The ulna. It sounds like something snuck in your toddler’s nose, doesn’t it? Or maybe a kind of dessert you don’t really want to try after all. It turns out, though, that the ulna is a bone in your forearm, on the closest-to-the-floor side if you’re typing at the computer. It’s a bone that is likely to fracture if you hold up your arm to protect your face from a heavy object hurtling through the air or if you try and protect your toddler as you barrel down the stairs in a way other than God intended (i.e. by falling).

Yesterday morning, as I was bringing Toddler-tron downstairs around 5 AM and half-dreaming of sugar plums (in the form of a hot shower and a steaming cup of joe and a few minutes online), I missed a step. In our old farmhouse, missing one step is like missing two in these new houses. Thankfully, I was halfway down. Thankfully, TT is unharmed. I, however, did not escape unscathed. A trip to the ER and a few X-rays later revealed a hairline fracture in my left ulna. Thankfully, I’m right-handed. Thankfully, friends and family are showering me with TT help and meals.

And to think, all I wanted for my birthday was a day with Hubby.