Trapped

Let me first shared a bit of background.

Cole's doorknob is different from all the rest in our home. We do not have a key for it and once he was in a bed he could get out of, we were concerned that he may lock himself in his room. Then what would we do?

So, the simple solution was to turn the doorknob around and have the lock on the outside. And it actually work out well when Cole was being trained to stay in his bed and not get out, etc.

There was one hang up though. Remembering to UNLOCK the door when it was time to get Cole up. This was ALWAYS difficult for Brent to remember. I am not throwing him under the bus at all. He knows it's true. We talk about it all the time. The reason he doesn't think to unlock it is because you can open the door from the hall WITHOUT unlocking it, but you can't open it from the inside. So it is very easy to forget to do.

We have been locked in Cole's room several times, but it has always happened when both of us have been home and not in there together. And there have been a few times of it almost happening, but we had our phones or something to contact the outside world.

Until today...

Cole has been getting up a bit earlier then normal and then we would prefer. As of lately, he has requested his door to be cracked when he is sleeping and since he doesn't get up, we were okay with that. But when he does get up too early in the morning, we do shut his door all the way and lock it. That way he would stay in his bed, go back to sleep or at least rest quietly.

We had a nurse come by this morning at 7am to draw blood for our life insurance screening. Cole had just got up about 20 minutes before she arrived but it was too early, so I put him back in bed and shut/locked the door. About 7:20 or so, Brent went in to get Cole. I didn't think twice about it. We haven't been locking the door so I didn't think to ask him if he unlocked like I used to do.

The nurse left. Brent left. We went on with our morning.

We ran up to the bank about 9am and returned home about 9:40am and went straight to Cole's room to play. At some point in our play Cole shut his door. I didn't think twice again. Cole likes to play in his room with the door closed. Claire was in her room sleeping, so less noise. Good all around.

I don't know how much time passed because I don't wear a watch, have my phone or my iTouch with me. But I knew Claire would be waking soon to eat.

So when I heard her and Maci whining, I told Cole I would be right back and got up to check on them.

The door was LOCKED. I couldn't get out. Panic. What was I going to do? Seriously. I was freaking out inside, because of course I couldn't let Cole know I was panicked.

I went into planning mode super fast. How was I going to pick the lock? I didn't have a bobby pin in my hair. I didn't have a screw driver. We were stuck.

I knew Claire was safe, just going to be hungry soon. Still of course felt awful about her not being in there with us but at least she is not mobile and free inside the rest of the house. That was one calming thing about this experience.

My only hope to get out was for me to get a neighbor's attention and for them to call Brent to come home. Long shot? Yes. My neighbor's are great but how of earth are they going to hear me? Are they even home? I didn't know.

I rolled up Cole blinds and sat there staring out the window. I wanted to cry. I didn't know how long this might take or if anybody would walk by at all or even hear me.

Claire woke up. She was now screaming. It felt like an eternity.

By this point, Cole knew we couldn't get out. He was a trooper and played with his toys. He wanted me to play but I just had to watch out the window.

I prayed the simplest prayer, "Lord, let someone walk by and hear me!"

Diane pulled out of her driveway. I banged. She was in her car. And they didn't drive my direction.

A bit later. Feeling very discouraged.

Silly me, I stared off into space. I am a total zoner. The Lord brings me out of it just in time to see my neighbor directly across the street in the driveway!

I start banging and yelling as loud as I could. She heard something. She wasn't sure. She looked. Still not sure. And went inside.

"Oh no!" I thought. I missed the opportunity. I was thankful to see her at all and make a bit of contact. There was a little hope but she was gone. Why did I zone out and miss her down the driveway?? I was so mad at myself.

I said, "Lord, bring her back!!"

Cole said, "Whatcha doing, Mama?"

I told him I was praying. That we needed our neighbor to come back outside and help us. We have to get out of your room. Cole pray with me. He said, "Bring that lady back." (To be honest, this is a neighbor we don't know as great as our other neighbors. We learned each others names today.)

Seriously, GOD IS SO SO GOOD! HE did not make us wait long. All of a sudden Shaina (our neighbor) was back outside. I started banging again. She heard it again! She looked again. This time more closely! I waved. She waved back. She saw me! Yes!! Progress. "We are getting out of here!" I thought. Not that minute but soon.

I waved her over. She wasn't sure. I yelled, "Help, help!" She came.

Relief began to set in. Contact was made with the outside world. Someone knew we were trapped. God was answering our prayer and quickly.

I told her we were trapped and couldn't get out. She was confused like anyone would be. It doesn't make sense. It was just the reality. She asked what to do and I told her to call Brent. He was the only way to get out. We don't have a spare key or an open window to climb threw. All our doors were locked.

She called. Finally reached Brent on the third call. He was coming.

He said he made it home in 15 minutes and was able to do all the speeding through traffic he missed doing to the hospital when we had our babies because of the inductions.

He was home and we were rescued from Cole's room at 10:55am. Just over an hour of being trapped. Claire was crying. But not completely starving. Just 30 minutes passed. Not too bad.

She ate and then I went and talked to Shaina and thanked her for helping us.

It could have been so much worse. Tonight is our family night and we had planned to meet at the mall. Brent would have gone there and not home. Who knows how long he would have been there before realizing we weren't there or coming. And then traffic. It could have been 7-8 hours trapped in Cole's room versus the little over 1 hour. Wow, God is so good!

Thank you Lord for letting our neighbor come outside and hear us once. And for making her come back outside again and really seeing if everything was okay. Thank you for keeping us all safe and getting us out quickly.