Priceful Memories: Grateful

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Grateful

I can't help but feel grateful tonight. Kelsey is still here, all in one piece, sleeping away. Today she fell down a flight of concrete/tile stairs and I found her screaming on the landing. I didn't see what happened. A mother's mantra: I let her out of my sight and I didn't even know it. When I heard her scream, I new exactly what had happened. I've been fearing those stairs ever since she started walking. I was slightly relieved to see her standing and screaming and not lying there broken, dazed or twitching. Every cell of my body still lurched and I almost broke down in tears myself. So today I have learned a valuable lesson without having to pay a high price. For this I am grateful. And for a loving Heavenly Father who looks after our little ones, no matter which side of the veil they are on.

These are not the stairs she fell on, just some she attempted a few weeks ago.
Maybe I'm overreacting, maybe not, but this is my first toddler -okay!

11 comments:

Sissy said...: You're not over reacting. There will be other times that you wish you were at het side but you weren't. I am so thankful that I was able to be home with all my children as they all were growing up. I too am blessed. It breaks yout heart because they are so sweet and innocent and you thinlk yuou are there to save them from EVERY fall. All because we love them sooo much. How hard must it be for our Father in Heaven to watch us. You are a sweet young mommy who would do ANYTHING for her child...as it should be. Cherish this learning moment in your lives. You ARE a great mom!; 10/29/2008 1:04 AM
likeschocolate said...: I have been there I think more than once. No, your not over reacting. It hurts to see your children hurt whether it be stairs, stiches, or broken arms. You just want to protect them from everything, but it is impossible. All you can do is your best. Amen to Heavenly Father watching over them, or I think they wouldn't make it to adulthood.; 10/29/2008 1:56 AM
CJ said...: OH man, those falls are so scary. My George fell off the bed when she was only 5 months old. I was in tears all day and kept thinking she'd rattled her brain and would have brain damage or something, all because I left her on the bed and turned my back for 2 seconds! I even made Adam come home from work -- I was prepared to take her to the emergency room at the FIRST sign of abnormal behavior!!

I am so glad that Kelsey is okay. I'm sure she'll keep her distance from those stairs for awhile now. :); 10/29/2008 2:01 AM
mary said...: I don't think it gets any better... yikes!

P.S. I've caught up on all your recent travels, and I would like to know -- what are you guys going to do when you return to the States and have to live a normal life again? I am so amazed at all the awesome, picturesque places you've been able to visit. When you've seen them all, please send me a list -- maybe a top ten or something -- so I can tell Dave where we're going when we ever get out of school!!; 10/29/2008 3:07 AM
Unknown said...: Oh my goodness Jess, I totally understand the feeling! I'm so sorry you had to go through that but I'm so glad she's okay. How scary. There's no feeling worse than thinking your child is hurt.; 10/29/2008 9:56 AM
Chelsea F. said...: Falls can be scarey! Chloe fell down our stairs for the first time a couple of weeks ago (she had her shoes on the wrong feet). I felt sooo bad and kept blaming myself for not fixing her shoes. Oh well guess it's all part of motherhood =).; 10/29/2008 5:51 PM
lyn said...: i know exactly what you are feeling...all too well! you are a wonderful mom, this is just of "those things" that happens with children. we are all very lucky to be as loved as we are by our Father in Heaven. he loves us and is wathing over us adults as well as his little ones!; 10/29/2008 7:15 PM
Jodi said...: Oh no... You are not overreacting at all! In fact, I was surprised when I read that you "almost" cried... Brody rolled right off his changing table the other day and plopped right onto the ground. He was fine. A little shook up, but fine. It was me that needed the consolling! Brant had to calm me down for at least 10 minutes afterwards! I felt so terrible. I had just stepped away for two seconds... Hard lesson learned.. I couldn't agree with you more about how blessed we are to have a loving Heavenly Father who looks out for us as mothers and our little buddies. Don't ever feel alone and don't ever feel like you are overreacting... You are such a wonderful mom, Jess... I can tell just by seeing all the amazing things you do with Kelsey.. It's these times that we realize how amazing our responsibility really is.; 10/29/2008 8:36 PM
The House that James Built said...: hi guys...were finally bloggers! saw you guys on holly & jasons blog list. you guys look like you are having a GREAT time in europe...wish we were there!! it'll be nice keeping in touch-even if it is through a blog! xoxo liz; 10/30/2008 2:17 AM
fünf said...: You are TOTALLY overreacting.

