It's That Time of Year...

It's that time of year.  I'm sure you've all heard about the tornadoes in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Alabama the last few days.  Tornado alley seems like such a scary place to live this time of year.  I don't actually live in tornado alley, but I do live in the south and we get our share of scary weather this time of year.  In fact, the storms that have caused such tragedy this week are headed to us now.  According to our weather team, they should be pretty bad about midnight tonight.  I don't know about you, but I'd rather not wait until midnight to start running around getting things together if we need them!

When I was younger, I was so scared of storms that during the summer, I would keep a bag packed with all of my "special" things that I could easily grab if I needed to get somewhere fast so I wouldn't lose them.  I'm pretty sure it was a tad ridiculous and over the top, but hey...I've always been a little high strung, ha!

I overcame my fear as I got older and quit packing a bag, but now that Hadley is here, I have more to think about than just myself.  So today, with bad weather looming and probably coming and going for the next few months, I set out to make "Preparedness Bag" on the off-chance that we need it.  Here is our "plan" that I put together (because David is just laughing at me!):

[one] Find a safe place.  Luckily we have a basement so that is where we will head should bad weather head our way.  The bags Iv'e packed sit at the door to the basement because some of the things in there we use regularly so we need to be able to access them.



[two] Chicco carrier.  Here is where my crazy comes in.  I don't want any tornado winds ripping my daughter from my arms.  Hopefully having her attached to me will decrease the odds of that happening.  That's probably the most ridiculous thing I packed.

[three] First Aid Kit (red box).  I already have this box that I usually keep in my car for emergencies, but I've taken it out to use for our preparedness bag.  It's pretty well stocked so I just went through to make sure dates hadn't expired.

[four] Tissues, Hand Sanitizer, and Motrin.  Self-explanitory if you ask me.  I'm a nurse, I live on hand sanitizer and you never know when medication will come in handy.

[five] Diapers, Wipes, Sanitation Bags.  Having a baby still in diapers, these were crucial products.  The sanitation bags are arm and hammer and I put her dirty diapers in these to decrease the smell.

[six] Blanket, Pacis, Burp Cloth, Socks, Lovey, and Toys.  All essential things for Hadley's comfort.  The toys are just extra in case we get "stuck" for some time, but pacis, lovey, and blanket are definitely worth packing.

[seven] Flashlight and Extra Batteries.  Self-explanitory again.  Assuming the power goes out, we need a light source.

[eight] All-Purpose tool.  Scissors, exacto knife, etc.  You never know when a tool like that will come in handy.

[nine] Waters.  Drinking water will probably be nonexistent in an emergent weather situation, so I've packed two waters.  Two for David, two for me.

[ten] Snacks.  Again, if we were to be stuck for a while, we would need something to eat.  Added bonus: peanut butter has some protein. (David laughed at me for this.  To which I replied that he's going to really wish he got to eat some of my crackers and peanut butter when we need them!  And he's going to wish he didn't laugh at me!)

[eleven] Shoes and socks.  If there is broken glass around, these will be crucial to preventing injury.

[twelve] Cat Food, Dog Food, Fold-up Water Bowl, Water, Leash.  I can't forget about our sweet fur babies.  I've packed them food and water, too.  Marley's leash is packed for the same reason I packed the chicco carrier.  Hopefully being attached to one end will prevent us from losing him, although one of us would be holding him. (Crazy, I know.)

I did pack a blanket for David and myself that isn't pictured.  Also, if Hadley were taking formula I would have that with plenty of water to mix it.  Luckily, she is still nursing so that isn't a problem for us.  Am I missing anything? :)

I know this seems ridiculous, but I  don't want to be caught unprepared, especially with Hadley.