Hug your kids extra tight for me

So I could post all kinds of fun chatter about how the kids started karate last week, and how Matthew's doing great and has his first stripe already, and how Kaylee… well, she looks really cute in her gi. ;) Or about their new inflatable sprinkler that they loved, but that burst the third time we used it. Or about the kit I'm working on designing that has a mind of its own and will not go the way I want it to. Or about Kaylee's dental checkup this morning, which went totally fine. But my head is just not there right now. It's in a much darker place. Because last night Kaylee choked.

I was getting everything ready for supper, and had put the kids' vitamins out on the table like we always do. Well, Kaylee loves her vitamins and had gone over to eat hers. The next thing I knew she was up running around with Matthew, and I could see her chewing, so I very firmly and sternly sent her back to the table and went back to filling the milk glasses. She was right back up again, and I could hear her laughing with her mouth closed, so I knew she still had something in her mouth. I turned around to send her back to the table, and the next thing I knew she was coughing and gagging and crying, but still getting air. And then she stopped.

I grabbed her and did something resembling a Heimlich maneuver. It didn't work. Her face turned blue, and she collapsed.

I did it again, and screamed for Mark and he came in and whacked her on the back. Well, apparently one of those two things did the trick, because she could breathe again.

We had a very long talk with both kids about what had happened, and I think it got through to them. I hope it did. Kaylee is back to her usual perky self today. I am not.

The whole thing only lasted a few moments. And it went so fast, and yet in slow motion at the same time. And I cannot get the image of her face, at that moment, out of my mind. I try to keep busy and distracted, but the instant there is a second of idleness, the image is back. And it's all I can do not to cry and grab my kids and just hold onto them forever.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Oh Kim... You poor thing. That's a terribly scary thing to go through and I"m so glad that Kaylee is ok now.

{{{{HUGS}}}}
Melinda said…
How very scary!! I'm so glad it turned out all right, and it would certainly haunt me too.
Big {{{HUGS}}}
Priscilla said…
What a horrible scare!! Those are the moments where being a parent can be the scariest job in the world. (((Big Hugs))) and I'm so glad that Kaylee is okay.
Anonymous said…
Oh Kim!! I am so glad all turned out well!! God that is so scary! And to think, 5 minutes ago I was yelling at JT to give me little break. I think I'll take a break from surfing the net and go give him a hug. Sending you big hugs tooo!!!!
Anonymous said…
Good lord. That is so scary. I'm so sorry that it happened, and so relieved you were writing about it after she's already back to herself. Wow. May that be your closest call!
karin said…
Kim. oh, Kim. I am so sorry ... sitting here reading that gave me goosebumps. My eyes filled with tears, and I couldn't get that image out of my head. I know that image. I've seen it myself, and it is terrifying. I am so glad that Kaylee is better and back to herself. Awful.

Just awful to have gone through that.

((((hugs))))
Francine said…
Oh Kim, that is so very scary.

HUGS to you, my friend.
shelly c said…
That was frightening, glad that Kaylee's ok now.
Natalie said…
OMG! KIM! When Molly was 2, and fell into my sister's pond (which I learned later, was 4' deep), and we were inside watching... I think I understand how a mere few seconds can feel like it's still too slow, and I am now, of course, extremely water-paranoid where the kids are concerned. Molly never seemed the worse for it; she didn't need any medical attention (my sister is a nurse; she checked her over carefully). But those seconds, when you don't know? I know what you mean; they can shatter your core with their reminders that our hold on these things can be pretty tenuous, in certain circumstances.

So very glad she's okay...