I Never Knew Branson could be THIS exciting!!! Are we there yet??? The 2nd morning

The next morning, I woke up and lay in my bed enjoying the stillness and quietness.  I love those minutes before everyone else is awake and I can be alone with my thoughts.  I considered getting a jumpstart on the day but knew it'd spoil the quiet moment so I continued to drift somewhere between conciseness and sleep, where dreams and thoughts meld until it is hard to separate reality from fantasy when I heard a gurgling noise from the other side of the room.  Was this a dream or reality?  I didn't wait to find out.  I whipped the covers off myself and headed towards the source of the noise: Sam's pack and play.  It sounded like he was filling his pants and it sounded loose and messy.  Sigh.  "Great," I thought, "What a way to start the day."

As I approached the pack and play, I heard a new sound, retching.  Poor baby!  I got the his side as he vomited all over his blankets and jammies.  I scooped him up and went straight into the bathroom.  I held him in the tub as he continued to be sick.  When he seemed to have it, and everything else out of his system, I began the process of cleaning him up.  I don't know if you've ever had the pleasure of cleaning up bodily fluids of that sort in a small motel bathroom with limited resources, but it's not fun, just in case you were wondering.  While I peeled and rinsed Sam, Michael went to the desk to figure out what we needed to do to gain access to the laundry room.   While I left Sam in the tub to soak, I wrote up a list and sent Michael off to the store for some supplies.  Disinfecting wipes, Pepto for kids, Sierra Mist, etc.  We pawned the healthy boys off on the rents while I continued laundry and clean up duties and Michael found a store.

Once I had the clothes in the dryer, I decided to head down to the motel's breakfast bar area and find something to eat.  Sam seemed to be feeling fine at this point and wanted out of the dingy little room as badly as I did so we set off down the hall together.  As I browsed through the breakfast options, Sam kept trying to open cupboard doors or head out into the lobby.  He loves to explore and hide.  I kept asking him if he would like anything to eat and to stay put.  I found a danish for myself and turned to zap it in the microwave and in the instant I turned back around, I noticed Sam's absence.

I immediately began to open the cupboard doors, but he wasn't there.  I walked out into the lobby, he wasn't there.  Every time I looked into a nook and cranny and didn't discover Sam, my heart beat faster and faster.  The woman working asked if I needed anything, I didn't want to say it out loud, but knew I needed to.

"My two year old took off.  We were getting breakfast and the next thing I knew, he was gone.  He loves to hide and calling for him only makes it worse.  You didn't see him by chance did you?"

She had not seen him but joined me in my hunt.  By the time we had searched the whole lobby area and came up empty handed, I felt like my heart was about to beat right out of my chest.

"I'm going to head to our room.  Maybe he wandered that way," I told the woman.

"I'll head down the other hall," she replied.

I tore off down the hallway headed back to our room praying I would see him around each bend or by a door knocking on it with his little impish grin.  As I searched, I kept praying in my head, "God, keep him safe.  Help me find.  Help me stay calm.  Crying isn't going to do any good.  Help to keep my head clear Lord.  Guide me to him."

It was no use; Sam was not in any of the hallways.  I must have look panic stricken because a gentleman in the hallway asked me if I needed help.

"Have you seen a two year old wandering down this way?  My son is missing."

"No I haven't ma'm.  Do you need help looking for him?"

"I'm on my way to get my family, but thank you."

When I reached out corridor, I banged on my parent's and grandparent's door.

"Sam is missing.  I need your help.  We were getting breakfast and the next thing I knew, he was gone!  I can't find him anywhere."  At this point, I was beginning to loose the battle to fight back tears.  I choked back the ones that were pooling in my eyes and everyone set out right away.

By this point, Sam could be anywhere.  Could he have gotten outside?  Not on his own.  But what if sneaked out behind someone with an armload of luggage?  Worse yet, what if someone picked him up and took?  He would scream right?  Surely, someone would have noticed.

By now there were about ten of us hunting inside and outside.  I headed back to ask the woman from the front desk if maybe we needed to call the police.  Sam had now been missing for the longest 5-10 minutes of my life.  Suddenly, near the lobby, I heard a noise.  It sounded a little like a shout or a cry, but it was muffled.  I couldn't be sure what direction it had come from, neither could the woman.  She hadn't even heard it.

"Again Sam!  Cry again!"

We both stood completely still.  Listening.  Waiting.  Holding our breath.

"Mama!"

"Sam?"

Our eyes locked and we both tore off down the hall in the direction it had come from.  We hit a T in the hall.  I went left.  She turned right.

"Mama!"

"Sam?"

I knew I was closing in.  He had to be in one of these rooms, but which one?

"One more time Sammi, one more time!"

"Mama!"  It was louder this time, but still muffled.  I pressed my ear to a door and listened.  I heard nothing.

"Sammi??"

"MAMA!  MAMA!  Help me!  MAMA MAMA!"

"I'm right here Sammi!  Mama's coming.  I'm right here!  I found him!  I found him!  He's in locked in this room!"

The woman came running from the other direction and immediately began apologizing.  "I don't have a key on me!  I'm so sorry!  I'll be right back!" and she headed back toward the desk.

"MAMA!  MAMA!  Help me!  MAMA MAMA!"

"It's okay Sammi.  Mama's right here.  I just have to get this door open."

Anticipation griped at me as my mind began to wonder if he was alone in there.  What if someone had taken him in the room?  What if he wasn't alone?

The woman returned with key and I only thought for a split second if we should open the door or have one of the men do it.  We opened the door and there was Sam.  His face lit up with the grin when he's been hiding and is found.  I scooped him up and there was no holding back the tears anymore, the damn broke free and my wet cheek kissed his.  I looked back to the woman who had helped me find my son and saw her face was as tear stained as my own.

"I have a son too," she said.  "I'm so glad we found him.  I'm so glad he's okay."

I honestly don't remember what happened next, but I do remember feeling like a crushing weight had been lifted off my chest as it became easier to breathe again and thinking that Sam now owned #1 and #2 on my scariest mom moments list.