Sep
3
I was just walking in from the backyard when I heard JB saying “Oh no, oh god, oh shit” and I saw him running out the open front door and just beyond him I could see the stroller lying on its side and Dylan was screaming, screaming, screaming. I ran and I may have been screaming something myself and Dylan’s legs were kicking from where he was strapped in the stroller’s seat and one wheel was still turning but instead of being on the ground it was turning in the air and JB was pulling the stroller up and getting Dylan out and his little face was bleeding and Riley was still bent over the stroller trying to help and Riley was scared and I was sobbing and I knew for certain our baby had a shattered arm or worse.
I hugged him against my body and I stood inside the house crying all over his soft hair while he buried his face in my chest and I held him out for a second and his eyes were frightened and hurt and his cheek had a bright red droplet of blood and the right side of his face was scraped and turning red and a dark shadow of a bruise was already starting to appear.
We checked him over and he wound down to a sorrowful snuffle and nothing appeared to be broken. JB put some Neosporin on him and we fed him bananas and yogurt with a little blackberry jam and oatmeal and he devoured it all and grinned at us. I put him on the floor to play for a while then I rocked him and gave him a bottle and kissed him a lot and put him to bed as usual and his sleepy little banged-up face tore a hole in my heart.
It was my fault. We were getting ready to go for a walk and I left the stroller on the top step of our front porch, unlocked, while I went back in to feed the dog. Riley walked out the front and went to innocently (and probably clumsily) push the stroller towards the driveway and it toppled off the step and fell over and Dylan’s face connected directly with our exposed aggregate walkway.
I don’t know how he didn’t get hurt more than he did.
There is a word for how I feel about the whole accident, but I’m not sure what it is. Terrible doesn’t quite cover it. Guilty seems too mild. I suppose I learned a valuable lesson — always, always lock the fucking stroller — but oh, god. Who actually fails the “keep baby from falling headfirst onto hard surfaces” parenting directive? It’s right up there in the top no-shitter, easy-do responsibilities: FEED BABY, OCCASIONALLY REMOVE FILTH FROM BABY, DO NOT ALLOW BABY TO SMASH INTO CONCRETE.
SOOOOO sorry that this happened, those moments are the worst. My lil’ guy got a toddler’s fracture on his tibia when he was 10 months old after he tried to bail from his high chair at daycare. I literally lost it when the x-ray tech put the film up and you could obviously see the fracture. I didn’t fully calm down until the next morning. (Not to mention the fact that my husband was out of town and I couldn’t get him on the phone.) There was speculation by my doctor regarding the treatment of my daycare provider, who was also almost out of her mind with worry about the situation. She loves my baby, I knew nothing was wrong. There was a small investigation and a final determination that it was an accident. Three weeks in a cast and he was walking again two days after. But still, that initial fear that your baby can be hurt is just the worst feeling in the world.
Oh, and here’s another one that I almost forgot about. When my youngest was just 2 years old she ran out of the house before me and jumped on her (little tykes) rolling horsey and promptly hit a bump in the sidewalk and went over the handle bars face-first into the concrete. She broke both of her tiny little front teeth almost completely out and there was blood everywhere. Talk about feeling like a rotten mommy…
Interestingly enough the dentist was able to bond both teeth so that you couldn’t tell that anything had happened.
My girls are 19 and 14 now. So, as you can see over time you to will forget about some of the bumps and bruise.
I am a loon but from the first few words of your entry I was crying and crying, I couldn’t read it fast enough. I know it must have been awful but I am so, so glad that it wasn’t anything worse. It is TERRIBLE what can happen in so short a time. My 3 year old is crazy and has a crazy high pain threshold so he is always bashing the hell out of himself. My baby girl has already gone off the couch, BONK went her big head, on and on. I myself fell out of a car that my parents were driving when I was three or four and they didn’t even realize it for a while! Life is crazy, shit happens and I am really hoping that you will be easy on yourself about this. Soon it will be a good story about how tough Dylan is and you may as well get there now.
No worries. In time, Dylan will just use the story to torment you.
