So I'm on my way to a girl's night...en route to Roses' to meet some girlfriends and I decide to stop at the Target (a) because it's on the way and (b) because I haven't checked the kids clothing section since Tuesday and I now have a new niece to add to my shopping list...
My one arm is laden with a basket of miscellaneous nothings and my other arm is draped with girls outfits. I am just holding up another cute shirt when I hear my name being screamed out of the
Nextel phone in my purse. Brad is screaming my name and then screaming something unintelligible except for the words "Sydney, choking, and Med Center". My blood runs cold and I immediately drop the shirt I'm holding. I start screaming into the phone because for some reason I think this will help him hear me better. I'm temporarily blinded by fear and running frantically through the racks and once I get to the aisle I don't just drop but fling my basket and armload of clothes which crash into an end cap. I am running through Target while people are side stepping me and I am still yelling into my phone a rapid-fire of questions. I am hysterical.
I get to the car and just as I'm climbing in I hear the sweet sound (I never thought I would ever say that until now) of Sydney's screams in the background and I suddenly feel a peace. If she was choking, then she is breathing now and although Brad says she is vomiting at least she is screaming, and breathing!
I drive literally 96 miles per hour on the highway to the Med Center. I pass a cop and he ignores me! I pray the whole way and remain surprisingly calm; holding on to the sound of that scream in my head.
When I get to there I walk in to hear those familiar screams and am ushered back to one of the rooms where I find my poor husband covered in vomit without shoes or wallet and a hysterical Sydney writhing in his lap.
I pick her up and finally let the tears come. Any parent will know the sweet relief and yet horrific slide show that goes through your head once you know your child is safe but might not have been. Horrible. There is also nothing better then holding that child against your cheeks while you squeeze the life (you think you almost lost) out of them because you are so happy. Wonderful.
Then you watch as that child settles down and suddenly looks like they are chewing on something and you try to get it out and they scream at you because they want to keep chewing it. So you hold them down and squeeze those cheeks you just kissed and fish out a tiny plastic 5-pointed star that you have never seen before in your life but was apparently causing all the
ruckus and you are in disbelief that she still wants to eat it! AGAIN! Are you serious!?
And then you laugh, because she laughs and is, just as quickly as it happened now quickly back to her old self; pointing at the lights and Daddy and jabbering on about "Birdie", and the nurse comes in and shares a similar choking story about her
grand kids and suddenly nothing else matters in the world except that your kid is fine and now digging in your purse looking for something else to put in her mouth. Good grief.
Praise the Lord.
Having a little lunch in the shade of the Tree Fort
