On Owen's Future in Contact Sports.

It's promising, I'll say that. Yesterday Owen took a header down the flight of stairs that leads to the basement and ended up essentially shaking it off. He had just eaten his breakfast, and he was doing what he always does, which is crawl madly around the house pulling himself to standing on anything he can get his hands on. I was across the room from him, keeping an eye on him while he monkeyed around. He crawled over to the baby gate which is at the top of the stairs leading to the basement, which Andy installed a few weeks ago by bolting it to the wall. It's one of his favorite things to pull up on, which is fine, because like I said the thing is bolted to the wall. He likes pulling himself up on the bars and peering down the stairs.

Except that all the bolting in the world doesn't help if the damn gate is not CLOSED. From where I was standing, the gate looked shut, but it was not latched. So Owen pulled himself up, leaning forward in the process and....you got it. The gate swung inwards, and Owen went headfirst down the stairs. Watching this happen was probably the worst 5 seconds of my entire life, because I knew I was too far away to stop him and I could hear him falling down the stairs (but not see him, because the stairs are behind the bookshelf) and he of course was screaming his head off. As was I. Andy came running in when I screamed and, realizing what was happening, bolted for the stairs. I was trying to do the same thing, so like cartoon characters we crashed into one another. Finally Andy got down there and picked him up. He luckily fell straight down the stairs - and I say luckily because the stairs are open on one side to the basement, with a 8-10 foot drop to the concrete floor below. If he had tumbled or slid to the left instead of going straight down, the consequences are too terrifying to really contemplate.

We brought him straight to Newton Wellesley, with me of course hyperventilating all the way. In further luck, our pediatrician happened to be in the hospital taking care of the newborns in the nursery that day he saw us himself. I adore our pediatrician, so I was so happy to find out he was there. Owen had his first x-ray, as his nose was swollen across the bridge and had been bleeding when we picked him up so dr. Yuan was concerned it was broken. But, after his initial screaming after the fall, by the time we got to Newton Wellesley Owen was in a pretty good mood. He charmed the pants of all the hospital staff, especially the xray techs.

Today, Owen has a swollen nose and a black eye, but otherwise is none the worse for wear. He's been his usual cheerful self today despite looking like he's been in a barfight. I tried to take some pictures of his face for this entry, but he was so intent on climbing, exploring etc. that he would not stay still and these were all I could get:





guess he's feeling OK.

As for Andy and I, well, we'll probably never be the same again. I'm not sure my heart rate has returned to normal yet.

Oh, and we will certainly double (and triple) check all babyproofing in the future.