Sophie's diaries : a strange incident

A week after Sophie turned 7 months old, she began sitting up on her own (from supine). And crawling on all fours to places.

She would also pull herself up to a standing position when placed in her play-pen. Fascinating.

While we celebrated another milestone (or two) reached, we realised that this meant that we would have to be more vigilant thenceforth, what with Sophie being a very curious and adventurous little girl. We erected borders and fences, padded her play areas and baby-proofed some sharp corners.

Then again, we can never be too vigilant. Especially when sleep-deprived and thus, taking it for granted that nothing too bad could ever happen.

Sophie usually sleeps on our bed, flanked by her parents - with thick duvets bunched up at the foot of our bed to keep her from crawling out. It worked fine for us so far. We, her parents, were still fast asleep this morning when we heard knocking sounds on our wooden bed frame... silence... and a split second later, a baby was roaring her lungs out from the direction of our feet.

My heart jumped out of my chest. I was horrified and terrified at the same time.

Her parents have never gotten out of bed so quickly in their lives.

Ben found her lying on her back on the hard floor. Anxiously, we examined her (more than twice, I should add) from head to toe - and found no apparent injury. She cried a little more (out of shock more than anything else) while we took turns to hold her in our arms - and after a milk feed and some encouragement, she was back to being her energetic self again - thankfully. She could still crawl to that same edge of the bed later and try her luck at crawling off. Again.

Her parents were more damaged than she was. However, when we recollected the incident, neither of us could remember any other sound in between the knocking sounds on our wooden bed frame and her crying. No thud. No bang. No sound of head hitting the floor (although she most likely fell headlong onto the floor). Just a silence that heightened the suspense and shook us as hard as a bang would have done.

Knocking... silence... crying.

We still wonder what transpired in between. It was certainly a miracle that Sophie hadn't sustained even a bruise from the fall - when there was nothing to break the fall. (We think that an angel bore her up so that she drifted to the floor like a feather would.)

This was the most disturbing and awesome incident for us so far. God be praised.

But co-sleeping might end for us soon.