I was really excited about the post I had planned for today, but then I was putting stuff away in the bedroom and turned my back on the baby for a second. Of course, that was the moment she decided to crawl right off the bed. Alas I wasn’t able to really catch her. (In the horror movie I have playing in my mind over and over again, I caught a little bit of arm.)
She is fine. Absolutely fine. Just as cranky as she was before she fell.
I, though, feel like the most horrible mother in the universe. You can rest assured that I cried almost as hard as she did – and about ten minutes longer.
My happy fun post will wait for tomorrow.
Oh, Cara…. the amazing guilt we mothers carry! And the amazing thing is that it doesn’t ever end! My youngest is now 29, and I will never forget his first real bloody disaster. And I still worry about him, driving home after a party, even though he doesn’t live with me and I’m really NOT responsible for his actions anymore…. but you just can’t get away from it, motherhood marks us.
She’ll be fine. You, however, will be traumatized by this for the rest of your life! (Fortunately, in another few years you’ll be able to remember it and tell it as a story, not a trauma.) Hang on…. you are a great mother and Miss Meli knows she has a good thing going!
The first time one of my kids fell like that, I even went to the doctor to get him checked just to make sure he was okay. Our family doctor is very kind – he told me, “It happens to all of us.” Of course, my son was fun. Hugs!
She’s OK! I promise you, she won’t ever remember it! 🙂 I hope you’re OK. And, the comments were closed on the New Year’s post so I want to wish you a belated Happy Birthday and Happy New Year!
Oh Cara! I can totally sympathize. When my son was BRAND NEW, think 2 week old or so, I fell asleep while nursing him in the rocking chair. In my sleep, I dropped him, and he fell on to my feet on the hard wood floors. My husband heard us both in hysterics and came running. Not only did we live through that lovely experience, but when my second born (girl) was 6 weeks old, I stood on a chair to change a light bulb. I stepped off the chair onto what I thought was the floor but was really a slanted nursing stool and lost my balance and landed my post-partum butt on top of the baby who was in her bouncy seat. We actually went to the doctor that time.
Both children came out unscathed; their mama, not so much!
may i have the honor of being person number eleventy-jillion to offer my condolences and my commiseration. when i was 16 my first child learned to roll over while i was fetching the powder. she rolled off of the bed in the direction of the wall and got wedged between the mattress and said wall. i turned back around and could hear her but not see her. . not to mention my overbearing baby-grandma plus a really heinous case of post-partum depression. and a bruise in the middle of her forehead on her next pics. yay!
also, i get to tell the now nearly 14 year old Summer “what do you know? i dropped you on your head when you were a baby!”
ah yes the first time a child falls. Heck I rushed my first to the dr crying all the way. He was fine. To me it seems like a milestone every child goes through. Of course it does not make it any easier on us mothers.
When my son was 3 weeks old and I was very sleep deprived I fell down a whole flight of stairs with him in my arms. I thought i was turning into the living room but had gone too far and turned into the stairwell. Somehow I manage to turn and protect him. My screams woke my Hubby. He took our son checked him out he was fine me on the other hand badly sprained my ankle and knee.
=)
Best advice I ever got from an experienced father at work: trust that nature has reinforced them well. Followed by: one day she will fall off something and you won’t be able to do anything about. After you get over being upset, you will be amazed at how durable they are.
Zosia has taken several disturbing tumbles. The first was not too long after she could roll over in both directions and pulled herself off of the changing table with her new found skills. I was right there, nearly but completely unable to grab her. We were both upset for a while… but there was no permanent damage.
I distinctly remember when this happened to us for the first time. We had come home to Brooklyn from California, and I went out for milk late at night. I got home, and my son (then about a year old, now 16) was glowering at my husband. I guess Andrew fell off the bed while I was out, and he was really pissed (in that one-year-old kind of way) at my husband. He’s gotten over it (my son, that is). My husband still remembers it, of course.
Oh Cara, believe me it has happened to all of us at one time or another. (hug)
My little cousin just did the same thing. And the olders and wisers of my family say that if she fell and lived it means she’s normal and healthy 😀
{Cara}
Sounds like a rough day…
I know it’s not much consolation to know that this has happened to all of us but it has. Ask me how my son ended up with two black eyes within a week, or how the tip of his finger was cut off… all by the age of one.
