How fragile is a 16-month old? I think I've pondered that question each month of NG's life. I think my first year freak out worries have subsided and settled into more of a calm curiosity, but it is still there.
The other day, NG spilled the dog's water bowl on the tile floor. I lifted her up and set her in the next room then went to the bathroom to get a towel. In that brief moment, she returned to the water spill and her feet swung out from under her. She fell onto her back, probably hitting her head on the hard tile, and started screaming. I rushed to her and comforted her. She eventually calmed down and didn't seem to have a bump.
But then I watched her like a hawk. Was she looking a little wobbly? Did she seem particularly woozy? Was she having trouble waking? Was she sleeping too much? Would she wake up?
Of course, by sheer coincidence, she was going through another big growth spurt so was taking 3 hour naps. Concussion? Cracked skull? Permanent brain damage?
She didn't exhibit ANY abnormal behavior at all, and I could press her scalp without eliciting any cries of pain, so I was sure she was fine. But that didn't stop my mind from racing when she slept in later or stumbled when she walked.
A few days ago - over a week since her spill - the babysitter knocked on my office door to show me something. NG had crusted blood in her ear. I didn't panic although my first thought was internal brain injury from the fall on the tiles. Nonsense.
Then I thought maybe her pediatrician checkup the previous day could be cause - when she was fighting and squirming while the doctor checked her ears. Or maybe she stuck her finger into her ear and her very long, razor sharp finger nails cut her ear canal and cause a little bleeding.
I gently cleaned her ear canal with wet Q-tips then called the pediatrician. She didn't think the ear instrument could have caused any damage but guessed it was probably her fingernail. Note to self: Clip baby's nails more often. As long as she didn't have any other symptoms - dizzyness, fever, etc. - then it was nothing to worry about.
But I watched her like a hawk for the next 24 hours, just to make sure.
Because I still don't know - how fragile is a 16-month old???
16 month olds are very durable. Porgie fells approximately 23 times per day, bumps her head 69 times per day, and skins her knees 12 times per day. But according to her doctor, she is a very healthy girl.
Posted by: christy | October 25, 2007 at 03:32 PM
A helluva lot tougher than we think! Just think if it would have been YOU that slipped on the water and fell. Probably would have been laid up for days! Lauren was always tripping on something, rolling out of bed, hitting her head and skinning her knees. I am sure that if we asked our parents, we would hear some horror stories from them about our misfortunes as toddlers.
Posted by: Carrie | October 26, 2007 at 09:59 AM
I worry like that, too, but they always turn out fine!
Posted by: Eva | October 26, 2007 at 02:15 PM
Yeah, I'm sure she'll be fine. Mine fell over once (I'm not even quite sure how it happened) while I had my back turned and had a big gash on her forehead for a few days.
Well, a scratch, anyway. But she was fine.
Also...how cute is NG?!? She's totally rocking her pixie haircut!
Posted by: Vanessa | October 27, 2007 at 06:50 PM