As a toddler with very long hair, my mother sucked up my hair with our vacuum as I played on the floor. Mind you, it wasn’t any ordinary vacuum. It was a Kirby- the “Suck The Chrome Off A Trailer Hitch” model. I screamed. She screamed. By the time she got the monster shut off and it powered down, I’d lost a circle of hair about the size of a baseball from the side of my head. Thank jebus Mom had the Kirby carpet shampooer to clean the blood off the rug :) Just kidding. For the next few weeks, she endured the questions about my “scalping” and felt like the world’s worst Mom each time she explained.
Now, some 30+ years later, I enjoy throwing that one back at her occasionally and blame her for my lack of enthusiasm when it comes to vacuuming the house. Just be sure Dylan gets the same joy in teasing you about his ordeal when he’s my age. Granted, he won’t even remember it happened, but I have a feeling he’ll be able to “run with it”.
You’re an awesome Mom, don’t sweat it one bit!
Linda, I hope you don’t mind me recounting some of this stuff as I remember it but here is another one that might help you to realize that as your kids get older they WILL have other accidents as well.
When my older daughter was 10 years old and was at after school care (on school grounds)she decided to walk out on to the monkey bars (to show off) and promptly fell and broke her elbow completely off of her arm. I got the call when I was at work that she might have “sprained” her arm. When I got there and saw how severe it was I rushed her to the ER. After x-rays etc. it was determined that she was going to need surgery (pins etc.) to “maybe” fix it. I nearly fainted wne I heard “maybe”. They said that they had never seen such a break before. Thankfully, they were able to reattach her elbow and her arm is completely fine.
It’s all ggod – no harm no foul.
PS – I LOVE Pete’s comment. Your Mom rocks.
Every parent has had at least one of these moments. If they say that they haven’t, they are LYING. I almost tend to think they’re even somewhat necessary, to keep us from getting complacent.
My most horrifying was when my son was about 4 months, I was unloading him and all the baby paraphernalia from the car, and he managed to flip backwards (I was only holding him with one arm). I managed to grab one of his ankles before he hit the concrete, but not before he smacked his head on the car.
My mother of the year story happened last February with my 16 year old son. On Valentines Day he told us his chest hurt and his arm was numb. I asked him which arm and he said right so I figured he pulled a muscle playing basketball. I poked him in the chest and when that didn’t hurt I told him he was fine, it was probably gas. The next day he was in more pain and having trouble breathing so my husband took him to the doctor. My son went to the hospital in an ambulance and ended up spending 19 days in the hospital with a collapsed lung. So yeah, mother of the year paperwork has been submited…
Oh my, I had forgotten all the terrible things I have accidentally done to my kids until I read these comments: pinched baby flesh in seat belt, check; let baby fall off bed, check; let baby flip over out of crib onto head, check; tripped over low gate and fell, holding baby, check; not caught an ear infection or a broken bone until much later, check. (Before someone calls child protective services, I have three kids so I didn’t do all these things to one poor baby.
I’m so glad people have come out of the woodwork to share their guilty stories – it happens to us all, so no more beating yourself up.
Oh Linda! I am so sorry that Dylan got hurt, but please do not beat yourself up about it! When I was holding my now 17 year old son at a few months old I turned a corner in the hallway and whacked his head directly into the corner of the wall. He had a huge bump that made him look like a unicorn for a week! But, I can assure you that he only knows of the story because I told him about it. He has no memory of it and it has not affected him with his learning or such =) And then there was the time he barrelled down the hill on his scooter at 7 and smashed in to the fence. He complained of his chest hurting for 2 weeks before I took him to the doctor (there was no obvious cut or bruising) to find out he had brusied ribs. You can not visibly see those, but he had been complaining! Anyway, ((Hugs)) and know that we have all been where you are – feeling terrible and guilty. Oh, the joys of parenting!
