! I told my husband "there is a bug in Emma's ear" and I started to panic. I frantically started to search through the diaper bag for the nose sucker to try to get the bug. That didn't work so my husband went in search of tweezers. I used the tweezers to try to get the bug out; but it wouldn't come out. At that point we realized it was attached to her ear and my husband said that it was a tick. I was panicking and ran outside to get my mom! She came in and looked at it and said we needed to go to the ER. So we searched the car seat to make sure there were no more ticks in there. My mom called the ER to see what they recommended and they said to come in. Sarah stripped down her little man and checked him for ticks and thankfully there were none! So off we go to the hospital. The whole ride there I was thinking how in the world would a tick get on her.  We had Emma in her car seat in her stroller covered the whole time. How on earth did it get in there and in her ear!!! We were very thankful it was in the crease of her ear and not in her ear canal. Once we got to the hospital they took alcohol swabs and held it over the tick. They said when ticks attach they breath through slits on the side of their body. They said they can't breath the alcohol and they will release. So after the alcohol had been applied they used tweezers and pulled the tick off. The doctor checked the tick and said that all of it was there, so none was left in her ear. Thank God!!! The doctor checked Emma's ear and said that the skin wasn't broken. He then applied antibiotic ointment to her ear and told us to keep her ear clean and if we see any redness to call our doctor. The nurse at the ER put the tick in a specimen cup and was trying to send it home with us. There was no way I was taking that tick with us. That tick just gives me the creeps! Emma was such a good girl through all of this she didn't cry once!!! So needless to say it was and scary and emotional morning for this mommy! So to all the mommies out there make sure to check your little ones over if they have been outside near the woods at all!