I like to think that between my husband and I, we have already experienced our fair share of earthquakes after Northridge and Loma Prieta. Unfortunately, we all know the saying “three’s a charm,” and living in South California comes with its tradeoffs. For all our sunshine, warm weather, and beaches, we face the constant threat of earthquakes, fires, and floods.

Everyone has something that keeps them up at night. For me, it was the sheer terror of another excruciating, lengthy hospital stay in the ICU an hour away from our home. Every time Skylar landed in the hospital, my husband, Jim, and I would take shifts by Skylar’s bedside.

I can still see his cerulean eyes sparkling with excitement, “Tur-tal! A-gan, Mama! A-gan!” beseeching me for the hundredth time that hour on his singing toe-tapping turtle. I was unaware that the turtle’s words, “Crazy ‘bout you baby,” foreshadowed the days ahead.