So I am pretty sure I am not receiving the Mom of the Year Award anytime soon based on our July 4th escapades!! Within 24 hours I managed to allow both Leighton (3) and Jean Paul (1) to seriously harm themselves. Yes Yes Yes I know I can not be everywhere at all times, but I do like to pretend I have it all under control LOL.
Leighton's Escapade:
The night before Independence Day we were hanging out with our neighborhood friends like always and the time had come for fireworks. I was adamant that we were not doing any because my kids were to young and would be the ones to get hurt. Well wouldn't you know Leighton rose to the occasion; our little over achiever. And I must add that she was so terrified last year of Pop Pops; as she calls them, I figured oh what the heck we will be inside shortly anyway. NOPE not this year she was running around with all the kids in amazement while as usual Jean Paul just sat there eating snacks as if nothing was going on. As moms we swear all the bad things happen that one second you look away, well it is true. Next thing I know I hear loud screaming and crying. Leighton runs up to me as some of the older kids are saying she burned herself. Mom mode took over and as we assessed the situation we could see her thumb and pointer finger tips were black. Being that we were pretty sure she picked up a stink bomb we honestly thought it was the powder coloring from the outside of one. She honestly did not cry as long as I would of guessed but we headed home to Dr her up! After I got Jean Paul to bed I came back in the living room to see my husband, Brent with the burn gel and Band-Aids spread out everywhere. Leighton looked up at me with puppy dog eyes and said " Mommy the Pop Pops burned me." As I felt my heart drop I looked at Brent as he mouthed "it's pretty bad." After she was in bed Brent then told me that it was not powder that was on her fingers they were indeed black from being burnt. That night I asked Brent over and over If he thought she was ok and what if I would of just made her sit by us instead of running around with the other kids??? For the next few days it was a battle to get Leighton to let us take off her band aids to check them unless they would randomly fall off while she was playing and didn't notice. But by far saddest part was each night at bath time she would scream bloody murder in the tub as the blister would get wet. The sound of her crying was like a dig in my heart each time, saying "way to go mom you failed again."
Jean Paul's Escapade:
July 4th we made plans with our very good friends we grew up with! The Cappel's are not just friends they are our family. Growing up our families did everything together, but as you get older life gets busier and get togethers do not happen as much. So when they invited us over for a BBQ and swimming we were in!!! So all day we swam, played and ate! Both of my kids barely got a 30 minute nap that day, but they were having so much fun I didn't even care. Fast forward to that evening when we get home. Brent heads out to cut grass (his second job) while I let the kids relax with a movie and play because it was honestly to late for a nap anyway.... And we all know what happens when you let them have a late nap. Well I walked into our front bathroom for a quick potty break, that was literally all of maybe 3 minutes long. As I walk back into the living room I see Leighton on the couch watching her show, but no Jean Paul. Now you must know Jean Paul has completely rocked our world in just 16 months. I mean this kid needs barely any sleep and does not care if he gets in trouble because he literally laughs at consequences and punishments!! So off I go Jean Paul? Jean Paul where are you? I finally make my way to our master bedroom bathroom (we have a 1500 square foot house but when you can't locate a child it feels like 3000) and find him sitting on the floor with his back to me. There you are Turtle (his nickname)! Cue the gasps and the mom saying No No what is that? He looks up at me smiling as he is swishing little purple and white capsules around on the floor with an empty medicine bottle next to him. Yeah the kind that is kid proof.... Well this kid should of been in on the strength trial for this company because clearly he found his way into it. I pick him up swoop his mouth to find it empty and occupy him with a toy and start counting pills. 15 ok look on the bottle Qty dispensed 30 and date dispensed 24 days ago. But I don't freak out yet because I know I had another bottle I was using at the time I filled this, but then it hits me that means I have know way of knowing if he took any? FREAK OUT TIME. Ok so I tell myself it's bath time for him since that always keeps him happy and meanwhile Poison Control gets a call from me. The lady was extremely kind and understanding as I cried to her on the phone. She made a lot of valid points leading to evidence that more than likely he did not take any. But to be safe she told me to watch for certain signs ( most of which I convinced myself he had because he was so tired from swimming all day ) and she informed me to keep him up till she called back in an hour for an update. Brent rushed home more than likely because he could barely understand me through my tears on the phone. Oh and for the fact that he knows I sort of over react to EVERYTHING LOL. After the hour we were allowed to let him sleep but were advised to check on him hourly through the night. All of which we did but when he woke up around 5 AM I didn't let him soothe himself back to sleep I went in and rocked him back to sleep and just held him, because I finally felt like I could actually breathe again.
