Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Press Conference

Last week, Justin and I bought an SUV.

And today, I'm waiting to hear if it is actually totaled or not.

Last night, Justin and I were finally able to smile, and Justin and I joked that we have had SOOOO many phone calls and texts checking in on us (cannot say thank you enough to all of you!  We feel SO blessed to be SO loved!), that we just needed to hold a press conference.

The story starts at the beginning of our adoption process.  I drive/drove a car (that I LOVE), but knowing that we'd eventually have to move the kid's car seats to the side seats (vs the safer middle seat) once there's two of them was concerning to us.  I know a lot of moms drive a car with two littles, but if I was going to have to move their car seats to the door seats, I wanted a "tank" of a car.  I wanted to be as safe as possible.  (I want to interject to all those people that wonder and ask me if you (I) can love an adopted child as your (my) own.  I just want to take a second to say that by Justin and I planning to keep Perry and our daughter that we've never even laid eyes on as safe as possible, might very well have saved my life.  The consensus was that if I had been driving my other car, there might not have been anything left of it...So thank you P and RG.  Mommy loves you both to the moon and back!)

So, with adoption expenses in the backs of our minds, we've been keeping an eye out for about a year now for a great deal on a Pathfinder.  Seats 7 (woo-hoo!  Lots of babies!), back up camera (fantastic for our family full of littles and dogs), a sunroof (a selfish must-have), and the BEST attribute- the best safety rating in its class!  Sold.

We felt like this was the perfect car for our growing family, so we bit the bullet and added the car to our family.  We kept my other car so that Justin could drive it to work and back to save some gas money.

We bought our tag and added it to our insurance last Tuesday after P's surgery (post to come.)

Yesterday, as I was driving to work, everything was fantastic.  I had just dropped of P.  I had stopped at the top of the mountain to take a beautiful photo of the sun.  I was really enjoying the morning.  I was even early for work.


Immediately after I pulled onto the highway (and had just passed our subdivision), I saw a white car that was stalled in the highway.  I slowed down, waiting for them to push it off to the side, changed lanes to the left to keep from getting too close to them out of curtesy, and started to accelerate again on my way.

I happened to glance into my rearview mirror to see if the "stalled car lady" had closed her door yet because I was afraid someone was going to clip it and cause a wreck.  It was at that moment that I saw a red yukon FLYING through all of the traffic that had slowed down/stopped due to the stalled car.  I saw the yukon serve out of my rearview mirror and then jerk back across the highway headed straight for me.  It was obvious that somehow, someway, he didn't realize that all the cars in front of him had slowed/stopped.

I said a quick beg of a "please no!" and about that time I was hit in the back.  It was such a jolt that after I hit the back of my seat I took a huge breath and literally said, "WOW!"  I had no idea it was going to jolt me that badly.  It took me a good 70 feet or so to get my car stopped.  I was so panicked trying not to brake too swiftly in hopes of keeping my car from flipping, while simultaneously doing the best I could to steer my out-of-control-car to keep it from going into the oncoming traffic, while also trying to watch my rearview mirror to see if anyone else was going to hit me.  All I could see was the Yukon rolling and stuff flying EVERYWHERE.  In all honesty, it was the most terrified I have ever been in my whole life.  It was ten times worse than that scare-me-into-sickness-idiotic-theme-ride at the top of the stratosphere...I digress...


When I finally got my car to a stop, I hysterically called my Mom (I knew Justin wouldn't immediately answer his cell phone at work) and ran over to where the other vehicle was plowed into the hill.  The driver had been thrown from his vehicle and because of the grass, all I could see was his torso.  I honestly thought he was dead and I went into hysterics.  A precious woman all the sudden caught me in her arms and was basically holding me up from passing out/hyperventilating/throwing up.  God bless her.  (It turns out that we didn't know each other, but her husband actually somehow knows Justin.)  I was so out of it that even when a good friend of mine and Justin's came up to hug me, I didn't even recognize him.  When I realized who he was (actually works with Justin too), I just about melted into his arms.  He was able to call Justin at work and inform him of the wreck.

This is the photo that was on the local news channel and on Al.com.  
This was after all the fire trucks and ambulances had left.  My car is the far left.  :/

After a few minutes, they were able to relay to me that the other driver was alive and conscious.  I was able to get myself together enough to walk over to him and pray for him, but I was so nauseas from his condition and the whole scenario, I couldn't even stay over there.

Finally, (traffic was blocked North and South bound so it was SOOO backed up in the back-to-school traffic), my Grandaddy and Aunt Becky were able to make it to me and then about 30 minutes later, my Mom and Dad were able to get to me too.  They landed life-saver and flew out the other driver for medical attention, and then started questioning me on the ins and outs of the wreck.

The sickening site of watching LifeSaver fly away.

To top it off, as they were loading my car onto the wrecker, I realized I was standing in an ant bed, so my feet and ankles have bites all over them.  Geez.

I went home, got a glass of apple juice, then headed straight to the doctor to get checked out.  I was diagnosed with bad whiplash and have physical therapy scheduled for this week.  I am beyond sore (especially on the right side of my body??) and super shaken up mentally, but ultimately safe and sound and so so so grateful.

I haven't heard anything about the other driver, but the medics said they expected him to make it.  I'd appreciate prayers for him for a speedy and full recovery, as well as a prayer for me that I calm down and stop playing through all the what-could-have-beens.

3 kind thoughts:

Jeanne said...

Hi Brooke
You won't remember me, we were on Lisa's photography class together last May and I have been following your blog ever since, but I'm not very good at leaving comments. I can't begin to imagine how terrifying this must have been for you and sending prayers and good wishes your way and hope the trauma and stress lessens each day.

Mary Louis Quinn said...

Oh my word, Brooke, my heart was pounding as I read this. SO SO scary!! I am so thankful you are ok and that P wasn't with you when it happened.

Everything Beautiful Shay said...

Wow!! That's a scary thing you just went through!!! So sorry about your truck but SO thankful you are safe and sound!!! Hope you sleep well!!!! Xoxo

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Our Adoption Timeline

  • June 19, 2011- We are officially "Paper Pregnant!" We have submitted our Waiting Child Application to Holt!
  • July 5, 2011- Submitted our formal Home Study Application to Villa Hope
  • September 6, 2011- Submitted all of our paperwork for our Home Study
  • October 8, 2011- Completed our First Home Visit
  • October 17, 2011- Completed our Second Home Visit
  • November 14, 2011- Home Study Approved
  • December 1, 2011- Filed our I600a
  • February 1, 2012- I600a Approval Letter
 
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