Danger: Slide Warning

So, I totally injured Ethan yesterday afternoon. Not on purpose (OF COURSE), but while trying to keep him safe. Isn't that ironic? And yet, somehow, not really. I found a great article by Abbi Perets on the "She Knows Parenting" website discussing the ways that going down a slide with your child on your lap can be dangerous. It describes exactly why doing what I did-- placing baby on your lap, then sliding down together-- is actually a pretty common way to break your child's leg. Ethan didn't end up with a broken leg, thank God, but he easily could have. What the heck was I thinking? Why didn't I take better care of him and anticipate that he might get hurt? I guess that's the typical and everlasting lament of parenthood... and so it begins.

To continue, right after I felt his leg crush between my leg and the slide, I practically leapt off the slide and told my sister "I think I might have broken his leg." He was wailing out these terrible cries, and we rushed him (through after-work traffic, of course) to the Kaiser Hospital emergency room. The gracious staff there (thank you to reception, nurses, radiology, Dr.Basi, and everyone else!) moved us rapidly from the emergency waiting room to an exam room and then straight on into the x-ray room. That last bit was painful-- both for Ethan, and for his mommy and auntie to watch-- because we had to hold his little ankle in various positions for them to get the best images. Ouch! The results came back faster than I would have thought possible, and showed that it was not a break. Instead, he was left with a very sore leg and ankle, and he can't put any weight on it right now without a lot of pain. It makes it very difficult to roll over, crawl, stand up, or walk, and pretty much everything that a happy, active toddler wants to do.

He's just miserable right now, poor thing. And I feel so guilty! I wish I would've read this article before taking him to the park yesterday. Guess it's time for the mommy of the year awards!