Oh Linda! I cried through the whole entry! I’m so sorry this happened to you. I know how horrible it feels. I layed my daughter, who was about 4 or 5 months old at the time, down for a nap on one of my mom’s beds, during a visit. I always put pillows all around her “just in case”. She wasn’t even crawling yet, but she must have pulled herself over those pillows, or under them somehow and crept over to the edge of the bed, cause before I knew it, I heard the most blood curdling scream I have ever heard! It hit me instantly what had happened and I ran into the room, screaming under my breathe, OhshitohshitohnonoNO! I grabbed her up off the TILE floor she had just landed face first on as fast as I could and just held her to me so tight. Her poor little face! The right side was so red and her mouth and little lips were swelling fast and bleeding under the skin. Oh my GOD! I must have rocked her for hours, trying to put ice on her mouth to get the swelling down. She didn’t have any major injuries, but I felt SO bad, as if I had punched her in the face, BAD! There’s no words to describe the guilt, but thankfully she was ok. It’s been months now, but I still cry every time I think about it. I’m glad Dylan is ok. ***HUGS***
Glad to hear he’s ok. Don’t be too hard on yourself… he comes from strong stock.
Here’s a story for you: My mom, dad, and I were at the Hoover Dam, way back before they had fancy railings and fences up in the far parking lot. (My mom thinks our little incident is to credit for them being there now, haha.) Anyway… Mom and Dad had a miscommunication about who was going to go have a sip of water, and who was going to the restroom, and before you know it, there I was, in my little baby wheelie thing, tumbling over rocks on my way into the dam. As my mom tells it, she and my dad rounded their respective corners at just about the same time, seeing my head disappear over the horizon… my dad, being closer, lunged himself over the edge and snatched me out of my vessel of doom, just as it went rolling down into rocks and shattered into bits. I was a bit banged up (having gotten a good tumble or two in before my rescue), and my dad had some cuts and bruises too, I’m told. I’m pretty sure my folks never let me out of their sight after that. ;o) But I’m fine, wouldn’t have remembered it, and it made for some fun times in my teenage years when I’d mouth off and my mom would fire back with, “Maybe we should make another trip to the dam soon?” Hahaha… ;o)
Aw, honey– I know I’m one of a chorus of voices, but BEEN THERE. I left my very active one-year-old on the changing table unattended, w/o buckling her on there, and she fell and bashed her face. I heard the thud and the screams from the living room, where I was sifting through the clean laundry pile for something for her to wear.(Another source of guilt– the constant presence of a clean laundry pile on the couch….) She’d dropped her bear, and dove to get it. I beat myself HARD with the guilt bat.
Sundry, don’t be so hard on yourself. Accidents happen. Dylan is fine. Just a tiny boo boo that will heal really soon. Since everyone else told some parental accident stories I feel compelled to share 2.
1) When my cousin Claude was ten, my aunt accidently rolled up the electric car window on cousin’s finger…an his finger broke. They drove at warp speed to the E.R. and my aunt still to this day feels like total crap about it.
2) My cousin Noelani fell off a horse when she was 8. Her 2 parents, who are BOTH DOCTORS, picked her up, brushed her off, and told her to get back on the horse which she did, even though she said her arm hurt. Well, the trio spent the rest of the day horseback riding. They came home, she took a bath and went to school the next day. When she came home from school, her arm was swollen like a giant salami and Noelani said it only didn’t hurt when she kept the arm immoblie. Of course a trip to the E.R. was in order and lo and behold…she had a broken arm. Needless to say, the feelings of crappitude of behalf of her parents were immense. It is a family joke that it is not an advantage to have parents who are doctors.
When I first started reading this post, I was thinking this is going to turn out to be a joke, it was some dream you had or something. But then when I realized it really happened I felt my heart break. I’m so sorry Linda.
It’s OK though, it really could have been much worse I’m sure. It’s happened to the best of us.
Give little Dylan a hug from all your bloggy friends. :)
My son fell off the bed head first when he was 10 months old and to this day I can still hear the crack of his little skull on the hardwood floor. It happens. They call it an accident because that’s what it was. An accident.
Linda I’m so sorry. For you and little Dylan. But mostly for you because you’ll remember and he surely won’t :(
I’m not a mother yet but I’m storing away tips from these comments. So far I’ve got “LOCK THE STROLLER” and “Babies are actually quite resilient”
I’ve got one story of someone else’s to add to the list: A childhood friend of mine, Matt, about 2, was up on his dad’s shoulders at Disneyland. We were all in line waiting to buy Mint Juleps when we started hearing this crazy thwacking sound. About 10 thwacks later we realized the sound was Matt’s head . . .being repeatedly hit by an industrial ceiling fan.
