Bonked Head

Patrick had a good fall last night. He was "running" from me, as only a fifteen month old child can do, when his feet slipped out from under him. He went down quickly and the back of his head slammed into the floor. I picked him up, just after the shock of the fall wore off and the pain kicked in.

He cried steady until his head cleared a bit and the tears faded as he asked for "Mama."

This got me thinking about the various times he has "bonked" his head. First, I should point out that he must have a very thick skull as there has been no lasting damage. Second, I will only present a few of the more memorable spills.

The first I remember actually occurred at daycare. I picked him up that day and there was an Incident Report (I think I've still got it somewhere). Patrick was learning to stand, and apparently tried to use a bookshelf to pull himself up. A simple slip later and he had a vertical egg on his forehead. They tried to apply ice ... that was more painful than when he originally hit his head. Through a bit of laughter, we consoled our injured little boy that night.

I also remember him tumbling off the bottom step in our house. I was close and almost managed to catch him. What I did do was twist him around so that the side of his head bonked the step, rather than his forehead on the floor. That time, I think the tears were more from shock than pain.

And, last week he managed to bonk his head on another bookshelf at daycare again ... although this time he was "dancing" which was described as spinning like a top to the music. Jen decribed her inability to stop laughing as one of the workers called to report the incident. She said the daycare worker seemed more traumitized than either Jen or Patrick. One of these days, even that bruise will fade.

As a father, I am amazed at how these situations can be painful and humorous to me at the same time.