Everyone knows that I hate shots and needles. Since I am diabetic however, I have to go in to my endocrinologist every 3 months to make sure all my numbers are ok. That means that I have to have blood drawn every 3 months. And even though I’m see-through and you would think my veins would be easy to locate, they are deep and they roll. Unless the person is really good, they have a hard time. Anyway, I got lucky the last time I went and the doctor said since nothing was changing I could wait 5-6 months before coming back. So I scheduled my appointment for 5 months out and Wednesday was the day. I always get really nervous as my appointment date gets near, and this time was no different. Especially since I’ve had some trouble with my medicine supply and it’s been the holidays so I knew that my numbers probably weren’t going to be as good as they normally are.

So Brenden and I made the drive into Dallas for my appointment with all this going on in my head. It’s a colder day than I thought and I’m realizing I probably should have put a coat on Brenden. I went to the back seat to get him out, but then realized I needed to get the stroller out first. He has lately become completely obsessed with anything related to his beloved beep beeps so he really wanted my car keys. I gave them to him to play with which I do sometimes and then went to get the stroller out of the trunk. When I went back to the car door to open it, it was locked. Brenden had locked himself into the car. With the keys. With my phone. With everything but me and the stroller. And it all came to me at once that I’d shut the car door to keep him warm and that I normally leave it open when I give him the keys. That he’s been pressing the buttons on my Mom and Dad’s keys so that he can hear the panic alarm and all the beeps. Oh my goodness why on earth did I give him my keys?

I tried for a good 5 minutes to get him to press the right button. He thought it was very amusing when I told him beep. He beeped back every time. And then he grew bored of that game and dropped the keys out of reach. Freaking out, my only choice was to go in to the doctor’s office, tell them I wouldn’t be making my appointment and ask to use the phone.

I had plans of remaining calm. Instead, I walked in, the receptionist said hi and asked how I was doing. Tears spring to my eyes as  I say, “Not good. I’ve just locked my toddler in the car and I don’t think I’ll be making my appointment.” She gives me a phone book, the phone and a business card with the buildings address on it and I proceed to call Patrick, who doesn’t answer and leave him a rambling message about how he can’t call me back.  I then call a locksmith who tells me that since there is a baby in the car, the police department will come out fast and free so I call them.

It’s the fire department who comes, with 4 men. Nothing to make you feel more like a stupid woman than to have 4 fire fighters all there dying to hear the explaination of how this happened. All bearing a slight smile on their face.
Anyway, they got him out. He was freaked out by the 4 men breaking into the car. But he handled it pretty well. And after verifying that I had my keys in my hand, they were on their way.

The doctor’s office fit me in. The whole office knew that I’d locked the baby in the car but didn’t know how it happened, so I got to explain it. Many times. And then I got my blood drawn and a bonus flu shot too. The one good thing is that without the focus on my arm being pierced by needles, it wasn’t as bad to have two attempts at drawing blood followed by that darn flu shot. And I did learn that there are a lot of people out there willing to help. Like the fireman and all the people in the doctor’s office. And the fine gentlemen that took the hanger already straightened out for just such an event out of their trunk to come help me before I told them the firemen were already coming.