boo boo bunny

Lila got her first boo boo on Sunday. In the church nursery of all places. Where coincidentally her baby friend Sam got bit by another kid last Sunday. So maybe church is not such a safe place after all. She was back in nursery and the message was just getting started when her number flashed on screen. In our church, we have a small screen on the wall that flashes your child's "number" when they need you.

Child number 365. Your child is throwing a fit. Stop enjoying your coffee and moment of peace, get up in front of the whole congregating, hang your head in parental shame and get your butt back here.

I went back to calm her down and play on the nursery floor, thinking maybe she would get distracted playing with her toys. And not five minutes after we started playing with toys around all the other babies, it happened. She was crawling and suddenly forgot to move her hands before her legs. Face plant. It happens all the time, just part of learning to be mobile.

But this time the scream was a little louder. And when I picked her up off the floor, the blood had already started flowing. So much blood. All over her mouth and chin. I had no idea where it was coming from and panic set in. I tried to grab the tissues the nursery workers had hurriedly brought me, but I could not even see where I needed to apply pressure. I calmly asked one of them to get Brian and try to find a doctor. Thank GOD for a church full of lots of medical professionals.

After being checked out by our favorite PA/worship leader, he found she had two large cuts on her gums, right where her teeth had just cut through. Some Motrin and her first popsicle later, she was happily buzzing off the sugar and snuggled in my arms. But I was still a mess. I cannot believe how quickly she went from fine to hurt. The whole rest of the day, I followed her around, terrified she was going to fall and hit something again. I know it is a part of being a mom and there are many more boo boos to come, but that was not fun. My mommy heart could not stand to see her in pain and know I could not make it all better.

Photo Credit

So we decided to take a preemptive strike against future owies and make our very own Boo Boo Bunny. We had several of these growing up and there is something about holding a wash cloth make into a bunny and stuffed with ice that makes the pain a little less sharp.

As spring is right around the corner (HA! It's an ice storm outside right now in North Carolina!) I thought you could all join me in making your very own Boo Boo Bunnies. Just click here, follow the easy directions and enjoy! And for my Truth of 2011 (which I realize I did not do in yesterday's post. Only the 3rd of the year. Nice): I want to continue to be a calming influence in my family's life. I am overly anxious by nature and I don't want Lila to grow up with that view of her mom. I need to learn to let her grow, always right behind her, but just far enough ahead that she is doing it on her own.

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

~Charles M. Schulz

Reprinted from my weekly column at Southern Mommas