One of my friends is a very good photographer and has some cool pictures on his blog right now. Well, he always does, but I specifically like these ones. I thought about downloading them and putting them on my blog to show you, but that felt a bit like thievery, so just click the link and go look at them. :) You won't be disappointed—they're pretty cool.
The Fooze
Sigh. Jill had a "sensitive" day. Sometimes she just cries. Screams and cries. And I don't know why. She did it today in the car. While I was driving through construction. I finally got out of construction, and we were going 40 (in a 45 zone). My phone rang. I looked down to pick it up and hold it, and when I looked back up, the car in front of me was at a dead stop because a car was turning left and there was no lane to get around it. I slammed on my brakes.
Seriously.
I used to think that I knew what it was like to slam on your brakes, but I didn't until today. I slammed on my brakes like I never have before. Slammed. The tires squealed and made that horrible smell, and the car even moved slightly sideways because of the force of slamming.
I was terrified.
I did not hit the car in front of me, a miracle for which I have thanked Heavenly Father about a thousand times.
It didn't phase Jill at all by the way. She continued screaming.
When I finally looked down at my phone again, I realized I had answered it, and I wondered if my friend had heard all the baby screaming and tire squealing. I just hung up on her, and we texted once I got home. She'll probably read this, and then I'll know if she heard it or not. :)
So, I got home after praying the whole way home about how grateful I was to not be in a wreck, and I was still pretty shaken.
Jill finally stopped crying after I held her for about two minutes being out of her car seat, so apparently the only problem was being in her car seat.
I go in and tell Jeff that I almost hit a car, and he says "I told you not to use your phone while driving." That, while being very good advice, is not something I ever remember hearing him say nor was it what I needed to hear. So I respond, "could you please just say that you're glad I'm alive and thankful I didn't get in an accident?" So he repeated what I wanted him to say. Then about a minute later, he said he was sorry and should have been more sympathetic. And I said that he was right, and I shouldn't look at my phone while driving or look away from the road in front of me at all.
So, all was well again in our world.
But now I'm thinking about it. I actually look away from the road a lot, and I've never had this close of a call before (or very close of any kind of call really). There are a lot of distractions while driving. Looking at the GPS map. Turning up the radio. Changing the AC/heat. Grabbing water. Eating. Searching for Jill's pacifier and driving with only one hand while holding the pacifier in her mouth.
How do you guys deal with distractions while driving? I'm starting to wonder if I should only drive with Jill if there is someone else in the car to take care of her.
Interestingly, I always tell Jeff to hand me his phone when he is texting or talking while driving, and he never does. Apparently I'm the one who needs to listen to my own advice.
So, I'm still a little freaked out by how the difference between life and death literally is only one second. That's it. One moment. One breath. One moment of distraction.
And, I really think that the road I was on needs to be widened. It's dangerous to have a road with a 45 mile an hour speed limit where cars have to come to a complete stop when someone wants to turn left. Give them a turn lane, please.
But I do know the real problem was me not paying attention.
So, I still have not gotten in an official accident, but I got very close today. And it was very scary.
(And friend, I'm not upset that you called me, and I'm sorry if I came off that way in this blog. It's my fault for looking down at the phone away from the road; not yours for calling me. Please continue to call me; I enjoy our conversations.)
The Fooze
Sigh. Jill had a "sensitive" day. Sometimes she just cries. Screams and cries. And I don't know why. She did it today in the car. While I was driving through construction. I finally got out of construction, and we were going 40 (in a 45 zone). My phone rang. I looked down to pick it up and hold it, and when I looked back up, the car in front of me was at a dead stop because a car was turning left and there was no lane to get around it. I slammed on my brakes.
Seriously.
I used to think that I knew what it was like to slam on your brakes, but I didn't until today. I slammed on my brakes like I never have before. Slammed. The tires squealed and made that horrible smell, and the car even moved slightly sideways because of the force of slamming.
I was terrified.
I did not hit the car in front of me, a miracle for which I have thanked Heavenly Father about a thousand times.
It didn't phase Jill at all by the way. She continued screaming.
