[Lo_and_Behold]

Allie had her 2 month check up yesterday & had gotten 3 shots. She was doing so well until about 3 hours after we got home. Then she started crying & screaming inconsolably for over an hour. I did everything I could think of. I'd even given her the dose of Tylenol the pedi said to as soon as we left. Finally, when my husband came home, he was able to get her to stop (guess she wanted daddy). She cried whenever she was put down & we felt so sorry for her that we took turns holding her.
After dinner, my husband handed her to me so he could cover the grill & do some stuff. I was on the couch with a heating pad on my back (don't know if anyone else gets a sore back where they had their epi, but I do). I was tired, but that's not unusual! I had her on my chest & I must have fallen asleep. Also not unusual because one of us always sleeps with her. I don't know what happened, but in the space of about 5 minutes, I woke up & heard her crying. I was so disoriented that it took a moment to register that she wasn't with me. I looked down & saw her facedown on the wood floor I think my heart dropped to my stomach. The coffee table is right there too & she was between that & the couch. I picked her right up & she immediately stopped crying. My husband was in the bathroom & came rushing out when he heard her crying. He asked if she was ok & I said yes. Then I looked at her face & saw a tiny purpley-blue mark on her eyelid. I said we're going to the ER now!

We went to the hosp my pedi is affiliated with. It was about a half hour away (the closer one doesn't have a peds dept). Going into the ER, I stepped on something soft & wet & looked down b/c I thought I dropped something. I stepped on someone's bloody rag...I guess some patient going in. We gave them our names & expected to be taken right away since she's a baby. Nope. There was a 4 hr wait so we said forget it. The hosp where my husband works was a half hour from there in the other direction so we left to go there. I wasn't waiting that long!

Luckily, my friend is a charge nurse in the ER so she rushed us through & we only waited about an hour. It would've been sooner but they had a trauma alert. Apparently a 10 month old baby was hit by a car in the middle of the street We couldn't believe someone would have a baby walking around at midnight in the middle of a road! (I felt like a hypocrite criticizing someone else's parenting after what I'd let happen though).

We were seen by one of the dr's & he said she looked great other than the bruise on her eye which had now become a bit larger & just purple but overall not bad. He said things like this happen all the time. He said it was our first experience but probably not the last. He was very nice, but meanwhile I was sick to my stomach with guilt. I couldn't stop crying. Meanwhile, Allie's smiling at everyone & being so good. He said to keep an eye on her & if there are any changes like vomitting to bring her in right away but other than that, just follow up with the pedi. I was concerned about her eye sight or things we couldn't see, but he checked & said other than the bruise, everything was perfect.

So that's the last of her sleeping in anyone's arms. I felt like God (or whoever you believe in) was trying to teach me a lesson through a very difficult example. We wanted to work on getting her used to sleeping by herself because I go back to work in 3 weeks. I guess now we'll have no choice. But I'm just so grateful she's ok. I just don't think I'll ever forgive myself.

[Lyz]

aww hun, you must have been so scared! I'm glad she's okay though and I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that.

[LisaD]

Oh Melissa I'm so sorry! We also have Nathan sleep with us most of the time because he spits up so badly and I hate to leave him in his bassinet. I know we need to break that habit too but it's just so hard! Please don't beat yourself up, she is fine and I know that it happens a lot! You are a great Mom!

[NortheastWifey]

I'm sorry you had such a scare!! I'm glad she's okay, though! That's crazy about the 4 hour wait in the first hosital's ER. Wow!

[SassyMama]

Don't beat yourself up over it Melissa, it could happen to anyone! I'm just happy that it wasn't anything worse!

[LuvMyToriBug]

Hey Melissa, we don't typically have Tori in the bed with us, but if she wakes and starts crying and we only have an hour or so to sleep, I have definitely picked her up and let her sleep on my chest. Luckily she has not gotten hurt but she has moved and slid around so much, we are just fortunate that she has not slid on the floor or something.

Don't beat yourself up too much, Allie is great and as the dr. said, it happens all of the time....we mommies are so sleep deprived sometimes that it does not take much to fall asleep.

[Christine-MA]

I'm glad she's okay. It sounds like it upset you much more than her!

[~April04~]

I'm glad she's OK - god you must have been so scared! ((hugs))

[KCMomma]

Awe Melissa, I can only imagine how scary that must have been. I'm sure it has/will happen to many of us. At least she is ok and that's all that matters. Try not to beat yourself up about it too much. I know it's much easier for me to say that than for you to do it. Hang in there!!!

[xanada101]

I can only imagine what you were feeling... it is an awful thing, but believe it or not these things happen to everyone.... at some point. My friend just recently locked her baby in the car on a 90deg day and had to call the fire dept. She felt the same way you did. Don't beat yourself up, just be grateful.

[Lauren S]

Awww, Melissa! I'm so sorry that happened, but please don't beat yourself up over it. Accidents happen all the time. The good thing is that she's fine.

[courtneytcu98]

I feel so bad for you, Melissa. I know it is a difficult thing to experience--I bonked Elliott's head on the car door one day and he had a bright red mark and I was traumatized. I think parenting is a series of successes and mistakes and what is important is that Allie is okay. If you weren't concerned and didn't feel at least a little bad, then that is when there would be a problem. I know you love that little girl to the bottom of your soul and would never hurt her. Try and follow the advice you might give one of us in your situation. I don't think you'd tell us to feel terrible, but would be reassuring. You are a wonderful mommy.

[snsgirl336]

Awww I'm really sorry that that happened! I can't imagine how scary that was for you! I'm so glad that Allie is alright and I hope you're doing ok too!

[Lo_and_Behold]

Thanks so much for the kind words ladies. I'm trying to move on from it but every time I look at her, I see that little bruise (and it is little...about the size of my pinky nail, but it's all I see ) You just never think something like this will ever happen. It's so hard not to let her sleep on us when she's crying & you know that will comfort her right away.

[stlgirl]

Oh Melissa, I'm sooooo sorry you went through that. I'm glad Alexandra is ok, and I hope that with time you can forgive yourself and come to terms with the reality that ALL parents slip up sometimes - you're exhausted and overworked constantly, and you have a 24-7 job of taking care of a fragile little being. That's not a good combo, and means that at some point everybody is going to have a scare. You're a GREAT mommy so please don't tell yourself otherwise.

[Elijah'sMommy]

Awww, you poor thing. I can't imagine how scared you were. I am glad she is doing well.

[blueeyedbaby]

I know its not going to make you feel any better, but these things happen. If you want to let her fall asleep on your chest a good piece of advice we got from our neonatologist in the early days was wear her in a sling or baby carrier, that way if you fall asleep on the couch she won't be going anywhere. One of my girls had really severe reflux and we had to hold her upright for half an hour after a feed, this allowed us to sit propped up in bed and doze while waiting for the time to be up.