and then the afternoon came . . ..

So remember that warm, fuzzy, "I love being a mommy" feeling from my earlier post today? It's gone . . .and in place is a song whose lyrics keeping running around in my head. It goes something like this:



Let me start at the beginning . ...

Ava and I had been having a great day. Swim lessons started this morning. Good morning nap. A grocery store trip with a cute little girl that waved and said "HI" to everyone who passed her by. Happy mom. Happy baby. Happy life. (this is where some doom-say music should start playing).

We pulled into the garage and I proceeded to quick unload the groceries with Ava still in her car seat. It's always so much easier than having her at my feet to trip over as I run in and out of the house. I had one more trip to go.

As I passed by the car, my hips (or maybe it was my belly already) hit my car door a little and it shut. But no big deal. The car was unlocked and I wasn't concerned.

I grabbed my last item out of the trunk and closed it, ready to get Ava out and head inside.

That's when I heard it.

The sound of automatic locks engaging.

Who ever knew that shutting your trunk can cause all your car doors to automatically lock.

You didn't?!

Me neither.

All I can say is my stomach sunk more than it ever has in my entire life as I looked at my daughter still strapped in her carseat . . ..and my car keys sitting on the driver's seat INSIDE the car.

WAIT! NO BIG DEAL! WE HAVE A SECOND SET!

I raced inside to the keys, raised my hands . . .and saw the empty hook.

That's when I remember that I had used the other set when I went to 4 seasons the other night and had LEFT THEM in the car too (Ryan and I just swapped cars).

I was sick.

I called Ryan in a panic and tears and told him to come home now, that Ava was locked inside the car. I grabbed a wire hanger from upstairs and started unraveling it as I raced back to the garage to try and pick the car's lock.

I got sicker.

You see, our saturn comes with these handy, dandy sun screens that run alongside the window . . .and make it virtually impossible to stick a hanger through the window frame.

Ava, by now, is upset, warm and crying "Mamamamama" as she holds her arms out to me.

I got a little sicker but am trying not to bawl and upset my daughter fuller.

I call Ryan, on his way home, a little more panicked.

He suggests I could bust the passenger window in. But that kind of freaks me out. What if a piece of glass hit Ava?

So I stand by the window, singing songs with Ava to try and keep her calm, as the screams of "BAD MOM" start escalating in my brain.

Ryan gets home and starts trying to work. He ends up tearing off one of those handy dandy sun screens from the window in hopes of trying to then get through the window frame. It doesn't work.

I got even sicker.

Ava by now is just plain upset and starting to get really sweaty (thank God we were in the garage and it wasn't a couple weeks ago with the awful heat and humidity!).

I have a full symphony of "BAD MOM" playing in my mind now.

Finally, Ryan looked at me and told me the words that as a mom, I never wanted to hear.

As soon as I hear the 911 operator, I about lost it. I think that was when the real panic set in. But I managed to sputter out the situation and give them our address.

The operator was so sweet, told me it happened all the time (what mom believes that in the moment), that it wasn't so hot we should be concerned for her safety and that an officer would be here any minute.

I go back to trying to sing to Ava (in between wiping tears) and we wait.

Then I hear the sirens.

I can only imagine what my neighbors had to be thinking as the cop car races up to our driveway.

The officer jumps out, grabs some tools from his trunk and has Ava out of the car in 2 minutes flat.

I've never been so glad to hold my daughter in my life.

She was drenched with sweat . . ..but it took about 30 seconds for her to become quickly enthralled with the cop car and a truck that just went by. God bless the memory of a one year old.

If only mine was so short!

The officer could not have been nicer. I wish I would have gotten his name to write a letter of thanks. I'd have given him a hug if I had been willing to put Ava down.

But what made the sweet song still playing (albiet a little quieter) in my head pick up volume again?

When the officer looked at Ava's still very visable bruise/bump on her head and said, "looks like someone has a good bruise."

Yes. my name is Amber. And I not only managed to let my daughter get locked in the car . . .but yes officer, she also has a goose egg on her head and a huge scratch on her neck.

The symphony is playing again.

The officer sweetly said, "I have a 13 and an 11 yr old . . .but I still remember those days."

Sure.

I bet you never locked THEM in a car.

I never thought I"d be HOPING Ava wakes up during the night but I think MOMMY needs to be rocked tonight.

Start again tomorrow?