My First Mom F Up

I think today was officially my first real fail as a momma. Thankfully, everything wound up okay and our sweet girl was unharmed, but oy.

So, this morning Charlotte’s Nana came over (my Milly aka Mark’s mom) for a great early morning visit before we headed to brunch with my family. It was a nice and relaxing morning until it was time to go. Then in our normal way, we were kind of chaotic and rushing around. Mark grabbed Charlotte and plopped her in her car seat and I stepped in to put on her hat, booties and buckle her in. Then, we were on our way.

Mark sat in the back with Charlotte so he could feed her on the way. Yes, we are always late, remember? So, we picked up my Grandpa and made our way to brunch. By the time we made it to the restaurant, little C was snoozing in her car seat (success!!). Anyway, to get to the restaurant, we had to either take this handicap elevator thing or carry her stroller/car seat up the stairs. I voted for the elevator, but Mark insisted that it was too loud and would wake her. So, we started carrying her up the stairs.

I was complaining about the whole thing as we took our first steps and then I started freaking out. “Babe, she’s flopping forward! She’s falling!” I quickly moved so we were carrying her more level, but as we got her to the top step it clicked. The only way she could be falling forward is if she wasn’t buckled into her car seat. I moved the blanket away that was covering her in her car seat and just about died. I didn’t buckle her in. We drove for probably about 40 minutes with our baby unbuckled and then carried her up a flight of stairs in her stroller, which she almost tumbled out of.

Ughh. Mark, my sister, and my mom assured me that it was okay, but I couldn’t help but totally beat myself up about it. In fact, it’s still haunting me. The positive… I don’t think I’ll ever make that mistake ever again. The negative… I feel like crap about it. I guess we’re all only human. But still…

8 thoughts on “My First Mom F Up”

Been there done that! I did it when Riley was a baby when we went to IKEA…thank God I stopped to nurse him only a few miles down the road, otherwise I would have driven all the way from IL like that! Ahh…now sometimes I do it too, but at least they are old enough to tell me I forgot!

Been there done that too. After I had Kenna I would go for walks on this walking trail about 10 minutes from my house. I would keep her in her car seat and put the car seat on the stroller, like it is supposed to. I would loosen her straps, not completely unhook her, just loosen so she could move a little during the hour and a half walk, and maybe wake up some and look around. One time I put her in the car folded up the stroller, put it in the back and drove off. At a red light I looked back and her head was flopped forward, and I freaked out. I realized within about 2 seconds what I had done and all I could think was “pull over you idiot and pray to God you don’t wreck because what will happen to your baby?” She’s unharmed by the whole thing and like you I will never do that again, but I can feel where you are coming from. I think every mom has been there at some point!! Don’t beat yourself up too much!!

That is SO scary… BUT so human, like you said! You have a million things on your mind and a million things to carry… Something like this is bound to happen at least once! I would have been freaked out and haunted by it too. But at least she was perfectly safe in the end, and I’ll bet those jitters will keep you on guard for a very long time!
You’re a GREAT mama!!

THANK YOU! You ladies are amazing. This is why moms are just a special breed of amazing. Thanks for the support and love.

Something similar happened to poor Elliot when he was only 2 weeks! Both Jon and I were responsible for a near death experience (as we call them)- 2 in one day! I had him in one of those bouncy seat things (not strapped in) on a table and didn’t realize one of the legs was dangerously close to being off the table…I caught it RIGHT before it slipped off…and then about an hour later Jon was carrying him in his seat up our stairs and kinda swung him not realizing he wasn’t strapped in….our hearts both stopped that day…Elliot..never knew the difference! LOL- I am sure EVERY Mom has a story or two!