Boo Boos

I have never been known for being graceful.  I am not an athlete or a dancer or all that steady on a bike.  I have a way of finding myself in situations that seem to end in some sort of injury.  They are not always my fault (like a broken nose from a freak whitewater rafting mishap) but it is often my own clumsiness that leads to all my bruises, sprains, and swollen joints.  Today was no different.  Today was the day where I managed to fall up the stairs while carrying both babies.  Yes, you read that right.  I fell up.

I'd like to blame the fact that Vivi left a piece of paper on the stairs that I didn't see but I am not totally sure that was the culprit.  I think I slipped on my own slipper.  How is that for irony?  I felt myself lose balance and then did what any mother with an armful of babies would do, I contorted my body in such a way to try and protect them.  I failed.  Jude hit her head and they both got so scared from the ruckus that they screamed as my body skidded down three steps.  Vivi witnessed the whole thing and was freaked out too.

Luckily, both babies settled after a good long nursing and they don't seem the worse for wear.  Vivi offered us some bandaids and was delighted that I let her be my "doctor."  I, however, have a bruised palm, swollen wrist, and a pretty banged up knee.  The upside is I didn't have to go to the doctor.  The downside is that my injuries weren't bad enough to earn me a respite from my household duties.



The really sad part is it seems my tendancy toward injury is genetic.  The other day I noticied that Ellie had a nasty bruise on the top of her ear.  It looked incredibly painful and I had no idea where it came from.  If I hadn't known better, I would have thought someone had bitten her.  It was on Monday night when I saw her repeatedly banging her head against the side of the crib that I realized the origin of her bruise.  It was horrifying to watch her do that although I know it is not uncommon for some kids to burn off energy this way.  I just didn't wany any of my kids going that route.

So, this weekend while I'm hobbling around the house with my bum wrist and knee, I'm going to make a little something for my Ellie Bean.  I may not be able to keep myself intact but I can whip up a crib bumper to help her stay safe.

Comments

  1. SnickolletJanuary 23, 2010 at 10:25 AM

    Ouch! Glad the babes are OK and that you're on the mend.

    You're not alone: when I was 10, I broke my foot falling up the stairs, and Maddie seems to be just as clumsy as her mom, although she hasn't sustained any real serious injury. Yet.

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  2. abernierJanuary 23, 2010 at 7:52 PM

    Oh I am so sorry! That must have been frightening. I'm so glad everyone is relatively okay.

    [Once you get some time back for yourself (yes, your peals of laughter can be heard all the way to Michigan!) it might be empowering to take some yoga classes or fitness classes which work on balance with the explicit goal not of getting GOOD, but of getting BETTER. The right yoga class, in particular, can be a very forgiving environment in which to practice. I had a weird, short-livedneurological condition 12 years ago which affected my balance, and I have found that practicing balancing has rewired some of my neurons, so it has been possible to feel more confident. You may be a yoga veteran already, for all I know, but I thought it would be worth mentioning!]

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