The Most Terrifying 10 minutes of My Life

Do you remember the post a few weeks ago about my daughter getting out the front door and halfway down the street before I even knew she was gone? Well, she did that again today, but got all the way around the block. Friends, I have never been more terrified in my entire life!

We had just come in from a morning errand and I thought I had pulled the door closed, mindful of course of my little escapee, but went to put my purse and some other things down and just didn't I guess. Well, we came into the living room and she and I sat down to watch some cartoons. She was sitting by the door chewing on a plate stand of all things, and I was sitting on the couch checking emails. I glanced over and saw her sitting there quietly watching tv and gnawing on that plate stand and continued with what I was doing. I got that feeling again...the "It's just too quiet over there" feeling. I glanced over again and didn't see her! The plate stand she was chewing on laying right by the door (just like the blanket before). I bolted out the door, but this time she wasn't just down the sidewalk, I didn't see her at all. I started yelling for her, hoping I would hear her giggle or hear her little shoes clomping as she tried to run further, but I heard nothing. I ran around the house, behind the neighbor's house and then the other neighbor's house and still nothing. By this time I was crying hysterically, still calling for her and out of breath from running.

I reluctantly decided to run into the house to get my phone to call 911. I clumsily sifted through my purse, but finally found it. As the operator answers, I yell out, "My 2 year old baby got out the front door of the house and now I can't find her!" I'm surprised she understood me amidst all the panting, sobbing, and screaming her name. She asks me for my address and I can't remember anything but the street name, even though I'm standing on the street, right in front of my house. But I manage to say, "608." She asked me repeatedly if she was breathing and I was like, "Lady, I told you she's missing...how would I know?" (I didn't say that though) But maybe she was talking about me because I was gasping for air at this point, still running up and down the streets, about the go into a panic. The 911 dispatcher tells me that she's got the police and an ambulance on the way when I see a young mother walking around the corner carrying a toddler and another child walking alongside her. I thought, "I've got to ask this mom to help me to look for my baby!" I start running towards her and realize that she's carrying my baby! I yelled at the 911 dispatcher, "Oh my God, she's ok, someone found her, she's ok!" The 911 lady asked me again, "Is she breathing?" I said, "Yes, she's ok!" She asked if I would be needing the ambulance or the police and I got out a, "No, but thank you. She's ok." And then I hung up.

That sweet young mother, whose name is Melissa was putting her own children in the car to take them to daycare and saw GG out in the road running around. She said that GG was running around in the road and that 2 trucks had to slam on their breaks to keep from hitting her! She got about a quarter mile away from the house ya'll! In like 3 minutes! I just sobbed and grabbed Melissa to hug her and thanked her profusely! Then grabbed my baby and squeezed her tight!

I was terrified someone had snatched her up and had taken her away. But there are angels among us that intervene when we need them most...human ones and celestial ones! As I was running around looking for her, I began praying to Jesus asking Him to help me and I called on the angels to go before me and find my baby and keep her safe, and I believe with all my heart that that's what happened!

It's painful even writing this. I've cried most of the day and have just been sick to my stomach. I haven't been worth a dime all day! When I put the baby down for her nap, I crawled in my bed and took one myself. It could have turned out so differently, but I know I can't dwell on that or I'll go crazy. I have to concentrate on the fact that she's ok and give God the glory for it. But it was a wake-up call to be more diligent in my efforts to keep her safe because she really can get away from me in a second...even with me sitting 5 feet from her in the same room!

So this post is for the mothers of children who aren't yet toddlers (those of you who've had toddlers, already get it) to be on top of your babies at all times. Never take your eyes off them for a second or assume they can't get away from you, because they can and they will!