Hey there, take a deep breathe. HE’S OKAY. That’s the important thing. We all have our moments of stupidity, some moments more spectacular or embarrassing or forgettable or terrible than others, but we. all. have them. Now you know to lock the stroller, and again, HE’S OKAY. These are the important things in life, not the guilt you’re feeling!
When I was three or four, my mom took me to the playground near our house. I insisted I was big enough to go up on the BIG TALL SLIDE all by myself, thank you very much. So she let me. And I proceeded to get all the way to the top before somehow falling back down the stairs and hitting my head on every single step. Somehow, surprisingly, I was fine.
She was horrified for a while, but now laughs her ass off at the story. So, maybe in time (like say 18th birthday) this will be a funny story.
I was canning when Nathan was three weeks old and had plopped him in an infant seat on the table. I have no idea how it happened, but I heard a crash and he had fallen TO THE FLOOR.
No concrete involved, but just as scary. I’m STILL traumatized by it.
You’re not alone.
Also. They are called “accidents” for a reason. We would never harm our babies on purpose.
I’m glad he’s OK.
When I was a baby, my mother had me in a walker (Remember those? Gasp!). My grandmother was leaving the house and warned my mother to lock the screen door behind her so I wouldn’t roll into it and topple out onto the cement patio. My mom said, “The baby is fine, quit worrying!” Guess what happened less than five minutes later? I was fine, if a little busted-up looking. It happens to everyone. And my mom is a kick ass mom! You are a kick ass mom! Hugs to Dylan and Riley.
Simon was joking with an acquaintance a few weeks ago and he said, “How hard is it REALLY to take care of a kid? I mean, all you have to do is follow the rule Don’t Let Kid Die and you’re fine, right?” And then the worst happened: The woman said, “Actually, my son died when he was three…”
And then Simon died.
Luckily, the woman was as apologetic as he was and said her feelings weren’t hurt and she understood what he was trying to say and that he shouldn’t beat himself up over it, etc. etc., but still…Yeesh.
I don’t know how that’s related to Dylan falling on his face, but the story just came to mind. Glad your little man is okay. Good thing he has cushiony cheeks.
First-time commenter… I had the exact same thing happen when my oldest son was 7 months old. My husband was coming home from the store with the stroller, had it on the top step of the porch, turned to unlock the door and the weight of the groceries pulled it forward and it flipped end-over-end down the five steps. He said he turned around and couldn’t stop it and watched it happen and it was the single worst thing he had ever witnessed.
Jack had a bump on the side of his head and we called the pediatrician, who said if he was acting OK, he was probably OK. But my mommy intuition said to take him to the ER and he ended up having a CT scan that revealed a skull fracture. My husband felt awful and we had to stay overnight with him and it was fine in the end, but very scary at the time.
I can tell you I never, ever leave the stroller unlocked anymore.
Sorry this happened, but it happens to the best of us. Glad everyone seems to be OK.
I say this with all heart felt sincerity and support….
Welcome to parenthood.
I fell out of the running of “Father of the Universe” when my oldest, at the time barely 1 – stuck her hand in a bowl of macaroni noodles fresh out of the microwave. I wasn’t watching, turned my head for a MILLI-SECOND only to turn around and see her falling into the bowl. I’ll never forget – NEVER FORGET – the look of shock on her face, and incomprehension as to what was going on, and what she should be doing instead, or as a result.
Trip to the emergency room as she SCREAMED bloody-murder the entire trip. Long story short – 2nd, possibly 3rd degree burns on her hand, lots of treatment and bandages and physical therapy. I myself contemplated mental therapy as I struggled to deal with it.
Today, totally fine – you would never know it even happened. And I fear and yet know that there are worse episodes and many more trips to the emergency room that lay ahead of us.
Take inventory – all is well, and while you wish to be all seeing and all protecting – you just can’t. The odds are stacked too great against you. I suppose you could run out and purchase little straight-jackets and put them on the boys and hang them from a nail on the wall to keep them from even possibly approaching a situation where something might happen……
Upon returning home from the hospital, with me carrying essentially everything I could possibly purchase for my girl in the gift shop – she sifted through all of it, climbed up on my lap, and put her head on my shoulder like she always did.
