(LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

So I am very embarrassed to write this and feel horrible even writing about it but something that I thought could never happen to me did, so I felt the need to share it in hopes to help others. Please don't judge me as I feel depressed and horrible already.
This past weekend Friday night, me and my Dh wake up and hear my girls awake at 4:00am. We yell at them to go back to bed. My DH then tells me my 2 year was soaking wet from peeing through her diaper. So he goes to change her, so I take my 5 year old to go back in bed and she takes her pants off and says mine are wet too. I say why are your pants wet? Did you pee too?....Then the words came out that made my stomach drop....no mommy the sprinklers were on!!
I said wait a minute you guys were outside!!!??? Then she starts to lie and say no I wasnt...I don't know....I yell at them both and put them both to bed. Me and my DH are now going outside on our patio to see if they played outside. We live in an apartment complex. I noticed the deadbolt was not locked so I knew the door was opened. The sprinklers did not turn on yet in front of my complex. Only on the side.. Now we are freaking out..can't believe they walked on the side and went out of the house!! How did I not hear them!!?? Next thing I know my DH cell phone is getting a million messages. It winds up being my cousin....As my Dh reads the text messages..he looks like he was gonna faint.. My cousin tells me that her sister my 19 year old cousin was coming home late from drinking..she also lives in the complex with my Aunt and Uncle. She went home and went out on her balcony and next thing she sees 2 figures walking coming from the path by the woods. She was so scared and nervous to see 2 little kids walking in the dark so late. So she ran down stairs and started running to get them..she asks them are you guys ok??..what are you doing? Then as she gets closer my 5 year old says. Can I have a hug!? She says AVA?? what are you doing!!?? She says just going for a walk! It was my 2 kids she found walking around the damn complex!!!! She brought them home and my cousin was scared and crying....so she panicked and didn't want to wake us. At this point I am hysterically crying...I cant believe they were out there in the dark in the road....they went to the park! Across where my Aunt and Uncle live. My 5 year old took down the baby gate in the hall...unlocked the deadbolt and the lock on the door including the outside storm door I lock. 3 locks! And then took my 2 year old out for a walk at 3:30 in the morning with no shoes, no mom or dad!! Absolutely my worst nightmare...Here I am LUCKY as Hell that nothing happened to my babies!! LUCKY that my cousin is the one that found them!! We had an Angel that night looking after my girls..I am one of those parents you would have see on the news..I could have gotten them taken away, or arrested..who knows what would have happened!! I used to judge them..I will Never Ever again judge them. We have now added a chain lock all the way at the top of the door and an Alarm to the door as well. My DD Ava has no fear..does not understand what she did wrong..I tell her you could have gotten hurt, hit by a car, the bad man could have gotten you..literally there was a man in a van delivering newspapers that pulled up to my cousin 2 minutes after she got my girls asking what they were doing up so early. She said he was creepy looking and just kept walking. Ava has not been diagnosed with anything yet. But this leads me to believe she definitely has ADHD, Sensory processing disorder, or on the spectrum somewhere. I have seen a Neurologist who says he wont diagnose until 1st grade. But I am wondering if I should make an appointment with a behaviorist?? I am so lost, upset and still in shock of what happened and what could have happened had it not been for my Angel of a cousin to find my babies. I feel like a failure and I keep tearing up every time I think about it. I thought by putting a baby gate from stopping her from getting into the living room and locking 3 locks were safe. But I was wrong.

Message edited 8/17/2015 8:50:34 AM.

Re: (LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

Wow that is so scary! Thank goodness they were found by your cousin and they are ok! Regarding the diagnosis, maybe seek out a second opinion from another neurologist or developmental pediatrician

Re: (LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

I am so so sorry. That could happen to anyone! Don't beat yourself up although I know it's hard. Kids have no fear sometimes. I was going to suggest maybe going to a developmental ped. My son is 3 1/2 and we took him to one. She suspects ADHD and gave us some stuff to work on with him as well as a plan for his school (things they were doing anyway-like sensory breaks, etc).

(LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

OMG, how scary! Don't beat yourself up because it really can happen to anyone. I would be running out immediately to get alarms for all the doors!!

Re: (LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

Thanks ladies...I am so thankful that god was on my side that night. We now have a chain lock installed at the top of the door out of reach and an alarm also. I have been sleeping on the couch the last few days, I guess am not ready to sleep in my bed yet. It was an eye opener that's for sure. I don't know why she decided to go on a walk to the park and if she will ever understand how dangerous that was but I will always be thankful for whatever protected my babies that night and for my cousin for seeing them and saving them.

(LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

I am crashing and am sorry this happend.
My sister in law has an alarm go off if the kids open the door. Maybe look into something like that

(LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

Thank God they are OK. It sounds like you have put great safety backups in place. I have a friend who had similar experience with her son. He would just take off and was found sitting on the edge of a neighbors pool pretend fishing. He not only got out of the house but over the fenced in pool area. The neighbors had a pool alarm of some sort that alerted them. After that episode they put an alarm on his bedroom door.

Re: (LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

What!!!! Holy shit. Im shaking reading this. Omg praise God they are okay. No judgement ever from me. Just so glad they are okay.

Re: (LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

Don't beat yourself up about this, it could happen to anyone! You didn't do anything wrong. Reading your post I just imagine how you must have felt when you realized it, what a terrible feeling that must have been. Very scary how easily something like that can happen. Thank God your kids are ok & everything worked out for the best.

Re: (LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

I am so sorry, my heart is racing for you!

When my DH was 4 his mother received a call at midnight from a neighbo that said, where is your DS?? Turns out, he was in the neighbors yard, in his pjs standing by their pool!

(LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

Definitely no judgements here. Kids keep us on our toes. I'm just glad you kids are ok.

I think what you did so far is great. The alarms will help but also make sure you check your windows. My friend had to nail the bedroom windows shut because her son, once he knew he could not get out the doors tried climbing out the windows.

Re: (LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!

I swear I don't mean to be judgmental, but I'm not really understanding the part about your cousin. She found your children outside in the middle of the night and she just put them back in your house and walked out and then texted your dh? Was she drunk and maybe afraid to get in trouble? It's just very odd to me.

Re: (LONG)Had the biggest scare of my life this weekend!