Oh no! I have so done this too.
When I called my doctor in a panic after my son managed to squirm himself off our bed at the age of 3-4 months, the dr told me “get used to it!” I’ve never forgotten that advice.
Хотелось бы побольше таких же интересных постов
When I called my doctor in a panic after my son managed to squirm himself off our bed at the age of 3-4 months, the dr told me “get used to it!” I’ve never forgotten that advice. Take a deep breath; you will both be okay.
Remember, bouncing themselves around is how they learn not to do things. Not much to look forward to but it does happen to everyone and the children live to tell about it. Your little Meli is a lucky girl. I babysat for a child once who felt the need to bounce herself off the floor and chairs at regular intervals. She survived, I still feel the guilt.
call 1-800-Purlingswine. I won’t collect, unless you collect. That’s 1-800-Purlingswine. The call is free the advise, priceless.
Ugh! I know the feeling all too well. We had more than one fall like that when the girls were little. The good news is that she is fine.
I totally agree with ArillaApex.
Anyway, Gillian and I were at the beach with my sister when she was a toddler and would not sit still for sunscreen, the fairest of the redheads. Sis and I were tag-teaming and somehow managed to reapply but both did one arm and not the other. That one arm was FRIED!
Meagan fell off the kitchen table while sitting in her baby seat. Oh, and there was that time when we were at playgroup and this easist of all children kept coming to me crying and would stop in my lap, get down, toddle away, come back crying and into my lap. Now, Meg was the baby that you called the dr. for if she cried. She only cried when something was wrong. When we got home I took her shoes off and she was miraculously all better! I then discovered her shoes were way too small. Real observant.
Erin takes the cake, it is a wonder my pediatrician didn’t call the authorities. Boiling water on her legs, a knife fell onto her foot, beads up her nose, something involving her head, I can’t even remember.
I’m over it. They get payback later on, trust me.
Oh, I feel your pain! I’ve been there more times than I care to remember with my little daredevil daughter. I count our weekly mommy and me swim lesson as my cardio for the day — it may not be much physical exercise for me, but my heart rate is definitely high for that 30 minutes! All will be well…
Oh, I feel your pain! I’ve been there more times than I care to remember with my little daredevil daughter. I count our weekly mommy and me swim lesson as my cardio for the day — it may not be much physical exercise for me, but my heart rate is definitely high for that 30 minutes! All will be well…
my baby has crawled off the bed 3 times and has thrown himself off of the changing table while i was standing right next to him. the first time he crawled off the bed i was so upset i cried too. the fall off of the changing table really scared me- i change diapers on the floor now. he was fine after all of these tumbles. a little nursing and he forgot all about it. they were way harder on me!
babies are slippery little suckers arent they? and quick too!
dont worry. my son loved to leap off things.
i remember well the time owen fell of our bed, our abnormally high bed that sits in hard unpadded bamboo floors.. the fright, the heartbeat, the guilt. he was fine, i was wrecked.
it happens,mama. and it sucks but you are still such a good mama. she is just a fast baby. hugs
It has happened to ALL of us! My kids are 23 and 21 and both are fine….
I’ve let Malcolm fall over and bonk his head twice. One time I tried to catch him by his overalls and that didn’t help and the second time I thought he’d be fine because it was carpet but no. I just apologized and thought I had broken him until I realized that just bringing a glass of water into his view made him stop crying and start giggling. Babies. Hugs to Cara.
What a bunch of slack-ass, neglectful mothers we are! Ben was little, just a couple months old and was on a pillow in my bed (I know, dumb). I got up and told my husband to watch him so he sat on the bed. Well, it was like a circus trick. He sat down, the bed rose and Ben was launched into the air and landed on the floor. I’m still shaken up and it was 3 years ago. Now Eli is just 6 months and I am just waiting for his inaugural tumble. Does being body slammed by your big brother count?
I think they all fall off the bed at some point – not that it makes any of us feel any better!! My daughter did a somersault off the bed when she was just a few months old and thankfully tucked her neck a little when she fell as to not land right on her head! I’m glad I didn’t see it, my husband did and cannot forget those few moments. I was terrified and wanted to rush her straight to the hospital, but alas, 2 minutes later she was fine. Maybe later in life we’ll blame her quirkiness on “the fall”.