When I finally looked down at my phone again, I realized I had answered it, and I wondered if my friend had heard all the baby screaming and tire squealing. I just hung up on her, and we texted once I got home. She'll probably read this, and then I'll know if she heard it or not. :)
So, I got home after praying the whole way home about how grateful I was to not be in a wreck, and I was still pretty shaken.
Jill finally stopped crying after I held her for about two minutes being out of her car seat, so apparently the only problem was being in her car seat.
I go in and tell Jeff that I almost hit a car, and he says "I told you not to use your phone while driving." That, while being very good advice, is not something I ever remember hearing him say nor was it what I needed to hear. So I respond, "could you please just say that you're glad I'm alive and thankful I didn't get in an accident?" So he repeated what I wanted him to say. Then about a minute later, he said he was sorry and should have been more sympathetic. And I said that he was right, and I shouldn't look at my phone while driving or look away from the road in front of me at all.
So, all was well again in our world.
But now I'm thinking about it. I actually look away from the road a lot, and I've never had this close of a call before (or very close of any kind of call really). There are a lot of distractions while driving. Looking at the GPS map. Turning up the radio. Changing the AC/heat. Grabbing water. Eating. Searching for Jill's pacifier and driving with only one hand while holding the pacifier in her mouth.
How do you guys deal with distractions while driving? I'm starting to wonder if I should only drive with Jill if there is someone else in the car to take care of her.
Interestingly, I always tell Jeff to hand me his phone when he is texting or talking while driving, and he never does. Apparently I'm the one who needs to listen to my own advice.
So, I'm still a little freaked out by how the difference between life and death literally is only one second. That's it. One moment. One breath. One moment of distraction.
And, I really think that the road I was on needs to be widened. It's dangerous to have a road with a 45 mile an hour speed limit where cars have to come to a complete stop when someone wants to turn left. Give them a turn lane, please.
But I do know the real problem was me not paying attention.
So, I still have not gotten in an official accident, but I got very close today. And it was very scary.
(And friend, I'm not upset that you called me, and I'm sorry if I came off that way in this blog. It's my fault for looking down at the phone away from the road; not yours for calling me. Please continue to call me; I enjoy our conversations.)
SO SCARY! I'm glad you're okay - and obviously Jill is. It's funny how they can get so worked up about such little things.
ReplyDeleteYou know what? Maybe this is heartless but I just let Callie cry. Its not fun for either of you, but it does keep you paying attention to the road. And I figure its better to keep yourself out of an accident and let them cry, rather than trying to do too much at once.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it, but I just let Hallie scream too. She also hated hated hated being in the car, and especially when we would stop for lights, or stop signs. I would sometimes try to sing her a song (I think mostly to make myself feel like I was doing something, and maybe to drown her out a little...) but yeah, there was never much I could do... it's a horrible feeling, but they do grow out of it!
ReplyDeleteAidan HATED being rear-facing, and would scream the entire drive. Even when there was someone in the car with me, there was no consoling him.
ReplyDeleteSo we let him scream. He's not in pain, he's just mad. It's like when your baby is screaming and driving you crazy, and you've made sure he/she isn't hungry or hurt and you leave them in the crib and walk away.
You feel guilty, but really, they're ok.
The screaming while driving is very distressing, though. I remember crying while I was driving because I felt so helpless. But eventually, she'll grow out of it.
I'm just hoping Asher isn't like that when he's born. Hopefully he enjoys car rides...
I AM NEVER CALLING YOU AGAIN IF I KNOW YOU ARE DRIVING!! Stupid I called even though I knew you were driving... I called because you just passed me waiting in the construction the other direction and when we were in the car earlier that day together in that exact same spot we both said how we would go another way from now on... and there we were both going that way! Yes I heard Jill crying and I had no idea you almost wrecked... I just figured you didn't mean to answer. Mimi I am so sorry!
ReplyDeleteEvery single one of my kids cried in the car. Every time. They all hated it. And I hated it. And sometimes I cried too. But I just had to let them scream. It was the hardest thing ever. Now here they are happy and forward facing and just fine!!
Only 8 more months of facing nothing but the back seat...