the good and the bad

I love living in Texas.. I really do! It's become our home. We love our friends, we love where we live. I love the spring wild flowers. But as much as I love it, today made me glad that one day we will move away from this place!

We survived our first tornado warning today. Well, it was my first. Let me tell you about it.

Cole was SO grouchy today. He got sick again (fever/throwing up) and today after his nap he was an absolute mess. He didn't want to be held, he didn't want to be put down, he didn't want his pacifier or his water or any food and he just kept arching his back. I'd never seen him like that before and I was worried that something was seriously wrong with him. Looking back, I think he was just throwing his first major temper tantrum, he was on edge since he wasn't feeling well because I finally figured out how to calm him down: it started to rain outside.

So, we watched the rain from the window as it started to come down and Cole was luckily fascinated by this. But then he wanted to go outside into it. I decided to just open the front door and to just sit right outside the front door, feel the fresh air and watch the rain. And then as we were sitting there, completely content, that's when we heard them: the sirens.

No way, I thought. We are not going to have a tornado right now!!! It wasn't even raining that hard yet. I immediately panicked and went straight to our bathroom where there are no windows and shut the doors. And we sat there for a little bit, on the floor. And then I thought maybe I was being a little ridiculous and should check the weather forecast to see what it said exactly. Sure enough, a tornado had been spotted in the area. Cole had started throwing a temper tantrum again by this point and I knew that I couldn't just hang out in the bathroom for very long with him acting like that.

Turns out he was tired. Probably achy too. I don't know but I can't wait for him to talk so he can TELL me exactly what is wrong because the guessing game is wearing on me! So I just put him to bed. And wished that Steve were home so that we could just be together. The school wouldn't let him leave since it was dangerous on the roads and our phones weren't working so google chat saved the day since we were only able to communicate that way.

I felt bad for keeping Cole in his crib, I knew I needed to move him to the bathroom but I knew that he really needed his sleep too so it was hard for me to wake him up. He eventually just woke up on his own, we moved into the bathroom and camped out there for a bit. I had gathered some things together including little snacks for him to much on which he did while I listened to the weather report on my computer.

We feel so lucky and blessed because although the weather report said that the tornado would be going right over our house and Steve's school too, the storm never got bad for us! There wasn't any hail, no high winds, only rain and we could hear thunder but it didn't even seem too close! Everyone else I've talked to who lives super close has said that it was really bad for them.

Finally, the storm passed completely and Steve came home and we were reunited!! It feels so good to all be together after a rough day. Please please don't let there be any more tornadoes!! But if there is I at least hope that Cole won't be sick at the same time. And that Steve can at least be with us so that we won't have to worry about each other as much.

I love Texas. I hate tornadoes. But I'm grateful that we're safe, together and I'm so grateful that by this evening Cole was already quite a bit better. Thank goodness. Hopefully there won't be any more temper tantrums either ;)