The Crash

Well, I clearly skipped a week.... so let me explain.

I took a trip to a sweet little vacation town about 2.5 hours away with my Jamberry sales team. I had the most magnificent weekend building relationships, falling more in love with Jamberry and dreaming about my potential as an entrepreneur.

While I was there an EPIC snowstorm took over Chicagoland. Half of the team opted to drive home before the storm and half of us decided to weather the storm in our enormous, beautiful and very safe rental home. I'm glad I stayed because it gave me all that extra time to bond and build with my team. And in that time I DID take a 21 week bumpie:

Now, the next solo photo taken of me was this:

I was smiling, because I kept feeling Simon kicking regardless of what had just happened.

Driving home from a weekend I will never forget and thinking of the sisters I gained over the last few days, I wasn't paying close enough attention to the road. Thankfully, it was only Simon and I in my car and no one was around to even see what happened.

I play the accident over and over again in my head and it still doesn't add up.

I hit a clip of snow. My car lost control. Before I knew it, I was rolling in my car down a gully in the center of the highway.

Throughout the accident I wasn't scared at all. I just kept thinking, "Really, Frank?! Get it together." (Frank was the name of my Honda Fit). I couldn't believe it was happening and while it happened, I didn't feel a thing. I never lost consciousness but I also never felt tugged or pulled or jarred. It was like someone held me in their hands while my poor car rolled, bounced and jerked down an enormous median ditch and then just rested me back down when the collision was over.

Immediately, I started to find my glasses, my phone and called 9-1-1. I was fairly calm until I realized, "I'm upside down. I'm trapped. I'm pregnant." Then, the panic set in.

An off-duty fireman saw my car in the ditch and came to rescue me. He held the door open vertically (as in, over his head) for probably 20 minutes while my car was laying completely on its side so I could stand and breathe fresh air. Fireman: I don't even know your name. But thank you.

Another driver noticed snow puffs from the median and thought that seemed odd, so she stopped as well. My car was far enough down that you could not see it from the road as you drove by. She just had a hunch and got out of her car to look. What a blessing. She held my hand while I cried and called Hubs and one of my Jam sisters and until the ambulance came.

I kept telling the off-duty fireman and this woman that I could climb out of my car, and they kept telling me no. I realize now that had I tried, my car would have continued to roll and I would have crushed all three of us. I'm glad they were there and I'm glad I listened to them.

The ambulance, police and fire department all arrived and they had to cut the roof off of Frank to get me out. He was laying on his passenger side and there was no other way to safely remove me.

The rest of my story is happy. I had no injuries. Simon never missed a beat and I was released to go home by 5pm (accident happened around 11am).

Sadly, Frank didn't make it. He gave his life for mine and I am eternally grateful. RIP, Frank.

I remember the firemen kept covering me in blankets and towels and saying "turn away" and "loud pops" "breaking glass" but none of it really made sense at the time. They had to blow out all of those windows (that weren't already broken) to cut the roof off and safely remove me from the vehicle. I am still finding slivers of glass in random places. Yesterday one fell out of my phone case. RIP Frank.

I took another day off work to relax and spend the day researching new cars. Knowing they had to cut me out, we were sure insurance would rule Frank a total loss.

I ended up buying another Honda. After how Frank saved my life, I couldn't imagine buying anything else. So, welcome Pete. My new Mom-mobile. I have never felt safer.

No one can explain how I didn't get injured in an accident like this - I can't even explain it. I had somewhat of a stiff neck the day after it happened, but never had a scrape, a bump or a bruise on me. It is truly a miracle and I think there is only one answer: God is good.

When I was going through my belongings from Frank today, I found a cross that I kept in the glovebox. God and my guardian angel were watching over me on Monday throughout the accident. I am truly blessed to not only be alive, but unharmed as well as have a healthy baby still growing inside of me. God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good. And yes, that cross is now in Pete's glovebox :)