From the first gut griping colicky spasm of the newborn, pain is part of the human experience.
I wish it wasn’t so.
One of my very earliest memories is of catching my fingers in a closing cupboard . I remember being stunned, affronted, by the pain which consumed me. I stared afterwards at my blackening fingernail. A repulsive souvenir of the moment when I was so engulfed by the sensation of pain that I couldn’t even cry.
I was fascinated too, by the cry when it did come. The dramatic wail that came out of me, and the effect it had on my parents.
I remember, despite my agonies, finding that bit satisfying.
Although I’m a big girl now, and have developed a little more stoicism along the way, I find nothing more wince making than seeing a little pre verbal child surprised by pain.
Honor is such a cutie, but at nearly two, and growing in confidence and curiosity, she keeps running into things, or tripping over stuff.
She has the remains of a bruise on her head in this photo that came up like an egg when she fell in the shower and banged her head.
Just as it was fading, she got another one.
I’ve started keeping Arnica in the kitchen drawer, but I’m really not persuaded that it makes any difference. I use it just in case, and because it feels better to have something to rub into the ouchie.
Last week she fell into the edge of the coffee table at my mothers house. I was kneeling on the floor right beside her, she just tripped, and wham!
She got a really impressive black eye from that which took a few days to mature into what Gabriel called ” a proper Irish kiss”.
It looked awful. Patrick wanted me to put make up on it because he felt so uncomfortable taking her out like that.
I vetoed that plan on the grounds that make up on babies looks even more wrong than bruises.
I don’t remember the boys being like this. With them it was mostly skinned knees.
She’s still a pretty little dotie though.
She could be the twin of our girly – who is now 27 months old, and was covered in bumps and bruises from a year onwards – sometimes it was hard to take a photo because she looked so battered! It is better now – she is just covered with dirt and her legs and feet are all scabby and bruised but her face is just permanently grubby!
By: Lucy P on July 7, 2009
at 2:35 am
Ah poor thing. My little one is the same at the moment. She has arnica and garlic mixed up so she requests garlic for her bruises.
By: Susan on July 7, 2009
at 1:02 pm
It’s always a little scary when toddlers get hurt… there’s usually that span of time that it takes to determine the extent of injury. My almost three year old fell down the stairs last week and got a nose bleed, but he was more surprised and frightened than actually injured. I have trouble sometimes balancing trying to stay calm so he can, too, with reacting quickly in case it truly is an emergency.
I’m glad you included a picture. Mother and daughter are both so beautiful!
Oh, and I’m with you regarding make-up on babies.
By: Jessica on July 8, 2009
at 2:29 am
She is beautiful Clare!
My littlest is 20 months and he always bumping into things. He fell and got his first real “boo boo” 2 months ago. His poor little knee was scraped and bloody. And he will still show you where that scrape was. He has not forgotten.
I may have to try arnica for bruises!
By: Mrs. N. on July 8, 2009
at 2:54 am
Oooh, sorry about the black eye.
By: Elizabeth H. on July 8, 2009
at 2:28 pm
Oooh, sorry about the black eye.
Don’t you both take a good photo though!
By: Elizabeth@Frabjous Days on July 8, 2009
at 2:29 pm
Oh, I seem to have double commented.
Sorry.
Sorry.
By: Elizabeth@Frabjous Days on July 8, 2009
at 2:30 pm