A Scary Night for Our Family
Last week I had the most terrifying incident I have experienced as a parent.
We bought Ezra a Cozy Coupe Truck for his birthday (in December) and decided he was finally big enough to enjoy it. On Tuesday night, he rode in it for the first time.
And he. was. DELIGHTED. I snapped a bunch of pictures and he couldn’t stop grinning and honking the horn. We’ve never had a Cozy Coupe before, and I was almost as excited as he was. He was so cute in it!
Elias and another neighbor boy were pushing him around, while I was standing talking with a neighbor, my back to the boys.
Well, the boys decided to go play with something and left Ezra in the car, in the cul-de-sac. I had no idea they were not with him until I heard Matthew yell, “Jess, who has the baby?” I whipped around and saw Ezra in the Cozy Coupe headed straight toward the street, down the steep hill of our cul de sac.
I screamed and started to run, harder and faster than I have in years. I was less than 2 feet from Ezra as he rolled into the street. Then the car hit the curb, flipped completely over, landed back on its wheels and started to roll down another neighbor’s yard. Ezra was holding tightly to the car’s doors and thankfully kept his little feet up and didn’t try to stop on the ground.
I got to him as he slowed to a stop near some bushes and he looked at me, bawling, “Ezra done Momma. All done car.”
As we walked back up the hill, Matthew with the car, me with Ezra, crying on my shoulder, I saw Adeline and Elias, both shaken and crying. I stayed composed, calming Ezra. As soon as we got in the house, I lost it, sobbing.
The what ifs have been with me since that night.
What if he had let go?
What if he had been hit by a car?
What if the car hadn’t completely flipped and he fell on his neck?
What if, what if, what if?
Ezra didn’t get hurt at all, which I am grateful for beyond words. He definitely hasn’t wanted to go back in that car though! He will say to us, “Ezra fall,” just out of the blue, talking about that terrifying ride.
Our neighbors have started calling him Evil Knievel. 🙂
I’ll never forget that night or how I have felt in the days after. Being a parent is terrifying sometimes, isn’t it? We are trusted with these precious kids lives and sometimes, things happen outside our control and we are helpless. It’s gut-wrenching.
Have you ever had a terrifying moment as a parent?
Yes–our family has had our fair share of scares–one involved that crazy car–very similiar to yours. We have had a roll over on a 4-wheeler, bike incident involving a steep hill, tree issues, stairs (20 of them) when each boy was 18 months, etc etc etc. All make me want to hold them tight, wrap them in bubble wrap and never allow them out of the house again. Some of the memories haunt me for days and weeks after–and feed into the momma guilt and anxiety that is ever present. I have come to realize though, that the bubble wrap and never leaving the house is not truly living–and so, we go out every day to live and enjoy and be a bit more cautious in one area–only to find another. Parenting is hard–especially the release part–So glad your little one is ok!
Thank you for that good reminder!
terrifying. sending y’all love.
Oh dear, Jessica. That is a most awful thing to have happened. So lucky that Ezra was unharmed.
We are so thankful!
((((hugs))) mama that is terrifying, I am so thankful he was not hurt.
I have only been a mama for 9 years and two terrifying moments still bring me to tears when I think about them.
The first one was when my oldest was 11 months. We were flying to San Diego (an hour flight) and I nursed my daughter during take off and she was fine but when I started to nurse her when the plane was getting ready to land, she unlatched took a deep breath and went limp. I started freaking out my baby was dead in my arms and because the plane was landing none of the flight attendants could help me. As soon as the plane landed the paramedics rushed on, they quickly undressed her and she moved. I was terrified but so relieved that she was alive. They asked me all kinds of questions had I been drinking, done any drugs? I then remembered the night before my husband had given me Sudafed because I wasn’t feeling well. The Sudafed got into my breastmilk and drugged my baby. Even writing about it still makes me cry. She was very groggy and lethargic most of the day but the paramedics assured me she would be fine.
The second moment was when my girls were 3 and 5. We were in the car getting ready to leave for a play date when I remembered I had forgot something in the house. I pulled back into the garage and got out of the car leaving the drivers side door open (I always close it) and started to run into the house when I heard the most horrific scream. I turned around and my car was rolling back down the driveway with my girls strapped inside!! I ran after the car and thank God everyday that I had left my door open. I somehow threw myself into the car and pulled the e break as hard as I could. I don’t know what I would have done if the drivers door had been closed.
OH MY GOODNESS! So terrifying. Wow. Glad everyone was okay.
I have a terrifying parenting experience. I will spare all the details, it is a long story.
My second to the oldest was about three, he was a tiny three year old. Basically what happened was he got scared in the middle of the night and hid in a tiny cupboard in a nightstand. We didnt even know that that part of the nightstand even opened into a cupboard. Weird, I know.
So I go into check on him and he is gone…..completely GONE. We searched for about 15 minutes when we finally called the police. Everyone screamed his name and searched everywhere. He ended up falling asleep in there and couldn’t hear us.
The police started questioning us, because after 45 minutes of them searching, they didn’t know what to think.
I lost my mind.
Finally we heard police officers yelling for help. One of them found him in the nightstand, and because he wouldn’t wake up, they thought he was unconscious.
He finally woke up. Everyone was crying, even most of the 20 plus officers were pretty shaken.
I will never forget that feeling. I often think about parents who don’t find their kids and how that feeling must never go away.
I’m so thankful your little one is okay!! He is a cutie pie!
OH MY GOODNESS. I am terrified for you.
Oh. My. Goodness. My heart is beating so hard reading this. I’m so glad Ezra is OK. We’ve been blessed enough to not have any terrifying moments. Every time my son goes out to play with friends, I’m a mess for the first 5 minutes.
Thank you for your kind words! I’m so glad too.