Yesterday was an interesting day.
We started the day by going to the doctors for the kid’s shots. When Kellen was a baby the shots process didn’t bother me much. It’s not that I’m sadistic but I think the delayed pain reaction from him and the necessity of the shots just balanced for me enough that I didn’t feel terrible about what minor pain he may have to go through to receive them. The experience was slightly different now that he is almost three and has become an actual “person” in our eyes. There was something slightly scarring about having someone hold him down while someone else caused him pain (4 shots in his thighs, one at a time). Emma received her shots after wards (again, 4 in each thigh, one at a time) and once again it didn’t bother me in the least. I’m not sure what changes as they get older. Maybe it’s the fact that they cry less you you notice each tear a little more.
Within a few minutes I had quickly gotten over the shot experience, as had Kellen. We went to the park and had a good time taking a nature walk. We were having such a good time we decided to go get Mommy and Emma and go have a picnic. Salem has a wonderful full sized carousel at the river-side park. Kellen got to ride it and thought it was the best. We then played for a while at the playground before heading on our way. As we were packing the car I shut the trunk to load Emma into her seat. I heard Kellen screaming and my wife was yelling for me to open it again. I looked over to see my son’s thumb was still inside the now closed and locked trunk of the car. I scrambled for the keys and was able to get it open rather quickly. Amazingly enough his thumb was not broken or even bleeding. It had been pinched and bruised down to the bone but no permanent damage was done. I can not express what my mind and heart went through for those 3-4 long seconds as I unlocked the trunk again. I realized I have never caused any major pain to my son over his three years until then. He has fallen a few times and gotten banged up on various toys but never had I been the direct cause of his pain. Even now I have a guilt and empathy towards that I have no doubt will fade just as it has in his memory already. I also have no doubt that I will be the cause of quite a few more injuries in the future. I have broken most major bones in my body at least once and my luck has to pass on to someone.
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Hey Rob
All of that is true. It will fade in time but never goes away. Its like a white noise in the background of your consciousness that keeps us as parents on our toes so we can do right by our children.
This morning I skimmed through the article and thought every parent must go through this. I remember two years ago when Cody was 7 . My wife accidently slammed the door on his hand and like your son nothing but a slight bruise. He was pampered for a day or so until he reminded us that he was OK by being a bone head :) that’s when we let it slip out of our minds that he was injured but from then on out My wife and I were very cautious about where our kids were when we closed doors, windows, handled heavy objects. Somewhere in our minds it stuck that we have to do double takes before we make an action that we took for granted. no longer does that closing the door become a no brainer. We pause and scan the area first and then close it. Moral of that story is you will not for now on in take for granted anything as simple as closing the door with out first making sure your children are not anywhere in harms way.