It happens to all of us, no matter how careful we are. We had my 3 month old on one of those bouncy seat things on the table in the living room, about one foot high and she was all strapped in. My husband started making moves on me and I laughed – not in front of the baby – so he turned the seat around and knocked her right to the ground. Killed the mood. She was fine, but she’s 15 now and we’re not telling her about it for a few more years!
Then there was the time he shut both of her hands inside the trunk…thank goodness for rubber gaskets. That only happened once. You learn and you prevent some things and then something else always happens. You do your best!
I have no kids of my own yet, but the stories of my escapades as a baby scare me quite enough! Once my mom was in the bathroom with me and I could just walk. She turned her back to me and when she turned back I was in the (full!) bath with my head down and legs up! She pulled me out, thinking I drowned, and I was laughing so hard! Just before that I had fallen and landed with my head on the corner of the coffee table. I can still show you where! Oh, and my sister was just crawling when she went for the stairs and ended downstairs agains the wall.
We are all pretty ok though.
As for me, babysitting has given me plenty of heartburns! I remember one of the first babysit jobs ever, and it included a baby boy tumbling of a 1.5m high surface, landed on his head.
You really can’t hold her with you forever …
i will add my name to the list of been there’s, done that’s. with both kids. you’d think i would have learned from the first one, but no.
and you better believe i cried just as hard (or perhaps harder) than they did.
Yup. What everyone says. We rushed ours to the emergency room, where the doctor said, um, what exactly are you doing here? They keep falling, and it DOES get easier…
I know exactly how you feel! And Meli’s right at that stage where she’s moving more and faster every day, so you aren’t quite expecting what she winds up doing next. But I’m sure that horrible feeling is partly your body’s way of training you to be just a little bit more alert, and a little bit faster so that at some point, when it really matters, you’ll be ready to catch her.
She won’t remember it- my mom says I did it all the time, and I don’t resent her at all… *smooosh*
We’ve all been there!! Believe me; you’ll remember it forever but I’m betting there isn’t a mother out there who couldn’t match your story! Relax!!
Oh Cara! That happens to all us parents. The day they figure out how to fall off something always comes as a surprise. I did it with my second too, even though I should have learned from the first one. Both my kids turned out fine and yours will too. 🙂
I think it happens to us all, and I think we all feel like absolute dookie when it does. Thank goodness Meli is fine (they usually are: they’re incredibly resilient, as you know). I think it takes us a heck of a lot longer to recover from these things than it does them. In fact, I don’t know if we ever completely let go of them. My kids are 11 and 7, and I can recall every mishap in frightening detail. Fortunately, neither of them seems any the worse for wear. I hope your day gets better.
Oh Cara! That happens to all us parents. The day they figure out how to fall off something always comes as a surprise. I did it with my second too, even though I should have learned from the first one. Both my kids turned out fine and yours will too. 🙂
Big Hugs to you. Hope the rest of your day goes wonderfully. :o) ek.
Big hug, Cara. And a kiss for Meli.
Everybody’s right, they all do it. It’s the price you and they pay for being mobile. The fact that you feel guilty means you’re a good mama. 🙂
All 4 of my kids (14, 10, 5 and 11 mos.) have done it. Several times. The only one we had to go to the doctor for was the 10 yr old. When he was 2 he decided he was climbing over me to get off the bed. Only problem was, there wasn’t anymore bed! Before I could grab him, over he went and proceeded to hit his head against the edge of the bookcase that was on my side of the bed. Yep, split that eyebrow right open. 1 big screaming fit while being strapped down and 4 lovely little stitches later, he was running around after his older brother. Every now and then I look at the faint scar in his eyebrow and still feel a twinge of guilt.
And here’s a heads up: when she starts getting covered in bruises because she’s run into something or fallen down, don’t sweat it when you go to the doctor. They really do know the difference between “normal kid’s being kids” bruising and the other kind of bruises. Be prepared to look at her for the next 10 years and ask, “Where’d you get THAT bruise?” Standard answer, “I don’t know/remember.” 🙂
When my boyfriend was a baby, his mother left him (in the baby carrier) on the back of the car. It was not until she actually pulled out of her parking space that she realized he was not in the car, but on it.
