That feeling you get when....

......when your child is out of your sight for

more than 3 seconds and your heart stops

until she walks back into view.

 

OR

 

When you lock the key in your car at the post office

WITH YOUR 6-MONTH-OLD BABY

in 107 degree weather!

 

Yes this happened and yes I panicked

with a big fat capital P!

 

We had taken the stroller in so kids would

sit still while I finished taping boxes and

sent our father's day gifts off.

We were in the PO for like 5 minutes,

and walked back out to the car to find

that I had accidentally left the back door

still open when we went in.

(So I pressed the lock button on the keychain

as we walked away to go inside but left the door open

without realizing it.)

 

So I just grabbed Jace in his carseat

(with my car keys and phone still on his lap),

buckled him in, shut the door, and

walked around to put Lainee in.

Her door was locked. Huh.

So I pulled on the front door.

 

 

I'm thinking "crap, the keys are in there and

we'll have to sit out here and wait forever."

BAM
".....................Jace is in there!"

 

I frantically RAN around the car pulling on ever handle

several times and then started to cry.

Lainee was like "Mooom, why aren't we getting in?"

Pulled it together enough to ask to use someone's phone.

As soon as I said "Can I use your phone? My baby's locked in the car!"

I started to lose it again. Cried as soon as I heard Garen's voice.

 

LUCKILY we just purchased a 2nd car the day before

so Garen was able to hop right in and come get us.

OF COURSE he had to stop and wait 5 extra minutes for

a freaking train to cross!

(HELLO TRAIN, my baby is locked in the car!!!)

 

We waited. Jace was content the first half of this wait,

playing with his plastic chains, and looking at me out the window.

After a while he must have realized how hot he was

and that we weren't in there with him yet so he cried,

then screamed. Everytime I looked at him I tried not to bawl too.

Lainee kept saying "oh baby. Get my baby out."

 

I was sooo so relieved when Garen showed up

but then totally lost composure when I pulled my

sweet boy from his soaking car seat.

He was bright red from head to toe and

sopping wet in his own sweat.

 

Who would have thought locking a kid in the car for 20 minutes or less

would be so scary? I guess now that I live in such a hot place,

it's a new paranoia I have to add to the list.

 

I am feeling very blessed to have my perfect children today.

 

Moral of the story:

Make sure you shut all your car doors when you lock it,

and definitely don't shut any doors until you know you

have keys in your hand.

 

(Lainee was immediately taught to unlock the car door

from the inside for future precautions.)