scariest moment of my life

one week ago today, Monday March 23rd, was the most frightening night of my life. Addison choked and it was serious...

she was playing on the floor at my feet while i was getting dinner together. i was on the phone with Anthony at the time. he has Bible study and basketball on Monday nights so he doesn't get home until after 11pm. we often chat while he's on his way to church.

i picked Addison up and put her in the high chair and started feeding her some banana. she ate a couple of bites and then started choking. i patted her back to try and help her get it going down the right way but it wasn't helping. she was still coughing though. i picked her up, turned her over, and started pushing up on her back. when i turned her back it wasn't any better. i put my finger in her mouth and could feel something but could not get it. i turned her back over and started pushing up on her back again but NOTHING. at this point it was clear she was REALLY choking. not breathing. looking at me like HELP ME.

i panicked. i threw the phone down and ran to the front door. i was still trying to get her to cough it up while i sprinted down my hill over to my neighbor Kristine's house SCREAMING at the top of my lungs. i was frantic. by the time i got to her door she was turning blue and starting to go limp. there was a moment when i actually thought "this is it. i don't know what else to do."

all of a sudden, before i even knocked on Kristine's door (i was still screaming), another neighbor was beside me. her name is Rhonda and she lives across the street from me. i told her Addison was choking and she grabbed her from me. she started doing tummy compressions and was able to get her to start coughing again and before i knew it she had spit it up and was screaming. the sound of her screaming was the most wonderful sound i could have ever heard at that moment. i fell apart at that point. crying hysterically and holding Addison as tight as i could. i truly almost lost my baby girl. i have never been so scared.

God had Rhonda in the right place at the RIGHT time. Rhonda is NEVER home. she is RARELY outside. yet, there she was, standing in her driveway at the moment i came running out of my home with my choking baby. She is a surgical assistant at a local hospital and certified in CPR. i'm getting emotional about this even as i type. a miracle. i "sort of" knew what to do when someone is choking. an older child or adult i probably could have handled. but for a baby, everything at that moment went blank. God was watching out for our baby girl and i am SO very grateful.

Anthony came straight home. he was so worried as i had hung up on him when it all happened. the boys were emotional too. there was no time to explain why i was so frantic until after it was all over. i know it scared them and i hated that for them. my throat was sore for the rest of the night. i know most of the neighborhood must have heard my screams. :(

what was she choking on you might wonder? a piece of plastic. looked like part of a seal from a container or packaging of some kind. she must have gotten it into her mouth and when i started feeding her the banana it pushed it down. it's so hard to keep everything off the floor with little babies and with the boys dropping little things here and there it is not uncommon to see her "chewing" on something. i've had to start shutting the bathroom doors because i'll notice she's missing and she'll be in the restroom chewing on toilet paper. she's quiet and sneaky. :)

i'm just SO happy she is OK. that night i went into her room twice just to look at her. when i closed my eyes to go to sleep for the next two nights i would get weak as the whole thing would play over again in my mind. i've brushed up on my CPR and would really love to sign up for a class soon. i need to know more and know it so well that i'll kick into gear under pressure. the less you know, the less confident you are under pressure and that was so true for me.

however, i KNOW my God was looking out for us. i know He saved my baby girl that night. i am overwhelmed with emotion when i think about it. Thank you Lord for protecting our sweet girl.