The Heimlich

Kids can literally give you a heart attack. Especially when they are your own kids and you love them with every ounce within you.

With that said, I was showering and getting ready for Kevin's and my weekly Wednesday datenight while Kevin started dinner for the girls before our sitter arrived. I came bounding down the stairs excited that a) I didn't have to cook OR clean tonight and b) I was getting to spend an evening out to dinner with my main squeeze.

When I came into the kitchen everything looked normal...then Kevin said:

"I just had to do something I never thought I'd have to do."

Me: What?

K: I had to perform the Heimlich on one of our kids.

I immediately turn to Quinnlan who is sitting in her highchair to see if she is ok when he clarifies:

"Not Quinnlan, Chloe"

Me: WHAT?!?!?

Then he proceeded to tell me that she was having a pre-dinner snack (appetizer?) of pineapple when she comes into the kitchen where Kevin is at the sink and is spitting on the floor. Kevin tells her to stop---thinking that she is doing that because she doesn't like what is in her mouth (gross), but then she looks up at him and is waving her arms around and he realizes she is choking. He grabbed her from behind and had to do the Heimlich 3 times before the chunk of pineapple flew out of her mouth "just like in the movies" (he said).

My. Heart. Stopped.

I could not stop thinking about it for the rest of the night and the next day and truthfully, I keep thinking about it.

How quickly things can go wrong and our lives can take a turn that we never would expect.

I am so so so very thankful that God protected our precious child that evening. I am so thankful that Kevin was there and able to help her. I always wonder if I would react in the way that I should in those situations.

I remember when the Mia and Chloe were maybe a month old, my mom was over and I was walking down our stairs holding Mia and I slipped on a step and slid down about 5 steps. All I could do was cry thinking, "What if I had thrown her or dropped her?" My mom was there, thankfully, and she kept reassuring me that, no, I would never have done that. My motherly instinct would be to hold tighter.

I want to believe that I would immediately do what Kevin did, but I am also afraid that I might panic and do something stupid like pound her on the back. I guess that is where we just have to trust our instincts that we would do what we would need to do to protect our children...Mama Bear Style.