break out the hankies.

I don't mean for that title to undermine what I'm about to share, because I'm totally.serious.  Whenever I hear about a child getting seriously injured or worse - preventable or not - my heart aches.  I cannot fathom losing one of my babies, ever, because that's just not the way life is supposed to be.  I want to share this first one primarily as a warning to mamas with little ones in infant carrier carseats.  Please, please, please.  Do not put your baby's carseat in the upper portion of the shopping cart. 


I learned about the infant's death from Krista over at Not Mommy of the Year.  She linked up another blog post about it. I found a couple news stories about it.  I looked up our carseat's warnings and guess what it says? 
 "NEVER place carrier in top of shopping cart.

Carrier will not be secure and could fall causing injury to child."

I probably should have read the instruction manual or the carseat, because you know what?  I didn't know.  I had seen other mothers putting their babies in the shopping cart like that.  Fortunately, I learned that this was a no-no sometime between the time Theo was out of the carseat and Dexter was into it.  But I did put Theo in the shopping cart like that.  And I got lucky, because nothing ever happened.  Now, I either wear Dexter in a carrier or he goes in the big basket part of the shopping cart.  This. Is. Scary.  And so preventable.  So one more time, pleeease. Don't put your baby carrier in the top of the shopping cart.

***

Sadly, I read about another unexpected child death that broke my heart.  One day he's here, one day he's not.  Can you imagine?  This one came from Lydia over at Rants from Mommyland.  She linked up a fellow mom blogger's story (don't click that link without tissues...I swear).  She posted his first-day-of-7th-grade pics on September 7th and just 4 days later, his picture, a bible verse, and the simple words "Our Beloved Son."  Sometime between those two posts, Jack died as a result of a flash flood related accident in Virginia.  I don't know if his death was preventable.  It doesn't really matter because Jack is gone.  Now there is an empty desk in his classroom and an empty spot at the dinner table. 

***

I don't know how long this link will work but ... a couple of weeks ago I also learned of a 2 year old toddler who ran across a busy highway, following his mother to their house from his grandmother's house.  The mother thought the boy's grandmother was watching him and the grandmother thought the boy's mother was watching him.  He was struck by a car going the speed limit (40mph).  Senseless and preventable.  And he's still gone.  In an instant, your life can change forever.  Can you imagine being that innocent driver?  The mommy?  The grandmother?  Heartbreaking. 

***

These kinds of stories make me want to hold my babies tighter, love them harder, kiss them all over, and protect them in every way I can.  I've been doing just that.  Won't you do the same with yours?

~C~

so saddened,
~C~