The cuts that appeared from nowhere

One day, Sonny's wrist were pristine. The next, ugly red slashes were screaming for our attention.

Not too long ago, we had to grapple with bruising that we could never properly account for (click here for more). But these painful lesions presented an even more frightening twist. You have to remember that the little fella, now less than a fortnight away from completing nine months with us, is an active critter who's forever exploring surfaces with tongue and hand. So when we discovered the marks, it wasn't just concern or sympathy that filled our minds.

It was mystification. The problem was this: Where in our home was there a dangerously sharp surface that could leave Sonny with such cuts? Things worsened when, a day on, new slashes appeared. It appeared as though he was still touching the mystery surface, with the scars to show for it. It was the weekend, and we hadn't really gone anywhere with the young 'un, so our home was really the only "area of interest", as police investigators might put it.

You might wonder why Sonny didn't simply avoid any place that could sting him so. But he's not very good at processing such "lessons": He may have fallen twice from beds, suffering nasty bumps on the head, yet he still barrels merrily along to the edge of any high surface (chair, bed, et cetera) - as though desperate to topple again.

We have to report that we still haven't pinpointed the guilty surface. However, our exhaustive search has reminded us again of the many dangerous spots that litter our apparently-innocuous home. There are nasty corners and edges where a spill could have unfortunate consequences. There are objects (like our tower fans) that Sonny could push over without too much effort. Less-than-clean items abound that he could seize and lick.

In short, our apartment is a nothing more and nothing less than a collection of traps and threats to the unwary baby, especially one that isn't being trailed closely by a gimlet-eyed parent. So although we have yet to identify the cause of the cuts that appeared from nowhere, at least we've had a reminder of how much baby-proofing still needs to be done.