We had a very scary thing happen today. K was leaving the house this afternoon and she tripped while carrying the baby girl. They both went down on the hard concrete blocks that make up the path. K bruised her knee and it seems that Z hit her head on one of the blocks. They’re both OK, and I was here when it happened so I was able to help out.

Z was crying hers eyes out, but she seemed to basically alright. We put in a call to the nurse and after going over somethings to look out for we decided that we’d let her take a nap (all of the crying had worn her out and it was almost) nap time. She woke up from her nap on-time and seemed to be no worse for wear. In fact, K took her out later in the afternoon to see a friend.We got worried again later when we found a real bump on her head and she seemed very clingy and over-tired. So we went off to the pediatrician. Z got a clean bill of health and with the help of some Tylenol, she went to sleep smiling. K seems to be alright, too. But we were both freaked out and more than a little worried during these events. I haven’t felt that shaken up in a long time.

This is the first big accident the we’ve had and overall, it wasn’t that bad. There have been a couple of other injuries in the past 15 months: during the delivery, the surgeon actually cut Z on the scalp. When she was only a couple of month’s old, a little boy smacked her in the head with a toy at the ped’s office. K and I were pretty calm about these events. In the first case it happened in the hospital and with that amazing healing power of newborns, the cut healed in a few days. In the second case, I think the other kid’s mom was more worried than we were and Z didn’t even make a peep.

But this time was different. It was scary and really made me think about all of times my brother and I got hurt growing up. I now understand a little of how my parents must have felt when I feel and cracked my head on a rock or got hit with a bat. It’s not a feeling I liked and I’d rather it never happens again. I know that Z will get hurt again. It’s a part of growing up. But the inevitability doesn’t make me worry any less. And this time could have been much worse.

Life is so dangerous and bad things can happen in the blink of an eye. But this time our family just had a moments of terror and a few hours of worry and for that I’ll be giving thanks in the upcoming holiday.