Wipeout

Ok...let me just begin this post by saying that my boys fall down and skin their knees and bump their heads about 10 times on any given day.  Sometimes they cry...most of the time they just jump back up and resume whatever it was they were doing.  

I fell down today and I did not jump back up.  I was visiting a friend who just had a baby.  As we were leaving her house, I was loaded down with my diaper bag and the baby car carrier (with baby in it).  I was trying to maneuver my way between her minivan and the fence that surrounds her front yard while holding the very heavy baby seat out in front of me and pointing out a passing convertible to the boys (who are obsessed with cool cars).  All of the sudden, my wedge sandal (which I must admit I should NOT have been wearing as I still haven't totally regained my inner balance after being pregnant) got caught on the edge of the driveway and my ankle rolled underneath me.  Down I went...hard.  I realized as I was falling that I  MUST PROTECT THE BABY so I twisted my body and managed to lightly place her seat on the ground while ALL of my body weight landed on my opposite knee.  The only damage she sustained was being startled when the diaper bag fell off my shoulder and into her lap.  That, and she was covered in little leaves and blooms off the big bush we were next too.  

It was either the adrenaline rushing through my body as I frantically made sure that the baby was still alive or the crushing embarrassment I felt as my friend called out, "Did you just fall?" but the pain didn't register right away.  Once I got up and assured myself that I didn't just drop my baby on her head, I assessed the damage.  My knee was scraped up and my elbow was bleeding pretty badly.  Nothing hurt...YET.  I collected the remains of my pride while my friend (who is still recovering from a cesarian!!) helped me get Aislynn out of the seat and shook all the debris out for me and her husband got the boys loaded in the van.  I assured everyone I was fine and said my goodbyes.  

About 3 minutes into the drive home, the adrenaline and embarrassment wore off and the PAIN set in.  Oh my goodness...the PAIN!  My ankle (you remember...the one that rolled under me b/c of that gosh darn wedge) was throbbing.  My elbow was throbbing.  My knee was throbbing.  My whole body was throbbing.  It was not hard to check my pulse as my whole body was throbbing with each heart beat.  

Needless to say, I went through the McDonalds drive-thru and bought my kids happy meals for dinner.  Partly because I knew that by the time we got home, I would be in no condition to cook and partly because I have a new found respect for these little daredevils that truly know how to take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.