Thursday, May 10, 2007

I just lost ten years off my life

While writing the previous post, I had the babies in the pack-n-play, which sits in the living room adjacent to the dining-room computer station. Now, I lowered the crib mattresses last week, incurring my ACL injury in the process, but somehow it had not occurred to me to also lower the pack-n-play, which was still set at the halfway bassinet height. (We have a basic pack-n-play, not the twin-bassinet version, and we just reinforced the bassinet to make it strong enough to hold both babies' weights.)

So, I look over at the pack-n-play, and guess who has demonstrated yet another new skill by PULLING HERSELF UP on the corner of the thing? Claire, that's who, oh-so-proud of herself and grinning like a fool at her criminally negligent mother.

Y'all, I nearly fainted. The railing was only at about waist height for her, and another thirty seconds and she would have been over the side and onto the hardwood floor three feet below. I moved faster than I thought possible, about fell down when I forgot that my knee still won't bear much weight, and rescued her before she could take a header. I snatched her up and kissed her, and then I set her down on the floor while I lowered the pack-n-play. And yeah, I might possibly have smacked myself in the forehead a couple times, and berated myself for being such a stupid, foolish, child-endangering, WORST-MOTHER-EVER, boneheaded idiot.

So, today's score:

Claire: 1, for learning to stand
Mama: NEGATIVE INFINITY, see previous re: boneheaded idiot
Babies-R-Us: $100, for all the money I'm fixing to go spend on childproofing stuff

7 comments:

Suz said...

Anticipating what they might possibly do is the hardest part of baby-proofing and pretty much impossible in my experience. I'm glad that she's fine and you're fine - except for the head-smacking.

Eva said...

Yikes, that does sound pretty scary. I'm glad everyone is okay. I am petrified at babyproofing and all the things we'll miss.

On the positive note, I loved your other post about kisses. So precious! And they're really crawling, how exciting.

Maggie said...

first, the worst mother ever would not have risked personal injury to keep her child from falling. Second, yay for Claire!! It's so exciting to see them learning to do new things.

The previous post about kisses - oh so sweet!!

Stacey said...

I had a dream that I left Ace in the car by himself not once, but twice. Once, I had the car in sight, the second time, I went to eat with Luther Vandross and left him in there. Also in that dream, umpteen falls, and every time, he landed on his butt.

I guess I'm feeling a little insecure about my parenting ability lately.

Eva said...

Happy first mother's day! I hope it's everything you wanted.

Maggie said...

Happy Mother's Day! I hope the girls are doing well!

Crunchy Parent said...

Hmm, I seem to recall taking the side off of DD #1's crib approximately 27 seconds after going into cardiac arrest, having heard the THUD that said, "Mommy, I've learned how to climb out, but have forgotten how to levitate." I give you positive a billion for astounding peripheral vision and catching abiity, all while playing injured.