How To Age 20 Years in One Minute

     I did my research and it is universally agreed upon that the fastest creature on Earth is the Peregrine Falcon, which can dive out of the sky at a speed upwards of 200 miles per hour.  I would like to dispute this apparently well known fact and add my daughter, Sophie, to the list of contenders.
     Before I get into the "Why?" of the above statement I must say that I almost didn't write about this incident.  However, to be fair to the "reality" of this blog, I think it is necessary to report the good and the funny with the scary and the bad.  I know that I have said that you have to try to find humor in the hard situations of parenthood but what happened last night is hard to find funny.  However, I will try to inject some humor if possible.
     Last night as I was getting my little gal ready for her bath I learned the lesson of  "I should have known better."  Ever since Sophie was a teeny tiny little squirt we have laid her on a towel on the bathroom counter to undress her before bathtime, and again to dry her off and get her into her p.j.'s.  This has worked out pretty well up until last night. 
     Sophie has become very skilled at rolling over which is where the "should have known better" lesson comes into play.  I knew that she should probably not be set up on the counter anymore and I have kept a very close distance and eye on her when she is up there.  Last night after getting her undressed I pivoted to the side to turn on the bath tub water.  The sound that I heard in the split second that my back was turned will, literally, stay with me forever.
     In that fraction of a second, the world's newest fastest creature - Sophie, flipped herself off the counter landing SMACK on her back on our saltillo tile bathroom floor.  The pandemonium that ensued would probably make it onto America's Funniest Home Videos.  You know that cry that little kids do where they turn apple red, their faces are scrunched, mouth open but no sound comes out?  Well, that's what I got.  When the wail did finally come to her it was a doozy!
    My wonderful neighbor is a Dr. so he got a madwoman crazed phone call from me.  He ran over and took a look and advised me better to be safe than sorry and head to the E.R..  Flash forward to me driving down the highway, bawling, with an actually quite composed baby in the back.  I must say that Sophie handled the whole incident with much more grace than I.
     Long story short, one CT scan later we were in the clear.  She just sustained a bad bump, possibly a very mild concussion, and we were sent home.  She had a bottle and went to sleep while I felt like I had gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson and basically stayed up all night listening for any little peep out of her.  I do honestly believe that I may have aged about 20 years!

Lessons Learned: 1) No more counter tops for little one, 2) I know now that I go into Autopilot mode in a crisis seeing as the details right after the fall are a little hazy to me, 3) Apparently my body still works even when my heart stops beating 4) Sophie is the world's fastest creature in my book. 4) Kids are pretty darn resilient little things.

I have to thank: Presbyterian Plano ER - the nurses and Dr. Holland, our pediatrician Dr. Thai - who calmed me down while I was crying and careening down the highway to the hospital, Mark and Glen for being the greatest neighbors and, most importantly, my little angel Sophie for being one strong chick.  You may look more like your dad but you are as hard headed as your mom!