Thursday, November 02, 2006

The trouble with tea

The trouble with tea is that it's hot. And it splashes. Today the playgroup went to the home of Beth Nolen, a lactation consultant who kindly leads a free support group for new moms. Beth is wonderful and if you live in DFW and are in need of breastfeeding support, you should definitely get in touch with her. Beth lived in Northeast England 20 years ago and when she offered hot tea today, I took her up on the offer. I knew she probably had a good selection of tea. So I got my big ole mug of Earl Grey and sat down in her living room next to Jackson. The tea was in my right hand and Jackson was about a foot or two away from me on my left side. I thought nothing of it. And then. Those terrible words. He fell backward into his mama - the one whose most vital responsibility is to protect and nurture him - and had the horrible shock of hot tea splashing on his face and head. I could have died. He cried in a way I had never heard before. It was so sad. Beth calmed us both and wiped him with a cold wash cloth. He bounced back quickly and will probably never remember. But I will ALWAYS remember spilling hot tea on my child's head.

On a lighter note, Jackson's top two front teeth are breaking through. I may eat my words, but it's not as bad as when the bottom ones were coming in. This is causing a new fascination with tags. But of course his new toy with colorful tags all over it doesn't do it for him. He also crawled two steps (do you call it "steps"?) three different times today. He was trying really hard to get my hairbrush. Right this moment he's in the high chair eating a biter biscuit. I haven't tasted one yet, but they must be incredibly good because I've never witnessed so much laughter and squealing over a food product. Not even at the fair when I ate the corn dog of my life. Jackson's enthusiasm might have had something to do with the ability to both eat it and bang it loudly against the tray.





3 comments:

Clay said...

For some reason I leave obscenely (is that a word & did I spell it right?) long comments on your blog...I am sorry about that! Anyway- I too burned my baby with hot tea...yes, it is very hot & yes, they do let out the saddest sound you've ever heard. But no, they will not remember & you are the only one who will carry that scar! (Let me clarify, the burning was not on purpose...I thought I had the mug VERY far away & out of his reach at a little Hawaii diner...apparently, it wasn't far enough!)

Steph V said...

Those moments are the hardest ones. I too speak from experience, but not with tea or coffee for that matter. No...JD pulled my flat iron off the counter and scorched his hand (in my defense, he was asleep for the night (so I thought) when I was doing my hair, he woke up and aftre I got him out of his crib he wandered into my bedroom where the flat iron was still on for touchups). Needless to say we spent the evening in the e.r. He's fine now, no scarring whatsoever, which is amazing b/c they were 2nd degree burns, but I will always remember. Unfortunately, JD doesn't remember and therefore didn't learn his lesson b/c he still trys to grab the cord - I'm just more careful!!!

McClure Family said...

I haven't burned Sam, but I clipped part of his finger when trying to clip his nails when he was tiny. I guess he isn't scarred for life, but I know that I am!