Morning Routine with a Twist

Most mornings Eli and I take a walk. We both love to be outside, and it is about the only time of day that we can be out there without having a heat stroke. Plus it's a good way for me to keep Eli happy and entertained while I have some quiet time to just think and pray and gear up for the day.

By the time we make it down to the end of the walking trail through the park behind our house (about 1.5 miles), I am ready to be high-energy Mommy for the day. :) And Eli is ready to run around and be high-energy himself like he is 24/7. :) I take him out of his stroller and let him run around on the playground. I push him in the swings and listen to him squeal with delight. I chase him and tickle him and get him good and worn out so that he is all too ready to be put back in the stroller for another 1.5 miles home.

I love our morning routine. I love seeing his little feet dangling down off of the stroller. I love watching him point to trees and listening to him babble about who knows what. I love his huge smiles as he swings. I love his laugh as he runs. I love our time outside together, doing something we both enjoy so much.

Today, however that joy was slightly marred. Today my baby had his first big boo-boo, and it broke my heart! We've had our share of bumps and bruises, to be sure, but blood has thus far been avoided. Until today.

The park where we play has this rubbery stuff as the ground surface. It feels like the surface of a track, kind of bouncy. The edges of it slope down to the concrete. As Eli runs around every morning, he definitely gains speed as he goes down the little slope to the concrete, but he manages it fine. Until today. Today he went tearing across the playground, down the little slope, and did a face-plant into the concrete. He started screaming immediately, and I was so scared of what I would find when I lifted him up. There was blood all over his mouth and nose, and I couldn't see where it was coming from. All I knew is that Eli was sad and that there was a lot of blood. I tried to calm him down and used my t-shirt to wipe the blood away. Eli calmed down really quickly, which was a good sign, but the blood kept coming. He wanted to get down and run around again, but the blood was dripping from his little lips. I was chasing my child around trying to wipe blood off of his face with the t-shirt I was wearing. I'm sure it would have been an amusing sight to see.

Long story short, Eli is fine. He scraped up his upper lip pretty badly, but there are no deep cuts. He has a big fat lip that is red and raw from the scrapes, but I don't think he could care any less. :) One bloody boo-boo survived, hundreds more to go, I'm sure.

And you should have seen the look this lady gave me as I passed her on the path. Rightfully so, though- what would you think if you passed a woman whose white t-shirt was covered with blood? :)