Just kidding, Jes. It doesn't stop-- once they are your baby they are always your baby. A kid said something mean to Sam the other day and I totally called his mom. You are talking to the queen of overreact-- and you know what- we are entitled to it. I don't care what anyone says.

I am so glad Kels is ok.

Love ya!; 10/30/2008 2:24 AM
Shari said...: We have all had those moments. It is amazing our kids grow up in one piece-in spite of their parents!! Just wait til she is an adult and tells you all the crazy things she has done!! I am so glad she is okay and give her kisses from Aunt Shari-I love her!!!!; 10/31/2008 6:05 AM

Kelsey Speaks

April 14: Advertising works, even for kids. Kels just came up to me with my iPhone and the app "Team Umizoomi" ready to purchase. I asked her how she knew about it and she said, "this mom put team umizoomi on for her kids and it teached her kids and he did it all by himself!" I've seen that commercial too, but never realized how much she soaked in! I'm a sucker, I downloaded it.

March 14:

We were having a new babysitter come and Kelsey wanted her to play a game but wasn't sure she'd know how. "What language does she speak?" I said, "English." Kels said, "Oh no!" I said, "Kelsey, did you know that YOU speak English?" She looked surprised, "I do!?"

October 17:

We had our carpet pad replaced today and the carpet guy was using a heavy duty iron that smelled like burning. Kelsey came in and said, "Mom, is that dinner I smell?" Thanks Kels, thanks. Says a lot about my cooking!

October 11:

So I'm on the phone and the Kelsey does soemthing that makes Aiden cry. I tell Kelsey, PLEASE make it better, say your sorry and make him stop crying. She starts singing, "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine..." I started cracking up. I think she's a little too obsessed with Tangled.

February 19:
Family prayer
"Thank you that Aiden is incredible and that he could watch Incredibles with me. And thank you that mommy can change things."

February 9:
Family prayer tonight by Kelsey: "Thank you that mommy could be a good listener (?), thank you that mommy can be so stretchable...in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." I laughed and asked her what stretchable meant. She said it meant that I can read Aiden books and change his diaper, put us to bed, play with us, and wiggle us and throw us, stuff like that. Does that mean she's grateful I can do mommy stuff?

January 5:
While at my mom's house in California, she said, "I want to stay at Mimi's forever!" I asked, what about your toys and our home in Utah?" She replied, "I like Mimi's toys downstairs." "But what about your friends back in Utah?" She replied, "they can get in the car and drive really, really far and come see me!" She has it all figured out.

January 4, 2011:
Tally read aloud a sign as we passed a church, "Jesus is making a list." She said, "No, Santa is making a list, and checking it twice."

December 20:
She was sad after I scolded her for taking her brother's food. I asked her why she was sad and she said, "My life hurts right now."
"With Christmas just a few days away?" I said. She perked right up.

December 13:
Tal was going to bed early and we all jumped in bed to give him hugs and say goodnight. Kelsey said, "I like it when our whole family is in bed together. Dad, you're hot. But I like it hot. You're the hottest."

December 9:
I had made a big effort to go to the gym and literally had 30 minutes to work out and then be back before everyone came over for play group. I get Kelsey out of the car and walk around to get Aiden. Kelsey says, "Mom, you can't wear THOSE shoes to the gym!" I looked down and sure enough, I was wearing my Crocs. I'm so glad she saw it before I'd gotten Aiden out of his car seat, gotten the kids checked into day care, and stepped on the treadmill. 10 points for trying, right?

October 22:
"Mom, I don't wanna have a baby in my tummy. I don't want to have a baby doggy come out."

October 3:
"Mom, you shut up and I'll shut down." (playing around with the word shut up to get a reaction from me).

