Let me start by saying that David and I purchased an expensive space heater for Malarie's room at the beginning of winter. You know, one with all the bells and whistles, any cost is worth it for her safety! It has a timer setting, the ability to pick the temp. (not just low or high) and awesome safety features (e.g. if it gets knocked over it will automatically shut itself off). Well, last night I was exhausted as I haven't been sleeping well lately (I think we need a new bed). I was putting Malarie to bed, doing the usual routine; turning on the night light, the space heater (and timer), and her fan before placing her in her crib and kissing her goodnight.
Malarie sleeps through the night, so when she woke up SCREAMING at around 2:30 this morning, I thought it was a bit strange... David got up to feed her (we switch off weeks since she is bottle fed). He'd been up with her for a while and she was still screaming (when I say screaming, I don't mean just crying, I mean bloody murder type screaming). Then my mind started running..."something is really wrong, maybe she got her arm or leg caught in her crib and when she rolled over pulled something out of socket..or could she have broken something?" I freaked myself out enough to get up and investigate myself. David was out in the hall making her bottle and so I asked him what was wrong with her. He said "It's 100 degrees in her room, you didn't set the temperature" CRAP!! I felt awful. We opened her window and put the fan up to it to cool down the room. She was drinking her bottle and I hung around because I wanted to hold her and tell her how sorry I was. David told me I could go back to bed, but I couldn't so he went to bed while I changed her diaper and cuddled her a bit. By this time, she was WIDE awake and smiling at me, wanting to play. Although I really wanted to stay up with her, I put her back to bed and left her door cracked (just in case) and went in to bed. (It's worth noting here that she was asleep again within 15 min or so, I wasn't so lucky)
I knew she was fine because she wasn't lethargic or anything, but as I lay back in bed I asked David "Do you think she's going to be OK?" he replied "yeah". "But what about those babies that get left in cars in the summer and they die of heat exhaustion?" I asked. "She's fine, she drank and we cooled her and the room down, she's fine". I just needed to hear it again. Needless to say, I could not go back to sleep, my mind was reeling with the "how could you?" and "what if?"s. Malarie will be giving up her membership to the sweat lodge.
It's a good thing Malarie is resilient; she has to be, she has a dumb ol' mom who tried to make her sweat to death! On the up side, my boss said that she'll always have this as an out later in life "yeah, but Mom, remember that one night when you tried to bake me while I slept..." :) Oh the joys and terrors of being a parent!
