Grace, is that you?

Well, now I’ve done it…

I start this post by saying that Claire is okay. Momma? Not so much. I’ve been better…that’s for sure.

Claire and I have been practicing walking down the stairs. After last night, it’s quite clear that she has surpassed her teacher and is much better at it than I am.

She’s at the stage where she insists on going down the stairs like a normal person, but she requires a hand to hold. Yesterday was much chillier than it’s been lately, so she had on her socks. She thought it was great fun to slip down each step with both feet at once. This is not the acceptable way to do things, so I made her stop and said, “We go ‘big step’ with one foot, and then…” before I could finish my sentence, my own foot slipped (because I, too, was wearing socks), and I fell all the way to the bottom!!

I hit my tailbone/lower back REALLY hard when I landed on the first step and then hard on each step after that. I screamed for my hubby, because I’d left Claire standing at the top of the steps!! We’d made it to the second or third step before Momma took her tumble. I was so afraid she’d fall. She was quite upset, but stood still.

Luckily, I’d had the wherewithal to let go of her hand, so that she didn’t fall, too!! Of course, I had my cup of water in my other hand, so there was water everywhere, and I was in excruciating pain. That pain hasn’t really subsided, and my whole lower back/tailbone area is swollen. I don’t feel any tingling, so I don’t think I’ll go in to the doctor yet. Plus, what could they do? All the good drugs make me pass out or vomit…and those options just don’t seem very appealing to me.

Sitting here at my computer hurts just as much as laying down does. Walking is pretty unbearable, and the act of getting up and down is brutal.

I guess if you’re gonna go, go big.

My hubby decided to work from home today, because I really can’t pick up Claire, lift her over her play area walls, or in/out of her crib. He has meetings (conference calls) most of the day today, and is being as available as he can be at this point.

Needless to say, Claire has finally seen Momma cry, and she was quite distressed. She’s been telling us all night and all morning that Momma fell down, and Momma was crying, and Momma’s back huuuuuuuuuuuuurts.

I talked to my contact at the company where I work as an independent contractor, and she’s telling them to stop the files for today. I hadn’t decided what to do when I called her, but the pain is making it hard to focus. While on the phone with her, I noticed the 2-inch diameter bruise/swollen area on my arm, by my elbow. I knew I whacked it on the way down, but I had no idea it was so disgusting.

Now, I understand why my hubby kept trying to distract me from looking at my arm! This morning, while still in bed, I said, “My elbow is killing me!” and I kept trying to twist it to look, and he said, “There’s no need to get freaked out. Let’s focus on your back.” At the time that didn’t make sense, because I wasn’t getting freaked out about my arm, so I didn’t know why he would say that. It’s all becoming very clear now.

Anyway…I have a bunch of files to get finished for today, so I’m going to focus on that. All the pain-relief/breathing techniques I learned for my labor are coming in handy today. (Someday, I’ll post about that experience.) If being in bed hurts just as much as sitting at my computer, I’d rather be as productive as I can today, because I don’t know what the pain will be like tomorrow.

I had these grand intentions of posting about this being the anniversary of the September 11th attacks and my feelings about that day, but reality jumped in and changed the agenda on me. That’s okay. Quiet contemplation is more my speed today.

So, there ya have it. No, my name is not Grace, and if it were, the irony would be overwhelming. I hope you’re having a better day than I am!!

Edited to add:  Check out the follow-ups to this story! Necessity, the Mother of Invention, Attack of the Side Effects, and I feel giddy!