September 30:
"Aiden, you have pretty eyebrows."
August 15
While sitting in our master bathroom, Kelsey said, "You guys have two sinks."
Us: "Yes, we have two sinks, isn't that nice?"
K: "No, I don't like it, you need to take one out. I need more room to sit."
Tal: "When you get married, you can have one sink in your bathroom."
K: "When I marry Aiden?" (who she said she wanted to marry when we were talking about weddings the day before).
Tal: "You can't marry Aiden, he's your brother."
K: "I want to marry DADDY!"
Jess: "He's mine, darlin. Daddy is already married to mommy."
K: "My cousins?"
Us: (Laugh, gave up...we'll have this talk one day when she's ready) She is constantly playing with my bouquet of silk flowers in my room and saying, "I'm getting married mom." I guess she picked that up on her own...I don't think I've ever talked about the flowers with her!

August 11:
As I'm putting her to bed I said, "Kelsey, your little body is so tired because you didn't take a nap today and little bodies need naps."
"And sometimes big bodies do too?" she said.
After the gym today, we caught her doing her hand clasp thing. Tally said, "Don't do that, you're doing it so hard you're getting sweaty."
She replied, firmly, "Well I just back from the gym." (which is true, but she was at the play place at the gym)
May
(While shutting herself inside the kitchen pantry)
K: Alright Aiden, I'm going bye-bye to Lily's house, 2 seconds, and when I come back, I'm going to Zoe's house. Okay? Okay, see ya later.
(about 2 seconds later, she opens the door)
K: Oh, hi Zoe's house!
She has been cracking me up (mixed with a little worry) with her imagination. If you ask her what she did today, she'll say she played with her cousins. We don't play with cousins everyday, but she does, in her imaginary play. She'll tell Libby and Zoe to come downstairs to the playroom or come outside with her. Then I'll hear her telling one of them to go hide or that this doll is for them or that they are nice. She will also throw in Lily and Edie, and an occasional Colton, Carter or Spencer. But that's more rare. Maybe because she sees them the most? Or because they are boys.
She also loves to pretend she's mommy and I'm Kelsey. She'll ask me, "is your pee-pees coming, mommy?" (No, is yours?) She'll also say, "you want a treat Kelsey? Okay. " Or my favorite, "You go in time out mommy, no-no." When I ask what I did wrong she'll say it's because I hit Aiden. Shocking.
She is also such a good sister. When I was reading my friend Mary's blog today who just lost her baby girl and bawling, she came over and gave me a big hug and said, "it's okay mommy." Then, because I wasn't paying attention to the fact that Aiden had run out of Cheerios and was "asking" for more, she fed him her Cheerios. Then she came up to me and said, "mommy, Aiden wants more Cheerios." She's a great little mommy.
5/?- (while Tal is at work)
K: Mom, I want to tell dad I had fun at the doctor today - daddy, I had fun at the doctor today - oh you did - yeah, dr. M was really nice. Yeah? Yeah.
She has little conversations with herself as she imagines the conversation she had or will have. These crack me up. She does it all the time, I just need to remember to write them down.
5/29 -
K: Mom, don't let Swiper come swipe our new house, okay?
M: Okay, I will. I'll tell him, Swiper no swiping, okay?
K: Yeah!
She's on this kick where she says "everytime" or "everday" with almost every sentence. I guess she's learning how to tell time/days?
She also sings all the time, usually "I am a Child of God." How can I ever get mad at that sweet little thing?
February 1, 2010
J: "Kelsey, get up on the stool so we can wash your hands."
K: "Mommy, you need to pull my pants up first."
J: "Okay, sorry"
K: "You don't need to say sorry mami."
She's been saying sorry to EVERYTHING and so I think she's heard that a lot lately from me. It's funny to hear your own words come from the mouths of your little ones.
January 28, 2010
K: "I want to be baptized."
J: "You do? How old are you?"
K: "TWO! Aiden wants to be baptized too."
J: "You have to be 8 to be baptized."
K: "Oh, I EIGHT!"
A little boy was baptized last Sunday and she started noticing it more in her books about Jesus and we talked about it a few times this week. But the subject hadn't come up this day - she said it out of the blue.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Grateful

11 comments:

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