As a toddler, Ben was at the playground with his dad, who turned his back for just a second as Ben fell from the slide. The poor kid broke both of his legs! He was not even 2 years old.
And now, he’s applying to law school. He turned out just fine, and I know Meli will too!
You are a great Mama!!
Sorry i think i press send before finishing..
Anyway daugther ended up having a vasovagal reaction – not funny at all to witness let me tell you – due to pain.. So even if she is 16 today, we keep worrying no matter the age or else. And we laugh about it now, but at the time, it was pretty scary – so we do all know what you went through !
Want to feel better. At some point when my daughter was able to crawl, but I thought I had really childproofed my house, I was in the other room nursing my son. Too quiet, I thought. Got up to find my darling child had crawled up on top of the way too rickety kitchen table, with a glass hurricane lamp in one hand, and a butcher knife in the other. Six years later, not only have I managed to keep her alive, she’s still climbing on the furniture..And no, CPS wasn’t called on me.
It’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up too much. We’ve all done it – believe me.
It’s happened to all of us. It still sucks and is totally scary, but as the previous comments prove, we’ve all done it. In our case, I didn’t put a pillow on Billy’s side of the bed after he got up for work and the kiddo rolled right off the side of the bed. I woke up to an awful thump followed by screaming. He was about eight months old at the time. We both survived it. But yeah, I felt like an awful mom for the rest of that day.
(And it just just now, for the first time, occurred to me that maybe Billy should have been responsible for putting the pillow in his place when he got up in the morning. Hmmm. Interesting…)
Every mom’s nightmare! But now you’ve gotten it over with and fortunately she is fine. It will take you a little longer to recover, I know, since my girls are 15 and 19 and I still remember that horrible moment (yep, it happened with both of them, and truth be told when our dog was a puppy, he slipped off the bed once too!).
Been there, done that. I feel much worse for you than I do for her. I’m sorry that happened.
Been there, done that, feel your pain! You know she’ll be fine but it doesn’t make it any better in that moment!
I am so glad you are both ok. Had a similar incident here when our Peanut was a little guy. I promise she won’t remember it. Hugs!
When this happened to Caleb, he fell off the bed (where he had been napping) into a pile of dirty laundry on the floor. Hurray for laundry on floor. Despite falling into a soft pile, he cried and so did I. I called my husband crying and crying. He thought it was an emergency. When I calmed down and explained the baby was fine, just scared, he was pretty mad. Apparently I’m supposed to clarify that first! (With the first it was worse, cause it was public. We both leaned his snow-suit-clad self onto a counter at a hot-dog stand, both let go at the same moment to look at the menu, assuming the other had him, and the baby fell from standing-counter height to the floor in a room full of astonished and horrified strangers. Talk about crying! Fortunately his snow-suit padding and multiple hats protected him! I wouldn’t even let my husband *tell* that story for years.)
Cara, I usually don’t comment ( I’m really just a faithful lurker), but I wanted to let you know I feel for you! The guilt is amazing I know! But you are doing your absolute best and that is all that you can do. I know that you won’t let her alone on the bed again, we all had to learn a lesson like that one way or another. I learned my lesson when I took my DS1 into the stand up shower with me for the first time…. Children are VERY slippery when wet… they need a sign attached to their bottoms stating so too. He wasn’t hurt at all when I dropped him, but the guilt is still there. I learned from it too, never again did I shower with a child in my arms unless I had them wrapped with a towel first. I’m sure all is well and Meli’s smiles will of course make you smile the rest of the day.
i know there is nothing one can say to relieve your feelings of guilt. (since there was nothing anyone could say to me that made me feel any better when daughter #1 fell off the bed as a wee baby.) but you have my empathy.
We’ve all been there. I still remember,vividly, seeing my newly-crawling baby boy tumbling down the half flight of stairs in our split entry home (19+ years ago). The one frikkin’ time I forgot to reposition the baby gate. Said offspring is now at university, physically & mentally intact, and still loves me. (Whew!) Poor babies, both of you.
OMG, when that happened to me I was visiting at my Mom’s house who has TILE FLOORS!!! I swear that I hyperventilated for the next 24 hours until I was absolutely sure that my baby didn’t have a subdural hematoma. I kept shining a light in his eyes (freakin’ my Mom out each time). . . . . .
It’s part of being a mom.
