First, let me start off by saying that I honestly didn't know that you couldn't leave your child in the car (running) while you went inside a store to quickly get something! Shame on me, I know. I felt completely horrible about it and have sworn to NEVER EVER do it EVER again. Being a mom, I should have known...
So this morning my husband sent me into town to get some parts for our explorer. Emery fell asleep on the way so I decided that since it was supposed to be a "get in, get out" trip I wouldn't bother getting her out.
I walk in and there is this old man that's smoking. In the store (I think he owned it). And he looks at me like I just walked into the wrong building. I had the old part in a bag and was going up to the counter, when this man takes it from me, while blowing smoke out in my face, and informs me that he's getting the part. Well, my husband had called in advance so I knew this man wasn't who he had talked to. It was the younger one with another customer at the counter. So already I was annoyed. Then the man goes and starts digging in the back and I said: "My husband called earlier, the man he talked to said he'd have the stuff ready." The old man grumbled. So as I'm sitting there I start to get this nagging feeling. And I start fidgetting. I keep looking out to the truck and this man is taking FOREVER. Finally, he comes back to the front, only to have the younger guy tell him that, that's not what we needed (the other customer had left). He informs me that he has to take my part and measure the inside to get the right barring. Shouldn't take more than a minute he said. Well, I had a bad feeling come over me so as he walked to the back, I walked outside and ran to the truck.
Sure enough, Emery was up crying and screaming. She absolutely HATES being alone or not being able to see anybody around her (it freaks her out so bad). She's started to get her tears too so her little cheeks were streaking with tears! I felt awful! It broke my heart to see her crying. I almost broke down myself. I literally felt like such a horrible mom. I got into the truck and started talking to her, calming her down. I took the car seat out and faced her towards me and she stopped. Her little eyes lit up and she smiled. Her eyes were still filled with tears but she was smiling. I took her inside. The guy had everything ready and bagged, I paid and we left. It took the old man 15 mins and it took the young guy less than 4. If he would have just listened to me when I had told him that we had called in advance, we could have avoided that whole mess!
I haven't put Emery down since. I can't bear to. That whole incident made me realize just how much my baby girl needs me. I also realized that I'll probably never be able to leave her alone again and just how hard it WILL be to let her go when I have too. All from just that single moment. Weird, huh?
As soon as she stopped crying the minute she saw me, I knew that our bond is completely strong and real. See, I always wonder if Emery really knows that I'm her mother? Will she get me confused with the babysitter because she spends more hours of the day with her than with me?! She's just a baby, how can she possibly know the difference? Well, I am positive now that she does KNOW who her mother is, and there's no confusion about it. I am also positive that WE as moms, CAN tell when something is wrong with our little ones. And I am completely convinced that nothing out there can break or come between that!
So in the end, I guess I learned something valuable from that old man's lack of listening skills. And I now know to never leave my child in a car, no matter how quick the trip inside is. Not only could something bad have happened, but if someone reported me, I'd be in BIG trouble!
Anyone else out there have a freak out moment like I did? Anyone make the same mistake I did? And how did you first realize that your bond is unbreakable?