And to think I was expecting my 12+ month old to hold a grudge.
Welcome to the “I f’ed up, and my kid got hurt as a result” parent club. There are MILLIONS of us members. We’ve got jackets.
Ok, here’s another one for ya.
First daughter was 3 1/2 and we were at a birthday party in the park. Daughter became excited when she saw a balloon floating out toward the street and started to run after it. I began to chase her but she was a few steps ahead of me and I couldn’t catch her. As she took the next to the last step before hitting the (traffic filled) street I swung my purse at her and knocked her down so I could to scoop her up before she was hit by a car. I felt awful for knocking her off her feet with my purse but DAMN!
I hope you feel better and never, ever have to knock them off their feet to keep them from getting REALLY hurt.
Firstly don’t sweat it, you’re a great mom. All moms are. My mom once left me on the dining table for a sec to reach out for the telephone. Irresistibly drawn to the solid marble floor, I tipped over and landed skull first. I’m doing fine thank you and love my mom more than anyone in this world. My mom still beats herself over the incident though(I wonder why……. kidding!). You should take comfort in the fact that Dylan loves you and will always feel the same.
you just put a little crack in my heart.
you are awesome, and you know that — god, i hope you know that — and you have to know these things happen, that it has nothing to do with you. still, i know how much it hurt, how terrifying it is. so glad everything is ok. DEEP BREATHS, mama. xo
Phew, reading all that it’s a wonder any kid survives to puberty! My older son was just one year old when I left him in his Daddy’s sole care for the day (first time) and he managed to trip over while toddling shakily outside and smack out a front tooth on a flower pot! The emergency doctor pushed it back in, and it survived, albeit discoloured, until his big teeth came in. Same boy also managed to get a black eye when he was about Riley’s age, by falling onto a coffee table. The worst part was the concerned (and, to my ears, slightly accusatory) questions from little old ladies in the supermarket: “oh poor thing, how did he do that?”. After a few of these I was ready to reply “I forgot to take my rings off before I hit him”. Never got to use that though =/
If my younger son hurt himself, he would silently cry until all his breath was gone, then go horribly grey and floppy. Several (endless) seconds later he would take in a huge gasp of air and return to his normal pink. Added that extra layer of panic to every childhood incident!
The only alternative to childhood accidents (both parent-instigated and self-inflicted) is the scenario a Chinese friend of mine described, from a visit she made to relatives ‘back home’ – a small boy, just toddling, was followed around AT ALL TIMES by the nanny, crouched behind him, with her hands out and ready to catch him if he fell. Maybe if we all did that we could keep our children from ever getting the tiniest scratch on them? Personally I find it hard enough to keep myself from bangs, scratches, burns and bruises – so it’s a small miracle that my sons grew up relatively unscathed.
Holy crap…glad Dylan is okay. My daughter fell as we were taking a walk with my son – who was in the stroller and was only about six weeks at the time. My daughter falls and is screaming. My husband and I both dive in to help her and I let go of my newborn’s stroller. Yep – it started rolling onto the street. I realized what I did quickly and luckily it was not a busy street but shit. Too close…anyway, you are not alone as you know but it’s very hard to be a parent. You and JB are doing a great job.
You are so brave and honest! Gosh I’ve done several things like that and never had the cajones to tell another soul for fear they’d turn me in! Though I feel for you and how scary that was, I am glad and relieved to know I’m not the only one out there that has failed a few basic safety rules! Thank you for your honesty.
We ALL do it, one way or another.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. I remember when my son was learning to walk, I asked the pediatrician when I should worry about him banging his head into things and he said, “When he knocks himself out.”
Kids bounce. You’re a good mom. xoxo
One of the best things about having girlfriends, in life or online, who are Moms is that when one of you finally decides to open up and admit something like this happened, you get to find out that this kind of thing happens to EVERY Mom, and is just one of the many terrible heartbreaks we have to endure along with all the pride of parenthood. I’m glad he’s okay now, and hope you’re starting to feel better too!
My three-week-old rolled off my sleeping chest and toppled whatever is the distance between mattress and carpet. Haunts me five years later.
Oh Linda, I am sorry. Take care.