So no I am not gonna get the Mom of the Year Award anytime soon if that day is involved in the nominee process!! My mom told me she understood how much I felt defeated, but she also warned me that I will have many more scary moments in the future. Because that's what being a mom is. I can honestly say it reminded me once again of how precious Gods gift of life is to us, and how much it truly takes to protect them. But that's just it we are also human and we can only do so much. Could I have put my foot down about the fireworks or held in my pee a little longer.... ABSO FREAKING LUTELY but sometimes we just have to trust that what's meant to happen will happen. Sometimes I have to not be the Helicopter Mom who hovers over her kids because deep down she is scared beyond reason to lose another child. The painful thought of knowing it has happened to me before haunts me daily. But with Braxton I wasn't able to protect him in the way I can my other two. So it's a hard balance between why me? How did that happen? and When will I be blindsided again? So many fears. I am their mother, I am supposed to protect them always..... and that is one of the biggest guilt trips I replay over and over in my head about Braxton. Even if his disease was part of Gods plan, I am his mother, I was supposed to protect him. And as crazy as it sounds I still feel like I let him down, because in the end I could not fix him. I pray every single day that he knows in his heart I would of given my life for his, I would of done anything to save him. But for now, I think he sent me Leighton and Jean Paul to take care of the best way I know how, and that is with true/undying love. The type of love that physically makes you hurt when your kids hurt.... A Mother's Love!
Leighton's Escapade:
The night before Independence Day we were hanging out with our neighborhood friends like always and the time had come for fireworks. I was adamant that we were not doing any because my kids were to young and would be the ones to get hurt. Well wouldn't you know Leighton rose to the occasion; our little over achiever. And I must add that she was so terrified last year of Pop Pops; as she calls them, I figured oh what the heck we will be inside shortly anyway. NOPE not this year she was running around with all the kids in amazement while as usual Jean Paul just sat there eating snacks as if nothing was going on. As moms we swear all the bad things happen that one second you look away, well it is true. Next thing I know I hear loud screaming and crying. Leighton runs up to me as some of the older kids are saying she burned herself. Mom mode took over and as we assessed the situation we could see her thumb and pointer finger tips were black. Being that we were pretty sure she picked up a stink bomb we honestly thought it was the powder coloring from the outside of one. She honestly did not cry as long as I would of guessed but we headed home to Dr her up! After I got Jean Paul to bed I came back in the living room to see my husband, Brent with the burn gel and Band-Aids spread out everywhere. Leighton looked up at me with puppy dog eyes and said " Mommy the Pop Pops burned me." As I felt my heart drop I looked at Brent as he mouthed "it's pretty bad." After she was in bed Brent then told me that it was not powder that was on her fingers they were indeed black from being burnt. That night I asked Brent over and over If he thought she was ok and what if I would of just made her sit by us instead of running around with the other kids??? For the next few days it was a battle to get Leighton to let us take off her band aids to check them unless they would randomly fall off while she was playing and didn't notice. But by far saddest part was each night at bath time she would scream bloody murder in the tub as the blister would get wet. The sound of her crying was like a dig in my heart each time, saying "way to go mom you failed again."
