trusting my instincts--M's near death experience!

I have always said that it is so so important to trust your instincts. Especially when it comes to parenting. I do a lot of things differently, but I really just follow my instincts and I am so glad I do.

After leaving a girlfriend's house Friday, I stopped to get gas. The kids and I had errands to run and I had planned on getting some errands run and then getting gas on the way home, but for some reason I decided to pump gas blocks from her house. I got out of the car, and started pumping and then I had a feeling that I needed to check on the kids. Never in my life have I done that while pumping gas, but I opened the back door on V's side (since that is where the gas tank is) and peeked in to see M projectile vomiting. I rushed over to her side and tried to wipe her up and comfort her, but she had this really scared look on her face and looked like she was trying to throw up but nothing was happening. She kept pushing me away, but looking at me with this fear in her eyes. Something told me to look in her mouth and she was choking on a sticker! I pulled it out and after a few minutes she was fine.

It was super scary though, because had not stopped for gas there, had I not opened the door, had I not looked in her mouth, I don't want to think of what could have been. She wasn't making any noise so I wouldn't have heard anything from the front seat. I am so glad that I followed my instincts and always have.

I called my girlfriend to tell her about it afterwards, and she apologized profusely, even though she was only alone with the kids while I was loading up my car. Totally not her fault. I'm thinking one of the boys stuck it on her shirt and she pulled if off, or she found it on the floor, or maybe it was on V's shoe and when he took it off and threw it at her in the car she found it and ate it. I don't know, but I like to think that this is the second time my instincts have saved this kid. She certainly keeps me on my toes!