I know it’s already been said by everybody much better than me, but these things just happen sometimes. You are only human. You expect your boys to make mistakes and learn and the same is true for you. I’m glad everybody is healthy and recovering–go be nice to yourself for a while!
I read a book once that made the point that the awfulness that we feel over some things serves the purpose of increasing our capacity for empathy. Maybe an obvious thought, but I find it comforting in moments of true awfulness. Hugs from this corner of the internet.
A few months ago I stood on the deck and reached down to hand my year-old son a blackberry. Of course I was too far away so he leaned forward and promptly fell and whacked his eye on the corner of the deck. There were about 10 people there since it was a garden party and the looks on their faces had me frozen with fear that when I picked up my son he would be missing an eyeball in front of everyone…..but no (although there was a huge rusty nail sticking out about .0001 mm from where he fell) He had a big cut by his eye, a huge shiner and this awesome scratch pattern that looked like a firework exploding (now I am wishing I had taken a picture, at the time I was too filled with shame and guilt.) When I took him to the Ped office to get it all checked out the shiner was HUGE and the doctor and staff started saying “Yo Adrienne!” and their laughter made me feel better…but I fear the next fall and the next and the next….
And, just to continually prove you’re not special :) in the last month I have: caused my daughter to have an egg the size of her nose on her forehead by telling her to bend over in the bath tub so I could wash her and her smacking her face on the protruding tile soap dish and letting my son sit with a wasp in his pants. The wasp stung him on the leg and he ran. And was crying. I said, okay sit down I’ll be right over to help you. I asked, “is there a bee in your pants?” He says, “No I didn’t pee my pants mommy!” and he’s hysterical. I’m sure there’s still a wasp, so I ask again and he replies “NO there’s no PEE in my pants.” I finally reach him and see no signs of a wasp. I also explain I was asking BEE not PEE. We go inside for cream, as we’re pulling off his shorts a wasp stings him again and then goes flying away. Now I’m screaming for my husband to kill the wasp, my son has been stung again and my daughter is wailing for good measure.
Squeeze both those babies. Do plan on Riley asking you for the next few weeks about, “remember when you left the stroller on the porch and Dylan got hurt?” Just today my son asked me if I remembered when I crashed the car. I do. It was Monday when someone gave my rear-bumper a love tap. Not a crash and not my fault, but that’s not his story.
Oh god, last week I let my two year old run around my (unoccupied) classroom while I got ready for the beginning of school. Then I let her take off her shoes and play with the big heavy magnets, just because I needed her to not bug me for a few minutes. Then I started yelling at her to clean up, and she dropped the magnet on her tiny little toe. It landed right on the nail and she screamed and blood started to run EVERYWHERE. In that moment I felt the worse emotions I have ever felt in my life. I was so sure her entire toe was going to fall off. I got a bunch of tissue to soak up the blood and we were both sobbing. I was screaming at myself inside “Why didn’t you watch her? Why don’t you protect her liker you’re supposed to?”
After a few minutes the bleeding and crying stopped, and everything was alright. She has a black & blue toe now, but she didn’t even lose the nail. Even so, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the way I feel when I saw that blood well up. I understand now how people get to be so overprotective of their kids.
Don’t feel bad. It happens to all of us.
My 5 year old daughter tried to climb her very heavy armoire with a tv and dvd player on top and it FELL ON HER. The tv is so, so heavy and it missed her head by inches. Luckily, the doors flew open and hit the floor first and made a little space so she didn’t get crushed.
The worst part? My mother warned me over and over to secure furniture to the walls so it wouldn’t fall on the kids and I bought the hardware but didn’t put it up. (We secured all our furniture to the walls that very day.)
I get tears in my eyes thinking about it.
I’m so glad Dylan is okay.
Along with everyone else I just have to say you are not the only one! Every parent has those moments. Accidents happen to the best of parents and the rest of us too. I am so glad everything is ok. How is Riley feeling about it? I can’t imagine that was fun for him either. Hugs all round hey? Be gentle with yourself.
I still remember how I let slip a book and it fell on the forehead of my sleeping two-weeks-old- just a little scratch, but I was devastated.
And my mom once tried to catch me to give me a lecture about not to wake my sleeping little brother. I ran away, tripped and fell and broke my left arm. She took me to the ER, where I told the nurse, that mommy had tried to hit me but I escaped and fell. Talk about mother’s guilt.
