I'm not looking forward to when Gabriella has a freak accident at 2 or 3, as I'm sure she will. But if only we're as fortunate as we've been so far I won't be able to feel much besides gratitude and relief. Sam's freak accident of tearing his eyelid when he was two is a vivid memory. Still more vivid now is Natalie's freak accident on St. Patty's day. I've put off recording any memories of it until now, mostly for Natalie's sake (I didn't want her to see pictures on the computer and get worked up about it), but also because it still kind of freaks me out. I wish I had gotten a picture last week. I pulled her green outfit she was wearing on St. Patrick's day out of the drawer for the first time since then, and then later realized it was exactly a month later, and I wanted a picture of how well her cuts had healed. But I never got the camera out, so here's a picture of her today. Anyways, here's the story: I'm off to the store with my 3 little ones. We walk out to the garage, and as always, I push the garage door button as I go through the side door, then go to the van to start buckling kids, however this time as I'm about to put Gabriella in her seat, I hear Natalie yell for me and turn to see her holding onto the garage door handle, going up with it. I scream for her to let go, but she's too scared to let go at this point, not wanting to fall on the cement. Realizing she's not going to let go without me there to catch her, I run to her, but either her hand was stuck at that point, she was still too scared to let go, or it was too late and she was already going up into the top of the garage. Anyhow, her body was now hanging from the top of the garage, with her head trapped in-between the garage door and the top of the garage. I was terrified! All I could think was that I had to get her down before she hung to death. I was still holding Gabriella and didn't know what to do with her, but set her on the floor of the garage next to Sam, among all the rusty nails and junk we have in there, and frantically scanned the garage for the step-ladder I knew should be right there so I could get up higher to see how to get her head unstuck. I couldn't see it anywhere, and didn't dare leave her hanging there to find it. I screamed to Sam to go get the neighbor, but I don't even know if her heard me as he was sitting on the ground in tears, and Gabriella was next to him screaming. So I pushed the button to make the door come back down. It started, but then stopped and went back up. I think I must have stepped in front of the sensor, although I don't remember exactly how it happened. However, she then started to wiggle down, so it must have loosened the way she was pinned. I was so relieved to have her down and to find that she was okay besides cuts. My mind has gone over and over so many times what could have happened, how I could have done things different, what exactly did happen, etc. But overall I feel just so grateful that she is okay. She got stitches in her lip, her chin, and her hand. The incident was traumatic as well as was the whole stitches process, but she has been recovering well physically and emotionally. It was about at least a month before my little dare-devil wanted to be pushed high on the swing again, and she would usually start to whimper and cover her eyes whenever we got near the garage. But bodies and spirits are amazing at healing, for which I am so grateful!
I'm not looking forward to when Gabriella has a freak accident at 2 or 3, as I'm sure she will. But if only we're as fortunate as we've been so far I won't be able to feel much besides gratitude and relief. Sam's freak accident of tearing his eyelid when he was two is a vivid memory. Still more vivid now is Natalie's freak accident on St. Patty's day. I've put off recording any memories of it until now, mostly for Natalie's sake (I didn't want her to see pictures on the computer and get worked up about it), but also because it still kind of freaks me out. I wish I had gotten a picture last week. I pulled her green outfit she was wearing on St. Patrick's day out of the drawer for the first time since then, and then later realized it was exactly a month later, and I wanted a picture of how well her cuts had healed. But I never got the camera out, so here's a picture of her today. Anyways, here's the story: I'm off to the store with my 3 little ones. We walk out to the garage, and as always, I push the garage door button as I go through the side door, then go to the van to start buckling kids, however this time as I'm about to put Gabriella in her seat, I hear Natalie yell for me and turn to see her holding onto the garage door handle, going up with it. I scream for her to let go, but she's too scared to let go at this point, not wanting to fall on the cement. Realizing she's not going to let go without me there to catch her, I run to her, but either her hand was stuck at that point, she was still too scared to let go, or it was too late and she was already going up into the top of the garage. Anyhow, her body was now hanging from the top of the garage, with her head trapped in-between the garage door and the top of the garage. I was terrified! All I could think was that I had to get her down before she hung to death. I was still holding Gabriella and didn't know what to do with her, but set her on the floor of the garage next to Sam, among all the rusty nails and junk we have in there, and frantically scanned the garage for the step-ladder I knew should be right there so I could get up higher to see how to get her head unstuck. I couldn't see it anywhere, and didn't dare leave her hanging there to find it. I screamed to Sam to go get the neighbor, but I don't even know if her heard me as he was sitting on the ground in tears, and Gabriella was next to him screaming. So I pushed the button to make the door come back down. It started, but then stopped and went back up. I think I must have stepped in front of the sensor, although I don't remember exactly how it happened. However, she then started to wiggle down, so it must have loosened the way she was pinned. I was so relieved to have her down and to find that she was okay besides cuts. My mind has gone over and over so many times what could have happened, how I could have done things different, what exactly did happen, etc. But overall I feel just so grateful that she is okay. She got stitches in her lip, her chin, and her hand. The incident was traumatic as well as was the whole stitches process, but she has been recovering well physically and emotionally. It was about at least a month before my little dare-devil wanted to be pushed high on the swing again, and she would usually start to whimper and cover her eyes whenever we got near the garage. But bodies and spirits are amazing at healing, for which I am so grateful!
