Fatherhood

We were playing near the stair from our kitchen to the lower level. Patrick had a squishy toy we bought for him a few weeks back. When it hits something, it flashes brightly ... he loves it. He was tossing the toy down the stairs and I was flipping it back up to him, often bouncing it off his head or chest. The laughter was incredible ... so much fun. Then, he made a run toward the stairs to get in a good toss ... and I knew he was in trouble. He tripped as I launched myself up the stairs ... just in time to catch him before his head hit the first step down the stairs. As Jen came around the corner to see what all the commotion was about, I was just getting my nerves back in order and began lifting him back to his feet. He let me hold him for a few seconds then, seeing his mother nearby, his tears stopped and he stretched out for her. ... so much fun!

Trouble with the stairs again. Patrick was following me down the stairs. I had already gotten downstairs and was sitting in front of the computer when I heard him heading down the steps. I issued a gentle reminder for him to be careful when I heard the thumping start. Knowing I was too far from the steps, there was nothing I could do but watch. As I described it to Jen ... "Think of the gingerbread man pose. Put it upside down and on the bottom step and that's what I saw rolling down our stairs." Patrick landed with a remarkably gentle thump and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before the screaming started. By that time, I had gotten to him and held him close until Mama arrived to take over. Amazingly, there didn't even seem to be a bump on his head ... No damage done ... but, what a scare!

At sixteen months old, Patrick has been introduced to baseball ... Reds versus Pirates, last night. Papap and I drove down with Patrick to Cincinnati to meet Mama and Grandma (they were at a conference). It was Patrick's first game, so he got a First Visit Certificate ... pretty cool. We had tickets in left-field ... good location, but they included free hotdogs, popcorn, peanuts, and drinks! With a son that loves hotdogs and popcorn, he was in heaven, even before we threw in all the other stuff ... It was 9/11, so there were a variety of military, law enforcement, and emergency services present ... very cool! There were parachutists from the US Army, 101st Airborne ... Patrick's head was pointing straight up for almost ten minutes. There were fireworks ... not a lot, just enough to make Patrick nervous ... yet able to enjoy the show. The game was great and having my whole family there enjoying it with me was even better. I have to tell the story about the food, b...

Jennifer and I woke about twenty minutes ago to Patrick crying ... nothing unusual. I asked her to get him since I have to start getting ready for work in about three hours (yes, I have to work on a Saturday). Where things became unusual was the loud, sustained crash, and Patrick's cries rising to a hefty scream. Being the concerned parent that I am ... with visions of his changing table collapsed on top of him, I rushed to their aid. "What was that?" I cried. Jennifer, weakly replied, "I fell down the stairs." With Patrick screaming at the top of his lungs, I think I actually asked her to repeat what she said. I found my wife sitting, with her legs out and my son in her arms, at the bottom of the stairs. Asking if she and Patrick were OK was mixed into confused questioning about what happened. Somehow, her feet went out from under her (we suspect a couple of the leaves that Patrick likes to play with were on the steps). While my real concern was i...