Baseball people say that in order to be a closer—the guy who comes in to record the last three outs of a victory—you need a certain mentality that enables you to forget all previous failures and focus on doing the job at hand.

What I’ve learned in the last 48 hours is that being a father requires the very same approach.

Since L fell off the bed under my watch, I’ve ripping myself to shreds over the fact that I allowed something like this to occur. It hasn’t mattered that the same thing easily could have happened while Powergirl was watching the baby; I’ve been harping on the fact that it happened while L was under my care.

Tormented with this guilt, last night was a long night. This morning, however, when L woke up at her usual time of 6:15 a.m. (with no ill effects, I might add) and was raring to go, I had to snap into action as if nothing was amiss.

I needed to apply the closer mentality. And I admit, folks, it was one of the biggest challenges in 13 months as a dad.

I was still pretty freaked out about the baby’s fall, and thoroughly furious with myself for letting my always-prepared-for-anything neuroses down. Also, I was nervous about what her doctor would say during an emergency appointment this morning.

Receiving good news from the doctor definitely alleviated some of the stress. The doc gave L a thorough inspection, and said the baby is sore but fine.

As I write this, L is playing with momma in the next room, acting like nothing ever happened.

And so, with the first big tumble in our rearview mirror, I know how I must change. I’ve already vowed to eliminate bed naps; from here on out, when we nap together, we’re sleeping on the floor. The next step, of course, is working on my closer mentality, sharpening my ability to compartmentalize my own agita when circumstances require me to focus more on being a dad.

Considering that L isn’t even walking yet, I’m sure I’ll have plenty of opportunities to sharpen this latter skill. Hopefully, by the time her siblings arrive, I’ll be a veritable Mariano Rivera, keeping everything together almost all of the time.