(Our Christmas Card...I wish I had had my telephoto lens for this!!!!)
This may be one of the most difficult things for me to admit... so difficult in fact, that I didn't even call my mother immediately after the incident (which is EXTREMELY unusual for me). But yesterday, I failed as a mother.
Callie fell down the stairs...
I was on the phone with Mandi, had just finished feeding Callie her lunch (unsuccessfully... yet again, she hates eating). I removed her from her high chair and set her in her little play place in the living room. I then decided I would run to the restroom quickly... however... in the time I sat down to do my business, little Miss Noodle, quickly crawled over the the staircase, and I watched her move her first arm over the first step. I dropped the phone and ran to the staircase... but it was too late. My sweet baby tumbled down the stairs (8 stairs to be exact) and landed on her tummy on the landing. The sound of her little body thumping down the stairs is something I'll never forget. Callie was crying, and after a quick assessment, with nothing broken or scratched or even bruised, I realized she was mostly scared. I was shaking and crying with her... how could I let this happen to my baby!!! I even had the door of the bathroom open... UGH!!! Callie and I snuggled in the rocking chair... where big brother Sneebie jumped onto my lap as well and went back and forth between licking my arms and Callie's knowing something had gone terribly wrong and just wanted to right it all.
Once I calmed down... I then became so angry... first at myself... then at my dear husband... because we've had a baby gate, sitting in the garage, since before she was even born. And we have managed to come up with every excuse in the world as to why we haven't had the time to set it up. Needless to say... I called him... and asked him to come home right away to install it. He couldn't, of course, this was about 3 pm... but said he would be home at 5 (really, pretty early for him, he's usually not home until 6:30-7-ish). It turns out a baby gate doesn't do much good sitting in the garage... when you have a little crawler in the house.
Mandi called me back and I explained what happened... and being the amazing friend she is, she reassured me that it happens to almost every child... poor Andrew fell down the stairs once too... as did I (in my walker) and Stef, my sister did also. That only made me feel a smidge better... I watch her like a hawk... I really do... but in the time I went to the restroom... she quickly crawled across the living room and tumbled down the stairs. I just can't believe it happened to my baby. I snuggled her all afternoon... still feeling terribly. I had this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach for most of the day after that.
I guess I'm just mostly grateful that it was only halfway down our staircase... and not down all 16 stairs... and she never hit her head or anything... so it was a "best-case scenario"... if that exists when your child falls down the stairs.
Needless to say... our gate is in place now, after about 30 minutes time of installation...
One of my favorite Christmas presents from Louise! She made us a new back door shade! It's beautiful!!!
For my birthday, Phillip got me a telephoto lens for my camera... the photos are even more amazing than before... here's a few pictures of our holiday decorations...
(Callie's stocking was supposed to be in the process of being embroidered... however... it was too fuzzy... so we have to now find a new one ;)
Our ceramic tree that I've had since I was a little girl... (and of course a weenie statue!)
Our snowman family!
Phillip's contribution to our holiday decorations... who knew how much he loved poinsettias?
(I LOVE my telephoto lens!!! These look amazing!)
I promise I'll be a better mother... sorry to everyone... but mostly my sweet baby girl... I truly do love her more than life itself... I can't even believe the fall happened... it just seems like a terrible nightmare...
Happy 9 days till Christmas!
Oh Kristin don't be so hard on yourself! Phil rolled out of bed and landed on his head on a hard floor when he was a baby. I was sleeping with him in our guest room because he was having a fussy night, he had a bruise the next day. Erin went walking right off the top step in our quad level home when she was in a walker once too. I can't remember an incident with Em though. We know you are a wonderful mom.
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