Poor Truman

Truman has been such a delight to this family.  I think the kids were just old enough to appreciate him and not too old to find him a nuisance.  He hasn't caused much of a stir because he is just so darned relaxed all the time.  So relaxed in fact, that we can all go about our business and he will wait...quietly.

I know this sounds terrible, but if Truman makes it to his 1st birthday, it will be miraculous.  I will be completely honest about what has happened to Truman since he was born in February because I know that I will look back on all of this one day and laugh.  Right now, I'm a bit nervous that we might one day lose or hurt Truman in a way that is irreversible.  I'm not kidding.  You will believe me if you continue to read.

We all know of stories of parents who have let their children roll off the bed (yes, this happened to Sawyer), or children who have inadvertently fallen down the stairs (check), kids who fell off the couch (check), and many more horrific accidents that all end in a benign fashion.  We have been lucky so far.  All of our accidents have been placed in the category of "near misses" and we have never had to visit the emergency room for any type of injury.  I'm pretty sure our luck will soon run out.

Truman has never been handled with kid gloves.  He has been handled by children of all ages since   his birth.  He has flopped around like a fish in the hands of his 5-year-old sister.  He has been man-handled and wrestled with-Eamon style.  Madeline has carried him up and down the stairs with one arm.  He has been placed in laundry baskets and suitcases, obviously for safe keeping.  I have left him to play on the floor and honestly forgotten about him while I cooked, later finding him sucking on the leg of a living room chair.  He is so quiet.  However, this is nothing in comparison to the major incident I will now share.

I am not kidding when I tell you that while on a driving vacation this summer, Jason would ask me if Truman was in the backseat; often after an hour from our previous stop.  He is that quiet.  It happened every day of the vacation, sometimes numerous times. He was always in the back seat.   And then it happened.  Several days after our vacation had ended, I took Madeline and Truman to Madeline's orthodontist appointment.  Madda had her braces taken off that day.  Sawyer and Eamon stayed with a sitter so that we would not create complete mayhem in Dr. Burns' office, therefore Madeline and I had time to chat in the car, after her appointment.  She was excited and chatty about her brace-free teeth, her neighborhood book club, and going to show her Daddy her new smile.  We pulled into his office parking lot and continued our chat about books and taking care of her teeth properly.  We continued our happy talk as we walked into and down the hall of Jason's office.  It was about one minute (and the greeting of almost every employee in Jason's office) until I realized that I had left my sleeping baby in the car.  So, just as a new employee approached me to ask if I needed any help (he had no idea who I was), I uttered, "OH MY GOD!" and ran back out the door, to the parking lot.  I grabbed my baby (still asleep) and sheepishly returned to my husband's office; through another door that would avoid contact with any employee.  I had left my baby in the car.  How could I forget my baby?  He is my dearest darling.  He is my baby boy.  Oh my goodness.  I was horrified.  And in front of people.  In front of Jason's employees who now think I'm an idiot.  OH MY GOD.

I sat down in Jason's office; Madeline near me.  I said to her, "Madda, what do you think about your Mama leaving our baby in the car?"  Her response?  "Mom, it's not like he knows."  She. Is. Awesome.  We both started laughing and I forgave myself.  Because I have to.  I just have to.  I have to chalk it up to a moment of weakness or  hypoglycemia or exhaustion or just plain stupidity.  But, I know it won't happen again and maybe I have avoided some other more disastrous outcome by learning my lesson.  As parents, we have to forgive ourselves.  We try our best.  We are imperfect.  We forget our babies sometimes.  And it's ok.  If it's only for a minute.