The Pumping Incident

Because Troy was never able to catch on very well to breast feeding the nurse at the hospital suggested I try pumping milk to give him with his special bottle.  She ordered the pump through my insurance so it worked out really well and I became an expert pumper.  Now, we had moved several years before away from all of our family in Utah and Wyoming.  So as soon as school was out every year I would pack up all of the kids and we would have a mad road trip to Utah.  We would visit all of our relatives so the kids could play with their cousins and I could get out of the California, and then Arizona, heat.  The year Troy was born presented a special challenge.  I wanted to make the trip in one day (have you ever tried staying in a motel room with 8 kids?) but I knew I’d never make 14 hours without being able to stop and pump somewhere.  I just have to tell you my wildly embarrassing experience with this in Kanab, Utah.

July 16, 1995

We had left Arizona at 5:30 in the morning.  After six hours of driving I knew I needed to stop and find a place to pump. As I drove through Kanab I saw an LDS church and it occurred to me that I could probably find an empty room in there with an electric outlet to set up my pump.  I left the kids on the lawn outside the church to play-don’t worry I had several teenagers to ride herd on the little ones-and I hurried into the church with all my equipment for, what I hoped, was a quick stop.  Well, I had no problem finding an empty room but there was no one in the halls to ask if I could use it so I finally just went in and shut the door.  I noticed that there was a bolt lock on it so I locked that so that I wouldn’t get interrupted.  I could just see some brother walking in and finding me in all my glory! So getting a locking door was truly a bonus.  After a few minutes I heard everyone getting out of sacrament meeting and I expected to hear someone knocking on the door soon – but no one ever did.  I couldn’t believe it– I was able to finish up and pack everything and I thought I was going to get out of there without having to explain all this to anyone. I was feeling so lucky.

I proceeded to the door with my hands full of equipment and bottled milk.  I turned the knob with my emptiest hand and, to my horror, found that it wouldn’t open.  I put down my stuff and tried again—and again!  It wouldn’t budge!!  I just about died.  There I was locked in the church—8 kids doing who knows what outside and one of them a hungry baby who needed the milk I had just pumped.  I banged on the door and yelled for help – nothing.  It was deadly quiet out there.  I was beginning to panic as I ran to the window in the room to see if I could get the attention of someone outside – no one in sight.  I knew the car and the kids were on the other side of the building so that was no help.  There was a strong screen on the window that I couldn’t push out or even break.  I was getting really desperate.  As I scanned the room I spotted a phone and a phone book on one of the desks in the room.  Eureka!  I thought, “I can call someone.”  But who?  The police?  No, that was too embarrassing.  Suddenly I had an idea to call the Bishop’s office in the building.  Surely he’d still be there.  So I grabbed the phone and hurriedly flipped through the pages of the phone book.  I found the listing for the LDS church but my heart fell when there were 7 or 8 of them listed!  How to figure out which one to call?  I figured this one must be on Center street because it was on the highway that went right through town.  I ran to the window and looked out to see what kind of landmark I could describe to someone to make sure I had the right building.  There was a movie theater.  So I called the number for a church on Center St and, thank goodness, got an answer.  I asked the man on the other end of the line if this was the church across from the theater.  In a puzzled voice he answered, “Yes.” I rushed on, “Well I’m locked in one of your rooms and I can’t get out.”  Stunned silence.  He turned from puzzled to amused as I tried to explain my situation.  I’m sure it was all he could do not to laugh out loud as he assured me that he’d come “rescue” me.  

Sure enough, a few minutes later, two older men showed up and unlocked the door.  They were chuckling as they entered the room and introduced themselves to me.  Then one of them walked across the room and opened a second door which I had assumed was a closet and had not even tried to open, and to my complete dismay it opened into the hall!  And it had been unlocked the whole time!  Now I was doubly embarrassed!  I’m sure that’s a Sunday those brethren will never forget.  The day they rescued that cute little Arizona gal from the unlocked office.  Oh! My! Goodness!  I still shake my head and turn red when I think of it.  The “pumping incident” has gone down in infamy in the Taylor family history and is always good for a laugh.