My arm’s fine, but my mom still cringes, 40 yrs later.
:-) Lily
Ah, your first bad spill, eh?
It’s the worst one. It’s the one before you realize that kids are actually pretty durable.
My wife and I joke that the CSI crew would have a field day in our house with the amount of blood that’s been shed (I have 3 boys and 1 girl, all under 9). Not to mention all the other spills and tumbles.
They do get easier. To a degree. But the ones you feel responsible for are always hard (like the time I hurt my son’s arm playing “airplane” or the time my wife left my daughter alone for 2 seconds and she fell down a flight of stairs).
I’m still waiting for the first trip to the emergency room. I know it’s pretty inevitable, but I’m still not looking forward to it.
I, too, saw your tweet and was worried. Thanks for posting an update. I feel your pain.
When my oldest daughter was almost two months old, I was carrying her down the stairs in her car seat — the only place she would sleep. She was swaddled and not strapped in. My foot slipped on a step in the middle and I fell down the five remaining steps. Somehow I kept the seat upright and she stayed in, but the fear of what COULD have happened was way worse than the pain of my sprained ankle and bruised tailbone. To this day, when walking down stairs (with or without the girls) I’m afraid I’m going to fall.
So glad to hear your little one is ok!
Faithful lurker Mary Helen
Dude–someone’s parents almost let her fall into the HOOVER DAM. You’re totally fine Linda.
(sorry jen–not making fun. Your post just totally made my day!)
Oh gosh! EVERY parent has some sort of experience like this! I was on vacation in Arizona with my 2 yr old. We were coming out of the grocery store and he was standing in the basket of the grocery cart. I hit a bump in the pavement and he tumbled out and BASHED his head on the parking lot. I think I screamed and was sure I was going to have to take him to the ER for stitches.
There was no blood but he had a knot on his forehead easily the size of a large egg and it was dark purple.
I felt like the worst mother in the world.
The only other experience that even comes close to that is when we went to stay at Hood Canal for Labor Day weekend 2003. My then almost 2 yr old daughter was out on the rocky, oyster-shell covered beach looking at things. She tripped and sliced her knee open so bad that it required 9 stitches to repair it and she sports a 6-inch long, 1-inch wide scar to this day. The screaming and having to hold her down so the dr. could sew her up was horrific.
Yes, I definitely have earned my mother of the year badge a couple of time!
Your post— and the comments it encouraged— has been a balm to my guilty soul. Last week I was out shopping (and not the milk and bread kind of shopping) while Daddy and the four-year-old worked on a “construction project.” When Ethan wanted to hold the drill, Hubs put it in the locked position and carefully handed it over. “Do you have it Ethan? It’s heavy. You sure you have it?” He didn’t have it. Drill bit through his shoe, in one side of his big toe and out the other. OHMYGOD doesn’t even cover it. But E was a champ, Daddy kept his head (and pulled out the drill…yikes) and Mommy made the trip to the doctor’s office. It didn’t hit anything important, and he was running around like a banshee hours later. It’s still healing, but the whole situation has worked out to his advantage. He has pre-school street cred, and his Daddy felt so guilty he bought him a clearance fountain from Lowe’s. (Daddy made a hole in my foot, so I got a fountain!) And his one-year-old sister had his back, walloping Dad with a door and giving him a black eye.
Since I never comment, I’m going to throw everything out there. Your kids are flipping cute, cuter than any other kids I’ve seen behind the ones I’m related to. (That’s mom/aunt law.) Your writing is affecting, hilarious and downright exceptional. I’m a writer too (boring business and marketing stuff) and I’m constantly inspired. Yours is the first blog I hit. You seem like a great mother and a cool chick. (We can’t hang out though, as you have lost all your baby weight, you bitch.) Keep it coming.
I did the same thing. Except I was walking with her. I didn’t have my jogger(was visiting home didn’t want to mess with it in the airport) I took my oldest for a walk and the little wheels caught a big crack and my speed crossed with the crack sent her flying heels over head. She got a pretty nasty scrap across her nose. Luckily, there was a five point harness and I think that broke some of the fall.