And Then My Heart Stopped Beating

(I'll preface this story by letting you know up front that everyone is okay and no one had to call CPS.)

Jeff and I spent part of the day Saturday working on our poor, sad excuse for a front lawn. Currently, it consists mostly of brown grass, weeds and fire ant beds. I must say it is quite charming and inviting. If fire ants are your thing.

We decided a quick trip to Home Depot was in order to get a couple of small tools and something to kill the ants. Bennett wanted to "help" Jeff pull weeds so after a failed attempt to get Dayton to go down for her nap I tossed her in the car and we headed out. Since Bennett's car seat is installed in the 4Runner I'm usually driving it, but I decided to take our "little car" out for a change. The Sonata isn't decked out with all the baby gear like those little mirrors that let you keep an eye on your rear-facing kiddos. I checkED the rearview mirror a dozen times on the half-mile drive to Home Depot expecting to see a sweet baby reflected back but all I saw was the road behind me. I kind of forgot that is what rearview mirrors were intended for.

At the store I scored an awesome parking spot, popped the baby carrier in a shopping cart, picked up a few garden tools, was advised on the finest ant killer available by an extremely knowledgeable 12 year old employee (or maybe he just looked 12? does that mean I'm getting old?) and was ready to check out in record time. It is amazing how much faster errands seem to go without a two year old in tow.

Dayton was beginning to doze off as the cashier gushed over how cute she was and told me all about his four grandbabies. I loaded the car and headed home. Dayton didn't make a peep so I assumed she'd fallen asleep.

Driving up to the house I noticed my next door neighbors out on their front porch so I pulled in the garage, left the door up and stepped over to say hi. (It was only a couple of steps as our houses are about 36 inches from each other.) As my neighbor was introducing me to her sister I called out to Jeff to let him know Dayton was sleeping in the car and we should probably get her inside and in bed. I then resumed my small talk until Jeff interrupted.

Our conversation went something like this:

"Hey, Stacey. Dayton is not in the car."

"Shut up. Quit joking." (eye roll) It's not like our three month old is going to get herself out of the car.

"I'm not kidding."

(insistent) "You're kidding." Not a funny joke, dude.

(more insistent) "I'm NOT kidding. She's not in the car."

(slightly panicked) "Stop it. You're kidding!"

(beginning to look afraid) "NO!"

(full on panic, running to the garage) "YOU ARE TELLING ME I LEFT MY BABY AT THE STORE?!?"

My mind was spinning with a million thoughts. I pictured my sweet baby girl in a lonely shopping cart in the big, scary parking lot. I tried to remember putting her in the car. I heard the cashier tell me how cute she is. I envisioned a best case scenario of a sweet couple finding her, trying to wave down my car as I drove away and taking her safely inside the store. I simultaneously saw horrifying scenarios of a car running over the shopping cart or a scary stranger taking her away. I imagined how deranged people would think I was and wondered if they'd even let me take her back home. If we even found her.

I thought I was going to pass out. I thought I was going to throw up. How could I do such a thing?? I mean I've been known to be forgetful and somewhat scatterbrained but who leaves their DAUGHTER in a store parking lot??

Then Jeff said, "Oh wait. I was looking in the 4Runner."