Sun, jazz & spinning thingsPosted on April 26th, 2009 @ 8:20 pm
The sun! Finally!
It felt so good to get out and back into the fresh air. Of course, along with that fresh air came record-breaking temperatures, and with that came a fair amount of painful sunburn, but it was so worth it! It felt like we were rejoining the world after a very long, very cold hibernation.
Saturday we took Sammy to his very first carnival. He had an absolute blast. He begged to go on the huge rides – which he’s (thankfully) still too small for, and for which I still need to ask his cardiologist which he’s allowed to ride. (We got a “no” on rollercoasters, but I’m not sure about the others.) We did take him on the Dizzy Dinosaur – one of those enclosed spinning rides. Tucked between Jay and myself, he screamed and laughed with absolute delight as we spun around and around. He’s really a bit of a daredevil – I hope he’ll be able to experience those things he truly wants to, but I’m not going to lie – part of me hopes that he’ll be just a little limited in the rides he’ll be allowed to enjoy simply because I’m terrified of letting him go on the really scary crap!
Saturday night, I took Sammy to his very first jazz concert. It was a free show at the local college. He could hardly contain his excitement (though I could hardly contain throwing dirty looks at the people giving me the evil eye for bringing a 3 year old to the show). We started in the second row, but within minutes realized just how painfully loud a trumpet can be at such close proximity. We raced to the back, which was perfect – he got to stand up, bop around, play drums along with the music and just generally enjoy it wholeheartedly. It was wonderful talking with the drummer’s mother before the show – she understood what it meant to have a child so completely enthralled with all aspects of music. (Speaking of which, Sammy starts piano and drum lessons on Monday!)
Jay’s mom has an award-winning VW bug, Miss Ruby Beetle, and made the trek up from Maryland for a car show at the Seekonk Speedway. So today we ventured down to the track and hung out in the sunshine while she took 2nd place. Sammy was decked out in full-on Falcon Ridge gear – good practice for this July! While we remembered to slather Sammy up with sunscreen, we neglected to do the same for ourselves, and we’re paying for it now. But really – sunshine never felt so good. And spending time at the raceway really spoke to my inner speed demon – it was almost 4 years ago that we were supposed to celebrate my 30th birthday at F1 Racing in Boston. (I found out I was pregnant just days before and apparently they frown upon pregnant women whipping at high speeds around a track. Hrmph.)
Maybe one day Sammy and I can fulfill our need for adrenaline together – a mother-son racing team, perhaps?
Here’s to springtime!
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NSTAR’s Walk for Children’s Hospital BostonPosted on April 23rd, 2009 @ 3:29 pm
Here’s the quick version:
It’s that time again! We’re raising money for Children’s Hospital Boston. We’ll be walking 7 miles on June 14. We’d love for you to come walk with us, or if you’d rather, please help us help CHB continue the excellent work they do – work that helped save Sammy’s life – by donating. We know times are tough for everyone – if you can donate, every little bit helps and will be so appreciated.
Sign up to walk or donate here.
And the long version:
On June 14, we will be joining friends and family as we walk the NStar Walk for Children’s Hospital Boston.
As you likely know, our son Samson was born with a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. We knew at 20 weeks pregnant that he would need three open heart surgeries, the first when he was a tiny four days old.
We chose Children’s Hospital Boston partially because of its location – we live 45 minutes away – but largely for its excellent reputation. We can’t go on enough about how wonderful CHB really is.
Sammy has had three open-heart surgeries at CHB. Never did we question the expertise and professionalism of the nurses, doctors and surgeons. Each person worked as a team that moved seemingly effortlessly to give Sammy the very best care possible. They included us in as much as they possibly could, encouraging us to learn about everything our son was going through. They encouraged us to be a huge part of his recovery, including us in all aspects of his care. We always felt included in his care and are forever grateful for the incredible team that helped give Sammy – and continues to give so many other children – an excellent chance at being a ROCKSTAR!
We’re fundraising for this event because we believe so strongly in all the good things Children’s Hospital Boston does for kids. Its patient care programs are incredibly sensitive to what sick and injured children and their families really need. Its researchers regularly make amazing discoveries that change children’s lives. It welcomes kids whose families can’t afford health care-more than any other hospital in Massachusetts. It makes a point of reaching out to local communities to help low-income and at-risk kids. And it really gets the importance of training the next generation of top pediatricians and nurses. We can’t think of a worthier organization.
We’re asking one of two things from our friends and family – the first? Come walk with us on Team Rockstar Hearts! Each walker is required to raise $150, and it will be a beautiful 7-mile walk around the Charles River. If you can’t make the walk, please consider donating to the cause. Every donation makes such a difference.
Thanks so much for your support through everything, and we look forward to hopefully walking with you!
Sign up to walk or donate here.
Love,
Erika, Jay & Sammy
