The February Blizard . . . and a Baby to Deliver!

The February Blizzard . . . and a Baby to Deliver!

Well, it's Thursday Feb 26th, and we just got back from our Doctor's apointment to discover that we are close to having our baby. So, we scheduled our delivery date for tomorrow @ 11:00. The trip back to Driggs from Rexburg was quite difficult due to blowing and drifting snow from last nights 6" snow dump. Half way home we began to think it would be a better idea to turn around and stay in Rexburg for the night before the roads were closed and we were trapped in Driggs. But trapped at home isn't too bad unless your about to have a baby and the local hospital just removed their OB dept a few months back.

We went about our normal activities for the rest of the day, like kids basketball practices and packing and preparing for the following days trip to have our baby. I hoped on the computer to look at local road closures and the weather report. I didn't look too promising that the wind was going to let up, so we began the planning to return to Rexburg and stay with family for the night before the roads got worse. Melissa started having contractions at ten minutes intervals, so we dropped of the children at Jammi's and headed to the hospital in a ugly blizzard.

The Long Way Around.

Apparently we took just 5 minutes too long, for when we got to the hwy 33 junction to Rexburg a snow plow just turned around from dropping the Road Closed sign. He drove off and we pulled up and talked to a lady that just couldn't and wouldn't let us proceed due to the high winds and drifting snow that have many cars already stuck out there somewhere. So, faced with the fact that Melissa was begining her contractions we turned around and made the long painful journey the long way around over a very snowy and blowing piney pass, Swan Valley, and Idaho Falls then back to Rexburg. The pass was terrible and the open dry farm land from Swan Valley to Idaho Falls had snow banks just high enough to match the level of our windshield. This as you may already guess creates zero visibility during 50 mile an hour winds with blowing snow. We did however push it pretty hard to make it to Rexburg just as Melissa's contractions were 3 minutes apart.

Now we're here in Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg working on getting our new little girl here. This info will have to appear in our next blog attempt.