Last week Monday, I had a really terrible day. My nerves have recovered enough that I can now write about it. I think it's important to write it out for myself, and if you get to read it, thats okay too.
On Monday, I took William to his Pre-K class like usual. Instead of going to the gym with Stephen as I try to do, I ran some errands. My last stop was Trader Joe's, a store I do not get to visit often. The shopping went just fine but as I was checking out, I lost track of Stephen. He had been playing with the toy kitchen set just in front of the row of check out stands but when I looked up from bagging a few of my groceries, he was gone!
My heart raced, I scanned the entire front of the store with out any sign of him. I ran to the escalators (this TJ's is on the bottom floor) and didn't see him there either. He was nowhere. I ran back to my cashier and told him what had happened and he encouraged me to keep looking, not to worry about the line growing behind me. On my next scan of the store, I saw him by the elevator. A cashier close behind him. He was having a blast "shopping" with his mini-cart. He had even put a few things inside. He was so happy to show me his treasure. I was so flustered.
I paid for my stuff and huffed it all back to the car. Grateful for the kind cashiers and friendly shoppers who didn't seem to get mad at me at all.
________
That afternoon, Stephen refused to nap (much like right now), but I was determined to finish folding the laundry anyway. When William woke up it was time to put it all away (in the bedroom where they sleep). I took the basket to the room and promptly heard William screaming for me. I shouted "What is it?" and he replied, "The dresser fell on Stephen. Help!" Ah! I ran to the living room/master bedroom and saw my baby buried under the three-drawer IKEA dresser. All of the drawers had slid out and he was crying underneath it all. I tried to pick it up quickly and ended up leaning it against my back while I got him out of the way. Thankfully, he was just fine. Mostly scared and stuck. I cleaned up the mess, put away the laundry and then corralled them both outside to the library.
_________
At the library, I help William find his books and then turn to Stephen and put away all the books he had taken off the shelf. I tell him to come with me to find his books and turned to walk to the board book section. I assumed he was coming. After I found two books I thought he would like, I turned to see that he was not in the same section as me. I stood, scanning the room without seeing any sign of him. I ask William where he went, William has no idea. I speed walk the entire downstairs of the library without a glimpse of my little boy. I had seen a family leave the library exit that leads to the playground so I rush outside thinking he snuck out behind them. Nothing. I run into a friend out there and she confirms she hadn't seen him. I run back into the library and ask William to check the bathroom. As he heads in there, an older man asks him "Where is your parent?" I was right behind him and said, "I sent him in to see if my toddler was in there, I can't find him." At that the man suggested I look upstairs because he had seen a little guy on the steps. I run upstairs and there is Stephen at the very top, holding on the banister, looking down with the saddest expression on his face. I exclaim "Stephen, there you are! Why did you come up the stairs?" (He isn't really talking yet so he just hugged me.)
As I was turning to leave, my friend that I had seen outside saw me. She told a story of her middle child being very similar and suggested I look into a leash. Turns out those were made for a reason! I burst into tears. She didn't know about the earlier incident that day. That I lost him twice in public. That I might seriously need the aid of leash to keep him safe. My nerves were fried. I really couldn't handle anything else that afternoon.
________
That was all in a day and I'm so thankful it's over. I've been much more aware of where Stephen is all the time now. But on Tuesday, he still managed to grab my curling iron from the bathroom and plug it in an outlet in the living room (it was on and hot when I found it). Thankfully, no burns.
And on Thursday he fell down a few stairs right outside our apartment door.
We survived the week . . . barely. This almost 2 year old of mine is keeping me on my toes to say the least. He's a lot of fun and he is super cute, but he also wears me out!
Last week Monday, I had a really terrible day. My nerves have recovered enough that I can now write about it. I think it's important to write it out for myself, and if you get to read it, thats okay too.
On Monday, I took William to his Pre-K class like usual. Instead of going to the gym with Stephen as I try to do, I ran some errands. My last stop was Trader Joe's, a store I do not get to visit often. The shopping went just fine but as I was checking out, I lost track of Stephen. He had been playing with the toy kitchen set just in front of the row of check out stands but when I looked up from bagging a few of my groceries, he was gone!
My heart raced, I scanned the entire front of the store with out any sign of him. I ran to the escalators (this TJ's is on the bottom floor) and didn't see him there either. He was nowhere. I ran back to my cashier and told him what had happened and he encouraged me to keep looking, not to worry about the line growing behind me. On my next scan of the store, I saw him by the elevator. A cashier close behind him. He was having a blast "shopping" with his mini-cart. He had even put a few things inside. He was so happy to show me his treasure. I was so flustered.
I paid for my stuff and huffed it all back to the car. Grateful for the kind cashiers and friendly shoppers who didn't seem to get mad at me at all.
________
That afternoon, Stephen refused to nap (much like right now), but I was determined to finish folding the laundry anyway. When William woke up it was time to put it all away (in the bedroom where they sleep). I took the basket to the room and promptly heard William screaming for me. I shouted "What is it?" and he replied, "The dresser fell on Stephen. Help!" Ah! I ran to the living room/master bedroom and saw my baby buried under the three-drawer IKEA dresser. All of the drawers had slid out and he was crying underneath it all. I tried to pick it up quickly and ended up leaning it against my back while I got him out of the way. Thankfully, he was just fine. Mostly scared and stuck. I cleaned up the mess, put away the laundry and then corralled them both outside to the library.
_________
At the library, I help William find his books and then turn to Stephen and put away all the books he had taken off the shelf. I tell him to come with me to find his books and turned to walk to the board book section. I assumed he was coming. After I found two books I thought he would like, I turned to see that he was not in the same section as me. I stood, scanning the room without seeing any sign of him. I ask William where he went, William has no idea. I speed walk the entire downstairs of the library without a glimpse of my little boy. I had seen a family leave the library exit that leads to the playground so I rush outside thinking he snuck out behind them. Nothing. I run into a friend out there and she confirms she hadn't seen him. I run back into the library and ask William to check the bathroom. As he heads in there, an older man asks him "Where is your parent?" I was right behind him and said, "I sent him in to see if my toddler was in there, I can't find him." At that the man suggested I look upstairs because he had seen a little guy on the steps. I run upstairs and there is Stephen at the very top, holding on the banister, looking down with the saddest expression on his face. I exclaim "Stephen, there you are! Why did you come up the stairs?" (He isn't really talking yet so he just hugged me.)
As I was turning to leave, my friend that I had seen outside saw me. She told a story of her middle child being very similar and suggested I look into a leash. Turns out those were made for a reason! I burst into tears. She didn't know about the earlier incident that day. That I lost him twice in public. That I might seriously need the aid of leash to keep him safe. My nerves were fried. I really couldn't handle anything else that afternoon.
________
That was all in a day and I'm so thankful it's over. I've been much more aware of where Stephen is all the time now. But on Tuesday, he still managed to grab my curling iron from the bathroom and plug it in an outlet in the living room (it was on and hot when I found it). Thankfully, no burns.
And on Thursday he fell down a few stairs right outside our apartment door.
We survived the week . . . barely. This almost 2 year old of mine is keeping me on my toes to say the least. He's a lot of fun and he is super cute, but he also wears me out!
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