Near Escape, sort of.

In my defense, Hallie has never choked while eating. Not once (except while drinking, but what can you do? Like mother, like daughter I guess). AND she has sixteen teeth, with which she is usually extremely good at chewing, I make sure because when she does it she tends to put way too much food in her mouth.

I wasn't hungry when she wanted lunch today, so I sat her down with her little plate of food and she began happily munching away. My attention drifted, and I was completely distracted, thinking about, of all things, the papers on our refrigerator. All of a sudden she made a noise that will remain, for the entirety of my existence, as one of the scariest sounds I'll ever hear. My heart stopped, I turned to look at her, and she had this panicked look on her face.

I said, stupidly, "Are you breathing?" Although, again, in my defense, I have been caught many times thinking she was choking when really she was just, say, pooping. So I'm a little skeptical of my own instincts now. She started turning a little red and I was trying to get my heart pumping again so I could move my arms to get her out of her high chair and figure out how to remove the food that was blocking her airways when all of a sudden I heard this strained intake of breath. Then she exhaled and began to look more relaxed, so I tried to relax. "You're ok?" I said. She just stared at me like "what's goin' on mom?"

Without even realizing that I was doing it I dropped my head, and closed my eyes and began one of the most jumbled, albeit heartfelt, prayers I've probably ever prayed. I couldn't seem to decide if I should focus on repenting for not being a more observant and careful mom, or gratitude that my little girl was just fine and that I had not been called upon to use my rusty skills in first aid.

Phew. She's sleeping now, and I will try to curb the impulse to check on her every ten minutes like I did when she was a newborn. All is well.

Comments

  1. *hugs* you are a great mama :) and yay for near escapes!! xoxox

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  2. Oh man! B and I are in nursery now...We had a new kids mom step out during snack time this past Sunday....right after he put as many pretzels as he could in his mouth...He started to cry and then began choking. Thankfully, we were in the room with someone who has been a mom already because we definitely just stood there and watched as she tried to scoop all of the pretzels out of his mouth. I eventually went running for his mom, but oh man! Def. made me think twice about how under qualified I am to be a parent...and made me terrified to become one some day! Glad she was OK :)

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  3. I'm glad she's ok and sleeping now. Count your blessings that you were there beside her and not, say, in the restroom.
    BTW, did you know that I miss you???

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  4. So scary. I'm glad she's okay and that she took such a long nap. :) You're the best mommy ever, Ames.

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  5. Hallie is blessed to have the best mom and dad in the world! I predict she will grow up to be a mommy herself, to carry on the proud tradition!

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