Jean Paul's Escapade:
July 4th we made plans with our very good friends we grew up with! The Cappel's are not just friends they are our family. Growing up our families did everything together, but as you get older life gets busier and get togethers do not happen as much. So when they invited us over for a BBQ and swimming we were in!!! So all day we swam, played and ate! Both of my kids barely got a 30 minute nap that day, but they were having so much fun I didn't even care. Fast forward to that evening when we get home. Brent heads out to cut grass (his second job) while I let the kids relax with a movie and play because it was honestly to late for a nap anyway.... And we all know what happens when you let them have a late nap. Well I walked into our front bathroom for a quick potty break, that was literally all of maybe 3 minutes long. As I walk back into the living room I see Leighton on the couch watching her show, but no Jean Paul. Now you must know Jean Paul has completely rocked our world in just 16 months. I mean this kid needs barely any sleep and does not care if he gets in trouble because he literally laughs at consequences and punishments!! So off I go Jean Paul? Jean Paul where are you? I finally make my way to our master bedroom bathroom (we have a 1500 square foot house but when you can't locate a child it feels like 3000) and find him sitting on the floor with his back to me. There you are Turtle (his nickname)! Cue the gasps and the mom saying No No what is that? He looks up at me smiling as he is swishing little purple and white capsules around on the floor with an empty medicine bottle next to him. Yeah the kind that is kid proof.... Well this kid should of been in on the strength trial for this company because clearly he found his way into it. I pick him up swoop his mouth to find it empty and occupy him with a toy and start counting pills. 15 ok look on the bottle Qty dispensed 30 and date dispensed 24 days ago. But I don't freak out yet because I know I had another bottle I was using at the time I filled this, but then it hits me that means I have know way of knowing if he took any? FREAK OUT TIME. Ok so I tell myself it's bath time for him since that always keeps him happy and meanwhile Poison Control gets a call from me. The lady was extremely kind and understanding as I cried to her on the phone. She made a lot of valid points leading to evidence that more than likely he did not take any. But to be safe she told me to watch for certain signs ( most of which I convinced myself he had because he was so tired from swimming all day ) and she informed me to keep him up till she called back in an hour for an update. Brent rushed home more than likely because he could barely understand me through my tears on the phone. Oh and for the fact that he knows I sort of over react to EVERYTHING LOL. After the hour we were allowed to let him sleep but were advised to check on him hourly through the night. All of which we did but when he woke up around 5 AM I didn't let him soothe himself back to sleep I went in and rocked him back to sleep and just held him, because I finally felt like I could actually breathe again.
So no I am not gonna get the Mom of the Year Award anytime soon if that day is involved in the nominee process!! My mom told me she understood how much I felt defeated, but she also warned me that I will have many more scary moments in the future. Because that's what being a mom is. I can honestly say it reminded me once again of how precious Gods gift of life is to us, and how much it truly takes to protect them. But that's just it we are also human and we can only do so much. Could I have put my foot down about the fireworks or held in my pee a little longer.... ABSO FREAKING LUTELY but sometimes we just have to trust that what's meant to happen will happen. Sometimes I have to not be the Helicopter Mom who hovers over her kids because deep down she is scared beyond reason to lose another child. The painful thought of knowing it has happened to me before haunts me daily. But with Braxton I wasn't able to protect him in the way I can my other two. So it's a hard balance between why me? How did that happen? and When will I be blindsided again? So many fears. I am their mother, I am supposed to protect them always..... and that is one of the biggest guilt trips I replay over and over in my head about Braxton. Even if his disease was part of Gods plan, I am his mother, I was supposed to protect him. And as crazy as it sounds I still feel like I let him down, because in the end I could not fix him. I pray every single day that he knows in his heart I would of given my life for his, I would of done anything to save him. But for now, I think he sent me Leighton and Jean Paul to take care of the best way I know how, and that is with true/undying love. The type of love that physically makes you hurt when your kids hurt.... A Mother's Love!
So sorry- David had to have activated charcoal and an overnight hospital stay for a similar event- it's hard- keep depending on God who knows EVERYTHING ALWAYS to still your heart and mind- you are a sweet mom Sarah, and your kids are so blessed to have you!
ReplyDeleteI never knew that story about David! Love you so much 😘
Delete