Lots of memories were made during our beach vacation… it’s hard to believe that it was just a little over a week ago that we were basking in the sun, with the wind at our backs, and sand in between our toes. We thought long and hard about how a vacation like this would work for our family. As you can imagine bringing four children anywhere is challenging, but having one very “special” child, one who can not get wet because she has four IV lines hanging off of her body at any given time, a urinary catheter taped to her leg for most of her day, two drainage bags attached to her g and j tubes, for the next month a cardiac event monitor strapped to her chest, temperature regulation issues, and at times has sensory issues beyond comprehension….well, you can only imagine the challenges that we faced. Lucy’s first time at the actual beach lasted, at best, ten seconds. She was drawn to it however, I think watching “her kids” run in and out of the waves and play in the sand with such enthusiasm intrigued her, despite her nervous system signaling her brain that it was too much. By the end of the week we were ALL able to enjoy the beach for forty-five minutes as a family of six! We rented a house right on the beach so that our three water babies could enjoy the sun, sand, and surf whenever they desired and for as long as they desired, all the while keeping Lucy on her strict schedule. While Lucy napped, the mama read two novels and buried her feet in the sand, the daddy built sand castles and hunted for sea shells, and the kids were thrilled with just being at the beach!
When we left, more than a few tears were shed, and conversations about doing this again next year were had…all signs of a great vacation!
Post Comment
beautiful! and more tears...
Post a Comment