Saturday, January 26, 2008

I Should Really Win Some Sort of Award

The Golden Princess. Which I am not on.

Wow. What a day. Today my entire family and extended family went on a Mexican Riviera cruise without me. My Grandparents' 50th anniversary is this week and they took everyone to celebrate. Unfortunately for me, they don't allow babies younger than 6 months on the ship. Lame. So, I drove John to LAX to meet everyone flying in from Utah to catch the Princess Cruise shuttle.

I got to visit with my family for a few minutes before they left for the port so that was fun. I was sad as I watched the shuttle drive away with everyone I love in it, leaving me there in front of Delta Baggage Claim 1, but I survived.

The first part of the crazy day started there at the airport. William had a total blow-out. While he was in the sling. Poop was all over him, the sling and the front of my shirt. It was lovely. Luckily I was parked close and was able to get him all cleaned up in the back of the trunk. Then he was pissed and I had to nurse him there in the parking garage. Once he was happy, we finally were able to make the 75 minute drive home.

And then, I locked my keys in the car. Now this has happened to me a few times -- always when I'm with someone else or while I'm on my phone. I just apparently can't be distracted while exiting my car, otherwise I conveniently leave my keys sitting on the seat or something.

So, I was talking to John on the phone and got out of the car, leaving the keys behind. And William. Yep. I locked my baby in the car.

Not a picture of actual roadside assistance.

First I called roadside assistance who informed me that in the case of a child being locked in, I had to call the police. So, I called the police station only to get about a million recorded options but no way to actually talk to someone. Meanwhile, William had woken up and was looking around wondering why he's sitting in a completely silent car.

So, I called 911. 911 is for emergencies, right? Like, if you're having a heart attack or you've cut off your finger or something horrible and urgent, right? Well, the first 5 (FIVE) times I dialed 911 I got a busy signal. On the sixth try, it finally rang and I got a recording telling me that all the dispatchers were busy and to please hold. I was on hold for over 4 minutes. People can die in 4 minutes.

Finally someone took my call and said they were sending out a deputy. Even though William was screaming his little lungs out by this time, I was grateful that at least I wasn't calling with some sort of life-threatening problem.


Thank you, sirs.

Fifteen minutes later a deputy and a fire truck showed up. It took a cop and 3 firefighters about 10 minutes to unlock my door (not that I'm not grateful that they showed up and did it) -- when the roadside assistant guys have rescued me in the past, it's taken him about 7.5 seconds.

So anyway, there I was, looking through the back windshield at my baby screaming hysterically while neighbors watched out their windows at the fire engine, police car, and guys in uniform working on my car. It was definitely a low-point in my mothering career. And I still had poop all over my shirt.

So how was y'alls Saturday?

13 comments:

Lisa said...

You poor thing. I spent the day barfing or coming pretty close to it if it makes you feel any better. :(

suzy said...

Can I just say what a good mom I think you are that you didn't go on that cruise anyway and just get a babysitter? Most of the people I know would have just gone. And what a wonderful wife you are that you still let your husband go have fun. Just in case you aren't hearing it enough from other people. I think you are wonderful.

kelly said...

Cara, you DO deserve an award!! I can't believe your day! YUCK! This is a post to top all posts. What a story to tell little William some day.
YOu are a good mom!

sheena jibson said...

You deserve a million awards. I would have been bawling my eyes out knowing my husband was floating away into the ocean without me.

And nothing says "let us officially welcome you to motherhood" like poop on your shirt.

and....please know that calling 911 and getting a busy signal is my biggest fear. I've literally had nightmares about it. So sorry it had to happen to you!

at least William won't remember!

Morgan Jane said...

Oh Cara! I'm so sorry! Not being a mother, I can't even begin to understand how stressing it must have been, but you are a trooper. I guarantee in my version of that same story, there would be buckets of tears. Will has an amazing mom!

cara lou said...

Haha -- thanks guys. It was very distressing seeing Will cry so hard and not being able to help him.

And I was pretty okay about John going on the cruise without me until we got to the airport and I saw my family. Then I was really really sad when they all left me there in the dust.

Ruth said...

I hope the rest of the week is much better than the first day was!!! And you are an awesome Mom. You're such a natural at it. Poop on the shirt or not. =P

Anonymous said...

First of all, worst story ever. Make some extra keys, like six. Maybe attach one to your body. Also consider teaching Will to unlock car doors from the inside, asap. Or taking up lock picking as a hobby.

I hate being left behind. I'm most sad I didn't get to spend this week with him before he leaves for South Carolina. At least John is coming back and staying for awhile...(sigh)

Anonymous said...

What Cara failed to mention to you all is that I did not want to go on the cruise without her. I was essentially forced to go due to the fact that her grandparents had pre-purchased the tickets long in advance and Cara herself told me that I needed to be there.

So I went. And then William got locked in Cara's car. And I stayed on the phone with Cara the entire time she was waiting for the police to arrive... helping to keep her calm.

Then I got seasick on the ship which, combined with my unbearable sense of missing her AND our son, made for an altogether UN-fun time. Ask anyone else aboard.

Now I won't say I'm not grateful to her grandparents for the expense and that I'm not overjoyed with their fantastic achievement of reaching 50 years of marriage... but I HATED leaving Cara behind as much as she hated seeing us go.

Plus I was vomiting for an entire week and would have paid $10K to be airlifted off that damn ship.

Cruises = thanks but no thanks.

Alissa said...

Oh Cara....John didn't even tell us! (Not that I talked to him more than 2 seconds on the entire trip). I thought maybe you didn't tell him all the fun and games until after the trip. Now that it's all over and you and Will are fine, you have to admit that's a pretty funny story. Award winning, I would say ;-)

And now you have REALLY been initiated into motherhood!

Ivan said...

See, I told you wouldn't want to come with!

Now you have a hilarious icebreaker story for the counseling sessions with William in sixteen years.

Although I'll admit, you probably should have been there. It'd've been less boring for me.

--Ivan

Morgan Jane said...

Cara...go join goodreads. Right now! Off twilightmoms.com for two seconds! :)

suzy said...

Well I decided you needed a push to post something new. So I pursed tagged you.