So sorry you had to go through that though! 🙁
Yuck. that’s happened to Lucy twice on my watch. The first time, i was in tears, and shaking, and we got each other so worked up she howled for half an hour. The second time, once I was sure she wasn’t dead, I laughed my ass off…she’d done most hysterical flip as she fell through the air. it sounds heartless, I know, but … well, it was pretty funny.
She’s okay. give her an extra squeeze, full of love.
Wow — brings back memories. All babies get dropped and/or fall…. but I think this one takes the birthday cake.
My mom was hosting a birthday party for my 7 year-old brother. His friends all arrived at our house after school to let her know that darling brother threw up 4 times on the way home (only a 3 block walk, mind you). Lil’ roly-poly sister had just started crawling, but was really good at rolling back and forth during tummy time.
Mom called around to other Mom’s to watch the boys, while she cared for my brother and managed to finish frosting the birthday cake. When all the little boys were escorted home and a call was placed to the pediatrician, lil sis had woken from naptime and was allowed to play on the floor…. where she quickly found (and swallowed) a penny!
The penny (of course, on a day such as this) has no other course than to get stuck blocking her windpipe. Mom (already on the phone with the doctor to discuss treatment for a concussion) manages to dislodge the penny enough so it was then lodge vertically in her throat, allowing her to breathe, but in danger of the penny sliding sideways again. Pediatrician says “get her to the ER”.
Mom calls around to other Moms again to find someone to babysit vomit-boy and me while she goes to the ER with lil roly-poly sis.
Neighbors being neighbors, she found someone, and off they went.
Well, this was not in a city hospital, and was back in the 70s, so there were not pediatric specialists in the ERs. Big, tall, important Eye/Ear/Nose/Throat doctor tells Mom that she can’t come in the ER with baby – baby will be OK with Doc.
Well, Doc wasn’t familiar with how squirmy babies are. He set lil roly-poly sis up on the table, told her to stay still, and turned his back to get a tool. I bet you can guess what happened….!
Cranky, squirmy lil sis ROLLED right off the table. Doc turned and saw as she was going, and “saved” her by grabbing her foot. All Mom heard in the next room was her baby screaming, as her head slammed into the side of the bed or table or something.
Long story short – the penny was dislodged and fell into stomach, and lil sis came home with a HUGE black eye and a few stitches.
Best birthday ever? No, but probably the most memorable in our family history. AND we have all these picture of cute lil’ roly-poly black-eyed sis learning how to stand …. with a huge happy smile and the biggest black-eye anyone’s ever seen.
Don’t worry — Meli won’t remember, and will be happy and smiley again in no time!
My MIL says that a child that doesn’t fall off the bed once in his/her life is a child too carefully watched and will suffer from a smothered soul.
Of course, when they get bigger and start jumping things with their bikes and climbing trees, you learn to live with your heart in your throat. Afraid to let them go, but knowing how awful you will feel if something happens. Learning to let them have wings is sooo tough.
Glad she wasn’t hurt.
‘ugh’ is right! just remembering those falls brings the heart back in my throat. when our daughter crawled off the bed it was with my hubby and I only a foot or two away, totally distracted with our heated argument. Ellie put an end to that…I can’t even remember what we were so upset about(of course), but I DO remember the sound of her falling and crying, and the sheepish looks hubs and I gave each other as we snuggled our daughter and apologized over and over and over again. She was fine, of course, but boy howdy, I still feel bad. Lesson learned: always make sure baby is safe and contained before beginning a ‘discussion’ with spouse.
Did I ever tell you about the time I kicked Katie down the stairs? Uncarpeted, at that! Ali was just a teensy, tiny baby and I was carrying her downstairs — Katie was going down, too. She stopped or something and I didn’t. My leg bumped her and down she went — I had to watch her, helplessly, as she tumbled nearly the whole flight to the bottom. I don’t remember that she even cried, but I was a complete wreck.
She survived. So did I. Mostly.
XO!!
First off, don’t EVER tell her you did that! She’ll use it against you at a time when you really don’t want her too. Second, I’m a firm believer that God gives us moms a couple of freebies. You know, it’s those times when something horrible should have happened but didn’t. Just to keep you on your toes. Don’t worry too much about it.
