A Whole Lotta Shakin'

Earthquakes are not baby friendly

Earthquakes never really fazed me before I had Ava. Maybe it's because I'm an L.A. transplant who grew up in Las Vegas where earthquakes weren't really an issue. I've been here for 15 years now and I have experienced my fair share of shakers, yet yesterday's quake seemed to really scare the crap out of me. Having a baby not only brings new joys to your life, it also brings new fears.

Usually when an earthquake starts rocking, I freeze in my tracks or head for the nearest door jam. Not this time. This time I bolted up my stairs to the back of the house as fast I could move because Ava was napping in her crib and I needed to get to her.  My chest felt like derby horses were racing across me toward the finish line. My stomach dropped to somewhere around my knees.

When I reached Ava, she was lying on her back with her eyes wide open. She had a look of, "What the…?" And then she saw me and blurted out, "Ma-ma-mommeeee..." in her usual tone followed with a little giggle. I swooped her up and held her tightly as I watched the pink chandelier sway back and forth in her room. She was smiling and giving me lots of hugs. She obviously knew I needed them – or she was happy to get out of her nap an hour early.

In the end, all was fine. A few crooked pictures here and there, but thankfully everything was okay. Ava weathered her first real earthquake like a champ (I know this kid is going to love thrill rides) and I got a really good wake-up call to get better prepared in case of an emergency. Here are some helpful websites worth visiting:

• A Place of Our Own – Earthquake Safety: This was written for classrooms and has an excellent list of what to do with children.

• American Red Cross: An essential list of what to do, how to prepare, what to pack, etc. Very comprehensive. They also have a "family disaster plan" that you can download.

• Preparesmart.com: Earthquake kits. 

• QuakeKare.com: All sorts of survival information and kits to purchase.

• KTLA News: Here's a good list what to include when making your own survival kit.

Comments

[Bridget]

I am glad you are ok!!! I would have been freaking out too :) That's how I am now with tornadoes (MN Girl here) I used to care less, and now with a baby, they freak the heck out of me!!

[Sara]

So glad Ava and you were ok! That can be so scary. I lived in San Francisco and felt one while there. Glad you posted the address to BBC. Great blog.

[Diana]

Thanks for posting these links! I need to buy an emergency kit for our home and another for my parents asap.