Missing

I lost a child for the first time today. I feel like 4 1/2 years is a pretty solid amount of time to have kept an eye on him. The worst part was that it was at 6am. At home. While I was sleeping.

So really, none of this was my fault, and I am still claiming to have never lost a child. Because I totally found him. Eventually.

Basically what happened is Zach went in to Bishop's room to wake him up like we do ever morning for school, and he wasn't in bed. So Zach calls out for me, and asks me if I have seen him. To which I answer, no. So we then commence a search the included tearing apart his bed, looking in the living room, bathroom, my bedroom (he often sneaks in during the night. And by often, I mean every night). But no Bishop. So we go into Cadence's room, turn on her light, and no Bishop. Cadence, of course, is sprawled out in bed like she doesn't realize that someone snuck into the house while we all slept and stole her older brother.

Which is what I was imagining had happened at this point.

So I start yelling for him, and low and behold, a little pj clad bottom wiggles itself out from under Cadence's crib, and soon enough, a head pops up.

First relief, then the panicked anger hits.

Why was he sleeping under her crib? He didn't know.
What was he even doing in her room? He was scared.
But why under the crib? No idea.

I do wonder if he meant to come into our room and just got lost. Or if he was wandering to our room and heard the heater turn on and just found the closest vent and laid down by it. Which is his favorite thing to do. Even when it's not all that cold.

A guy I work with suggested we get him the pillow pet night light thingy that will turn on for 20 minutes or so, then fade out. I think a night light might be a good investment.

So, no one broke in and stole my child, who was mostly missing for under 5 minutes, but who almost scared me to death. Love being a mom.

Most days.