Bumps and Bruises and Near Death Experiences

Tonight could have possibly been one of the most scary nights of my life. So we are living in a basement. And what do all basements have in common? Stairs. Stairs and a one year old don’t really mix. I found it out tonight. Don’t worry, there was no falling. Just almost falling. I went upstairs to throw something in the dryer real quick and had a quick chat with Carol (who owns the home). I thought I heard a little Maisie yell, but didn’t think much of it since Justin was downstairs with her. Well, about a minute later I open the door to go back downstairs and there she is, looking up at me, standing one step below me, with a long staircase below her. My heart began to race, then my mind began to race with all the things that COULD have happened if I was one second later in opening the door. Thank God she didn’t fall.

They are so clumsy at this age. Right now Maisie has a yellow bruise right above her eye where she fell into the bed frame a couple days ago, a big long scratch on the top of her head (that you can see because the lack of hair) from falling into a corner at a restaurant the other day, three little glass cuts on her hand from falling to the ground with a glass ornament grasped into her tiny little hand, a big scratch on her right cheek from who knows what, and probably a ton of other things that I don’t notice because the bruise and scratches and cuts take up most of my attention when looking at her.

So with all that to say, it is freaky how clumsy these little fragile (but not so fragile) kids are. I think I’m going to have to get a little gate for the stairs. Either that or maybe I will get her a helmet. But that still wouldn’t help the glass crushing hands. Maybe some mittens as well? She would really be stylish then. And since I care so much about style, she will continue on with the bruises and cut up hands. But at least I will have a gate up to prevent the really big hurts.

6 Comments

  1. Kate Fretland on January 3, 2008 at 1:09 am

    Oooh, girl, you are speaking my anxieties! You know of our cement stairs outside our condo door, and don’t forget the much feared TILED, steep stairs at Cory’s parents…How can we not go crazy???? 🙂



  2. Megan on January 3, 2008 at 2:35 am

    I remember phases with my girls when I was SURE CSD was going to take them from me! They were constantly covered with bruises or streaking out of the house stark naked for all the neighbors to see! For all the trauma, though, we only had 1 trip to the ER with each of them, and they turned out just fine!



  3. Anne on January 3, 2008 at 7:45 am

    We live in a basement as well and children are always trying to climb up the stairs! I’m just glad we don’t have to worry about that ourselves for right now!

    I would move to Europe in an instant with you Jen! Where are you guys living? It would be awesome to somehow meet up with you guys! We miss you guys so much!



  4. Amy Ginther on January 3, 2008 at 9:07 pm

    I SOOOOO hear ya on this one…if I had a dollar for every time I have gasp in horror at what “almost just happened.” Their little bodies are so amazing though! And thanks for not mentioning anything about what my coffee table did you her 🙂



  5. Donna on January 3, 2008 at 10:46 pm

    Well my kid stuck a swiss army knife in an outside outlet last night and blew a circuit. Oh yeah, it burned it finger and melted a small portion of the knife. Believe me, it could have been worse and I thought of all of the “what ifs”. Oh, my kid is 9 years old and did it on a dare. So even when they get older, they still seem to find mishaps.



  6. Donna on January 3, 2008 at 10:46 pm

    Well my kid stuck a swiss army knife in an outside outlet last night and blew a circuit. Oh yeah, it burned it finger and melted a small portion of the knife. Believe me, it could have been worse and I thought of all of the “what ifs”. Oh, my kid is 9 years old and did it on a dare. So even when they get older, they still seem to find mishaps.



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