The Crash

For those of you who wanted the story, here we go...

Our original plan was to drive to Vegas and stay the night at my parents. We made it there earlier than planned and decided to push on through while Ryker was sleeping. Not the best idea we have ever had. To make a long story short, about 11pm we hit a slick patch, lost control, and slammed into an exit sign in-between Cedar City and Beaver. It was so scary. Ryker was sleeping and I was laying down just starting to doze. I felt the car start to slide and quickly sat up. We skidded back and forth a few times, and then did a 360. At that point I just remember seeing headlights coming toward us and feeling this overwhelming sad feeling because I truly thought we were going to get hit head on. We were so blessed. We slid off the road and hit sideways into an exit sign on the driver's side. The side airbags deployed, but we were all fine. It honestly could have been so much worse.

After we hit Sean and I both said that it was overwhelming because we didn't know who to worry about first. We were both worried about each other, the baby and Ryker. We were so glad that Ryker was in the center because the passenger side got hit the worst. The window was blown out but we are assuming that the airbag must have forced the shattered glass out rather than in on Ryker because there were only small pieces on the seat and floor next to him. The impact woke him up, but barely. Sean reached back and started rubbing his face to wake him up more and talking to him to make sure he was alright. He was happy and talkative the whole time we waited for the police and tow truck.

Besides the HUGE blessing that none of us were seriously injured, the car still started so we were able to keep the car warm for the hour that it took for help to get there. Sean immediately called 911 and started arranging for a hotel and rental car. I called my OB and Ryker's pediatrician to discuss some concerns and get an idea of what to look for. Despite it being such an awful situation, everything went so smooth and we were so grateful for the safety that Heavenly Father blessed us with.

Ryker's sweet innocence and cute comments helped keep us both calm. Here are a few of my favorites...

While Ryker and I were waiting in the tow truck you could hear it lifting our car up onto the truck. Ryker must have thought it sounded like an elephant because he said, "Mommy, there's an elephant in the snow! Oh, I heared it again!"

On the drive back to Cedar City he didn't stop talking about shooting foul shots in his basketball hoop when he got home.

Ryker watching us unload at the hotel in Cedar...

That night Sean wanted Ryker to sleep in bed with us which NEVER happens. He said he just wanted to have his family close. We were both shaken up and left contemplating all the "what-ifs". We felt so blessed. Surprisingly, we all slept great that night. Ryker slept in really late and wiggled all around the bed. He must have had Mickey on his mind after spending 2 days in Disneyland because all of a sudden he lifted his head up, said "Oh Tootles!" and then went back to sleep!

When I spoke with the OB after we hit she said I needed to get to a hospital to be monitored ASAP which is a little hard to do in Beaver, UT with no car and a toddler. After some thought and prayer we decided to just drive straight to IMC in the morning rather than call an ambulance. When we finally made it I got admitted for them to monitor me and the baby for the next 9 hours. I started contracting so they gave me an IV and everything began to settle down. I am so grateful for such a great support system. We immediately had family helping with Ryker, calling and coming to the hospital to help pass the time.

The greatest thing we learned from this whole experience is how blessed we are, how grateful we are for each other, and how important prayer and listening to the spirit is. I can't stress enough how grateful I am for Sean and Ryker. They truly are my whole world. I am so blessed!