Mother of the Year

It's not official, but I might just be Mother of the Year. A prestigious honor, and one I didn't expect to earn so early in my tenure. And, I'm sure you're asking yourself, how did I qualify for such an honor? It was simple, really. Just had to dislocate my son's elbow.

Before you run to the phone to call the Department of Children & Families, he's okay. And, according to the ER doctor, it's not that big of a deal. It happened a few weeks ago, just after Sam discovered what fun it is to hang upside down. He was leaning backwards off of my lap while I held onto his hands. As I brought him up (slowly, I promise!), the elbow slipped right out. He cried, but eventually stopped and, since it was close to dinner time, we attributed it to a longing for a bottle of the house white. When he didn't grab the bottle with two hands, we knew we had a problem.

It's apparently very common and not cause for alarm. It is, however, cause for complete embarrassment and a feeling of overwhelming guilt. The doctor and nurses reassured me that it happens all of the time and some kids are just more prone to it. It's even got its own slang terms: "nursemaid's elbow" and (my favorite) "nanny arm."

But, as usual, the kid took it like a champ. They popped it right back in and we didn't even have to give him Tylenol. A couple of stickers and we were on our way. A tough guy already!

Sam remains committed to never crawling and is now a fairly nimble butt scooter. I originally joked about the Swiffer pad...but am seriously reconsidering my stance on that issue. (Oh, another factor in my Mother of the Year nomination is the level of filth that my child manages to pick up as he scoots his way across the floor.)

The Mother of the Year honors were quite special this time of year, what with me celebrating my first Mother's Day. It was a lovely day that included sleeping in and kicked off with a special breakfast made just for me. Putting the cherry on top of my MOTY nomination, we went to my favorite pub for a couple of pints. Mmmm.

Adrian had a perfectly perfect day planned and it was such a treat. I'll assume it's because he loves me and not because he was establishing a precedent for the Mother's Day/Father's Day celebrations. It's better that way.

And, just in time for Mother's Day, Sam said his first word: "da-da."