Shaken Baby

She was only two weeks old and already experienced a close scrape with possible death.

Evan was holding her. The great big brother that he is, lent me the notion that I could use those few minutes of respite to make a quick trip to the bathroom.

Upon exiting the loo, I heard a lot of boisterous laughing. With my kids – that is never a good noise, and I knew instantly that something dreadful was happening.

I entered the family room to find Evan forcefully tossing the baby’s shoulders and head up into a sitting position and then letting her head fall roughly back into the crook of his arm.

My heart dropped.

I ran to her rescue and swooped her up into my arms.

I wasn’t mad. Surprisingly. Instead, I was just so extremely disappointed. Tears came to my eyes. “I thought I could trust you. This is so dangerous.”

Evan’s punishment: grounded from holding the baby for 3 days.

And Zion: grounded for 2 days for laughing with Evan and not protecting her sister.

(Having them grounded from the baby was actually a lovely thing. They are constantly wanting to hold her. There is no doubt, this little baby is loved. I just need to enforce to them what appropriate baby love is.)

My punishment: worrying our newborn wasn’t going to make it through the night after being shaken so violently.