This was a LIFE CHANGING experience, and I PRAY it never happens to anyone...
After we got home from the Fair I was not feeling very well. I left the kids with Matt and Preston who were watching a Baseball game (maybe that was why I was not feeling good... BORING) and headed to the room for a little nap. I was awoken a hour later because Landon wanted to eat... ugh! So I fed him, and I was still not feeling good. But I helped Matt get the kids ready for bed, and after I changed Landon I told Matt that I needed a shower and drugs. So he took the kids, and I grabbed some Headache Medicine and a nice shower.
I am not sure how long I took with my shower because my mind was SO out of it. I got out of the shower and was slowly getting myself ready for bed when Matt comes into the bathroom and tells me "I can not find Hailey."
At first I am annoyed because I am sure she is somewhere, but after searching the ENTIRE house with Matt I start to freak out. My headache at this point has gone to the wayside by the way. I am in SURVIVAL MODE...
I run to the front door to see if it is unlocked... PHEW it is... ok, she must be in here... wait I run to the sliding glass door... it is shut, but not locked... So I run outside and it has only been a few minutes but by this time I SCREAMING my little daughters name " HAILEY!!!???"
I run back in the house after not seeing or hearing her. My little brother is sleeping on the couch and I yell "Preston, we can't find Hailey!" He jumps up as quick as I have EVER seen him jump up and he starts searching with us.
My mind is a BLURR at this point, and I am shaking.... shaking... I search the ENTIRE house again... I hear Matt and Preston yelling her name too, and I just stand on the back porch of my parents house CRYING and SHAKING... I am in disbelief... I start to think "someone has taken my baby and I am not going to see her again..."
I run to the front yard, I had to open the gate so I HOPE that is another sign that she might be somewhere we have not looked... I am HYSTERICAL... a car drives by slowly and I am worried that they have my baby... I do not know what to do... I run back in the house and I grab the phone and I call 911... The operator asked me what the emergency is, and I tell her " I can't find my daughter... she is only TWO..." The nice operator tries to calm me down and asks me questions " What was she wearing, how tall is she, what is her name... I can only muster a few answers... I am still screaming her name and I hear her voice "Mommy..." my heart skips a beat, I am in my parents room at this point and just searching all over. I tell Matt I heard her voice and he looks at me like I am nuts... Matt and Preston run outside looking there yet again... Matt gets the neighbors involved in the search, and I just feel helpless... I hear the operator asking me questions but I am NUMB... I stumble to our hallway, and I fall to my knees.
I have been in this position every night with my sweet little girl before bedtime saying our prayers... so I say a little prayer that we will find her and that she is ok... Then I hear the operator ask me where we saw her last and I fall apart thinking I will never see her again...
I get up off my knees and I run to my little sister Sharon's room... I have searched this room twice already, but something makes me go there again. I jump up on her bed and there behind the baskets of laundry is my little princess...
I grab her and she feels lifeless... this scared me even more I start yelling I FOUND HER... I FOUND HER... The operator asks me if she is ok... I realize she was just sleeping which is why she was lifeless and I tell her she is fine and THANK YOU! ~
I hang up the phone and it drops from my hand. I thought I had been crying before, but NOTHING compares to me crying now. Hailey opens her eyes and looks at me... she says " Oh no, Mommy's Sad." and she touches my face. I tell her, " No, baby these are happy tears." and I just hold her in my arms. By this time Matt and Preston made way back into the house, the neighbors heard me say I found her and let them know. I guess they were half way down the street in opposite directions. I know we are all relieved... it was our worst nightmare come true...
We put her to bed, and we all sit there talking about what a horrible experience it was. You hear about these things all the time, but you never think it will happen to you... I checked that room she was sleeping in 10 times that night!
This experience had helped me learn two very important things... First I really do love my daughter. No matter how much she act's like the typical 2 year old and Second... when you find yourself on your knees, you know what you need to do.Heavenly Father Answers Prayers!!! And I am SO Thankful for that!
7 comments:
Woooo! I was super nervous reading that! I'm really glad that she is safe and that she was asleep! I don't even want to imagine if she HAD been awake somewhere lost! One time I got separated from my mom in Walmart, I was obviously a little older since I remember it, and it is STILL terrifying to recall that today! Prayer works!!
What is it about the Andersen house and missing two year olds? Remember that time that Kim wandered out the back door and we found her almost at Ed and Tina's? My heart about stopped! I know how you feel. Tell that Hailey to be a good girl and stop scaring her mommy. ;)
Wow, that's so scary. I know about the 911 operator thing too. They try to calm you down and ask questions, but it's so hard to answer any of them when you are so upset. I'm glad Hailey was just sleeping. That's so scary.
Oh that is so scary! I am so glad she was just sleeping in a very hidden place.
BTW, I must say that I love that I run into you every time I am in Fresno! Too fun!
I already knew before I read this that you found her because of Preston's facebook but I still cried, dang pregnacy hormones! I've only had two very short experiances when I didn't know where Katelyn was for like 2 seconds and I almost panicked, I can't imagine how I would have felt if I'd been searching this long. Now you know how mom felt when yopu fell asleep hiding in a clothing rack, like mother like daughter!
So glad you found her and everything (and everyone) is okay. :-)
Yeah, reading that was a nail-biter, and the whole time I was like "AUGH! What if Camie ever does that??!!!" I would totally freak out the same way. What a scary feeling!
I'm glad HFather answers prayers too!
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