The price of comfort

A couple of weeks ago, the baby hadnt eaten her dinner too well... so when I put her to bed as usual, I was concerned about her being hungry during the night... So, being the good mom that I am, I carried her downstairs and put her at the table, peeled her a banana... and went to the sink for a small cup of water...

I filled her cup, drank it myself, then filled it again to bring to the table for the baby... As I turn around, the baby starts screaming and so I glance at her real quick and realize that her knee is stuck between the spindles of the chair. At first, I figure no big deal right; just push it out. It didn't work that way. She was really stuck. Now I begin to panic.

Well, my saving grace is our oldest Mia. Whenever I can't be with Celia and the baby really wants me, she will accept Mia as a substitute... So I yelled to her to get out of bed. She came down worried cause it isn't often that her sister is screaming and I am in panic mode. I ask her to hold the chair at an angle, this took some of the pressure off of the baby's leg. The baby is still screaming and I went to call 911... Who else do you call?? I am in the house alone- still don't know my neighbors... and I am scared cause my baby is screaming. Of course the guy on the phone, only speaks French. While, yes, I am ok in the language... I am too stressed to try to deal with it... So I force him to talk English... I give him our address. He, in turn, then contacts the local 911. The french operator says that the address has been confirmed. Mind you, we live only 2 streets from the hospital- where the ambulance was located. It took 24 minutes from the time that I called and the time that they arrived. The 911 operator gave them the wrong address. (Still don't know what confirmation means if they can't get the address correct.) Turns out they were on the other end of the street at a variation of our address. The paramedics got our of their bus and started walking into the house that they were at. The people there were sitting watching tv and were quite surprised. By the time the paramedics arrived, Celia had calmed some- not enough- and the sight of two strange men coming into our home really scared her.

The end of the story- it took a hack saw to get the baby out of the chair. Plus the subsequent bill of $50 for the ambulance to come. Good news- Celia is fine. Mommy's a bit frayed. But baby weathered the storm perfectly.