Baaad Peanut Butter

Nick took a big bite of peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I was looking down at the table as I finished filling out paperwork for Lucas's school.  It wasn't a thick sandwich.  Just a normal kid sized sandwich.

I glanced up and saw him trying to breathe.  Again.

This shit keeps happening.  W. T. F???

No air getting through = no gagging sounds = Mom totally oblivious until I looked up and laid eyes on him.

He didn't know enough to try to get my attention.

I normally don't jump up for them gagging or choking because like I've said before, they normally get it out on their own.  I'm becoming pretty bullet proof with the gagging/choking thing. This time I moved fast because . . . well it was just obvious that I needed to act.

I held him balanced on an arm upside down over the garbage can  (this isn't the first time I've had to do this and I didn't want a mess) and whacked his back.  (How weird is it that I thought of a mess?  In my defense the garbage can was directly next to where he was sitting.)

The thing about peanut butter is that is sticky and didn't just pop loose. I think more than anything it was gravity and his attempts at gagging that cleared his airway. I was afraid that if I went in after it with a finger sweep it would just push it farther down. Finally it oozed out of his mouth slowly which is how I realized just how much he had jammed into his mouth. 

Why in the hell would he take such a huge bite?  He's two, that's why.  He still doesn't know any better and, even though I think some things should be intuitive, for a two year old they aren't.  Hell, even Lucas still puts too much in his mouth and gags. 

Lesson learned:  Look at them frequently even if I'm sitting at the same table.