Mystery Shiner

"You should see the other guy."

Last week Mason got his first real black eye.  Well, wait-let me explain, because that's not entirely accurate.  He woke up Thursday morning with a big bruise and bump on his cheekbone (you can see it on his cheek).  The next day, the bruise migrated to his eye, as bruises tend to migrate.  This picture was on day 2.

How did he get it, you ask?  We're still not really sure.  It's a mystery.  As a toddler he falls a lot...maybe it happened one of the times he got hurt the day before and we didn't know then how bad it was?  He's been sleeping in a toddler bed....maybe he was playing in his room in the dark during the night and got hurt (even though we heard no crying)?  I guess we'll never know for sure.

But one thing is for sure...he was still a happy boy!  It didn't seem to hurt or bother him, which I'm glad about.  Because it looks really sad.  But he wasn't.  He was his same active, goofy, fun-lovin' self.

The lighting in the tub made it look especially dramatic.  You can tell by the yellowing that it's starting to heal, but it still looks pretty bad.  I've had to explain myself to every single stranger who sees him and endure their accusing eyes.  Seriously people?  He's TWO!  Kids get hurt!  The worst part was when they'd ask what happened, I was honest and said I wasn't sure.  Then they'd raise their eyebrows and look at me like, "Your kid got hurt this badly and you don't KNOW how it happened?!"  And I, in turn, was inwardly yelling, "Don't you have kids?  Don't you remember how they got hurt all the time?!"  Some people understood.  Others judged.  It bothered me at first, but now I'm over it...and wishing I'd come up with a better story...

It's been over a week, and it's still very noticeable even though it's getting a lot better.  At least he's still a happy kid.  Maybe we'll get lucky and it'll be healed by next weekend for Tracy's wedding, so the mystery shiner doesn't become immortalized in her wedding pictures.  Eh, here's to hoping. :)