While I was on my trip to Texas, I had a scary moment involving my baby. I was busy working on getting my bags packed to head home the next day. A family member had graciously offered to keep track of the baby while I packed. He was very needy on that trip and just wanted me the whole time, so I was grateful for the break. I stayed inside the lake house packing and occasionally glanced outside where my kids were on the pier with several adults. I wasn’t worried. I knew they were all being looked after.
At some point, I decided to walk outside to clean out my rental car. Just as I looked up from cleaning, I saw my stroller plunge into the lake, along with one of my family members jumping in after it. I froze. I remembered the last time I saw my baby, he was in that stroller, strapped in, headed down to the pier. You always wonder if you are the type of person that will immediately jump into action, or if you are the type of person that freezes. I guess I’m the type that freezes. Instead of running down to the pier (I was a good long sprint away) I just screamed, “Is the baby in there???!!” I heard an inaudible response. Because of the way the boat house was situated, I could not see the rest of the adults. So, I didn’t know where anyone was. All I saw was my stroller’s handle bars, and someone trying to grab it. I screamed again the same question. Finally, I heard back, “No!!!!!!”
I can’t describe the relief that washed over me. I pictured my sweet baby strapped in and that heavy stroller trapping him at the bottom. It was a surreal experience. Once I realized he was not in harm’s way at all, but sitting, unaware of the chaos, in his grandmother’s arms, I realized I was shaking. Instead of rushing down there and being angry at people that did nothing wrong, I went inside and gathered my thoughts, took a few deep breaths, and tried to stop shaking. It was a scary moment.
It was just a windy day, and no one thought to lock the stroller wheels. The plus side was that my dirty stroller got a much needed bath.
You never know how much you love your children until you have an experience like this. Maybe it is more like they are lost for a moment in a store, or you don’t see them for a second at the park, but no matter what, we’ve all had those close calls. I am grateful, though, that all of those adults were taking good care of him. A stroller is just a thing. A child can never be replaced.