Boo-Boo:Accidents happen, even when you are watching. I was working on my Africa project last week (
half way done, Danielle and Nikki), ironing and sewing like a madwoman. Whenever the iron was on, I kept both eyes on Joel to assure his safety. Any time he was within three feet of the ironing board, I watched him like a hawk to make sure he didn't put his hands ON the ironing board (
there was no way he could reach the iron itself - it was practically hugging my body). As he was standing next to the ironing board, he began to cry. I figured the sound of the steam freaked him out. After two or three minutes, he was still going at it (
and getting louder by the second). I
KNEW he did not put his hand on the ironing board, so I couldn't figure out why he was crying so hard. He was thrashing around so much that it took a while for me to find what was causing all the tears; his ring and pinkie fingers of his right hand had been burned. The fingers were red and puffy from knuckle to tip. Joel was inconsolable for the next hour; he only stopped crying when he had passed out from the exhaustion of crying. I was devastated. I had been watching him and had no clue how this could have happened. The next day, while ironing (
Joel was upstairs taking a nap), I discovered that he most likely put his hand
UNDERNEATH the ironing board. The bottom of the ironing board gets as hot (
if not hotter) than the top of the ironing board... The burns looked fine the first two days, but on the third day, it looked as if he would lose
all the skin off his ring finger from the joint nearest the knuckle down to the tip. The feelings of devastation swelled within me again; I felt like the world's worst parent. Luckily, the open sores under the blistered skin healed before the blister began to peel. Now Joel has a calloused finger that is peeling (
kind of looks like leprosy).
Before the underlying skin healed...Toddles:
As Joel nears his first birthday (3 weeks!), he is nearing the "toddler" stage. Yesterday, he took his first TRUE steps. He had been taking a step away from an object and falling to his knees for the last few weeks. But yesterday he took two steps, looked down, realized what he was doing, then took three or four more steps! He refuses to have help walking if he knows that is your intent (there are ways to trick him to get him to walk with help). He has been more bold with walking in the last 24 hours; it was not just a one-time thing. My mom thinks this Saturday will be the turning point (we are visiting with family friends who were my "cure" for walking when I was 11 and 1/2 months). We shall see...
Baby:
For anyone on facebook who saw my status about the false alarm with my water breaking, here is the story (and I wont go into SO much detail that it is awkward or uncomfortable). I was going to the bathroom yesterday and, as I was about to stand up, I felt a trickle. A trickle that I was not controlling. I just sat there with my mouth open, looking around, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Did my water break? Or did I "piddle" against my will? The feeling was VERY similar to the feeling I had when my water broke with Joel. When my water broke with him, it was not a huge gush; it was more like a constant trickle that I couldn't control. The only reason I knew that I was having contractions with Joel (in the beginning) was because I knew my water broke (I was in the doc's office when it happened, so he tested to make sure my water broke). This time, I couldn't decide whether to be concerned or to write it off. A couple hours after the incident, I started having massive cramps... Are these true contractions? Or are these Braxton Hicks? They started coming so hard that I couldn't think straight and barely made it home (I was driving as they came). I finally called my OBGYN to talk with a nurse (I am stubborn about NOT seeking out medical attention - both of my parents are in the nursing field; it's a product of my upbringing). False alarm. So, if you thought I flat-out wet myself... you were wrong. I have too much pride to let that happen (or to admit if that happened). No baby for now, but NO LONGER than 3 weeks.