Oh – I’m so sorry. I have to say you never forget the first fall from the bed. . . or the time I dislocated my daughters elbow by holding her hand (she decided to sit down very abruptly) and the time I missed catching her sister as she jumped to me (I found out my depth perception is sadly lacking). Hmm, maybe you shouldn’t think about the future – just live in the present. Thankfully – kids are much more resilient than our psyches (and to think my inlaws think that I’m completely neurotic & keep my little ones – ages 5, 3 & 1 on too short a leash).
Glad she’s fine. 🙂 and yes it does happen to everyone.
They do keep you on your toes, don’t they.
And you know what? She won’t remember this ever happened!
You’ve been baptized! Glad she’s ok! Poor momma…
I got an actual concussion as a baby due to maternal neglect. I survived. No, it’s not anything you’d want to have happen to your baby, but don’t worry. The phrase “The Good Enough Mother” was not invented for no reason.
Oh! Everyone is right – this is one of those things that happens. You will remember it forever, because you’re a mom. Like someone else already told you, you’ll live with your heart in your throat until she’s grown… welcome to motherhood!!! ((hugs))
Well, you’ve got a statistically significant sample, I think… Clearly the occurence AND survival rate is off the charts! Hope tomorrow is fright free.
Well, you’ve got a statistically significant sample, I think… Clearly the occurence AND survival rate is off the charts! Hope tomorrow is fright free.
Reading this post brought similar memories of my own come flooding back. Forgive yourself, she is fine and you are doing your best, being a mother is full of fear and anxiety, you must go easy on yourself.
Babies bounce 🙂 Glad she’s ok. A few weeks ago Dylan was standing on his dressing table messing around, went up over my shoulder and landed head first on the hardwood floor. It took me longer to stop crying than it did him.
Julie and I have similar stories. Hubbo was changing our son, and (who knows why) took his eye/hand off him. Poor thing fell off the changing table onto the oak floor. Babies are remarkably bouncy! (of course, I don’t suggest testing that theory). Son was/is fine. Mommy and Daddy took a little longer to recover.
Don’t worry too much. Kids are durable. It’s how the human race has survived as long as it has. You are just being a mom. (Disclaimer: I don’t have kids, but I shaved years, if not decades, off of my poor mother’s life by thinking jumping out of trees and walking on top of the monkey bars was fun. We both lived to tell the tale…like I said, DURABLE. She also always told me that she hoped I had a kid just like me when I grew up – the true mother’s revenge.) —
Also, there was one time when my sister was standing on the kitchen counter and jumped down. Her nightgown caught on the cabinet handle and she went head-first into the kitchen floor. From standing on the counter. Again, she was fine. Not even a concussion (that one definitely earned a trip to the doctor). Kids are DURABLE. They will survive. They may give you a heart attack (or twelve) in the process, but the kid will generally be just fine.
I was going to leave you a quick recount of various baby/toddler mishaps regarding me, my sibs, my offspring and then freaked myself out when I realized how long & scary-sounding the list would be and thought, hmm, details might not be so comforting to you! Suffice it to say, we all lived to tell the tales AND my now 18-year-old daughter loves to hear those stories for the details AND the vestiges of guilt. 🙂
I’ve been there, more than once, with both my boys. It’s why we have a low platform bed. Alex is only a few weeks older than Meli (born 3/6), and is already able to get up onto the bed himself…getting down, on the other hand, is hit-or-miss; I of course didn’t know he could get up until he got down head-first.
Best advice I’ve ever been given from another mom: no matter what you do, they’ll end up in therapy anyway.
Don’t feel bad! My mom ironed over my busy little fingers and while with my dad I managed to fall between the bed & the wall, I turned out ok 🙂
I phoned my cousin just after just about exactly the same thing had happened and she was still upset. “I scuffed the baby!” she sobbed…
It seems they endure a tiny bit of scuffing…
must be a requirment of motherhood, I once turned my back to grab a cleanex as I tried not to sneeze (waker her up) but I guess she was already awake because she rolled right off. Yup, mom guilt big time. She was fine as well.
Good thing you don’t have any stairs in your apartment 🙂 My older son rode his walker down the basement steps when he was about 8 months old. Not that I feel guilty or anything (he’s 24 now).
Aw, been there and done that. It is awful the guilt you feel. I hear it is only the beginning. Not so encouraging but know that you aren’t alone. Feel better….