YMCA Summer Soccer Week 7: Philly v. Houston

This morning, we took Andrew to his soccer game. We felt it was time to get back to some normalcy in his life and didn't want for him to miss another game.

It was crazy hot out there, so we tried to have Andrew take lots of breaks sitting in his chair and drinking water. He still ran hard while out there and tried so valiantly.

Sadly, he didn't score a goal. But we are still very happy with his effort out there.

One Week

It's been a difficult week to say the least. I keep thinking to myself that I don't know how I ever will get through this. So many people have been telling me that the pain lessens and I am sure they are right. But it seems a long way away.

The grief is constant--always present, but there are times when it sneaks up on me and really hits me. Like today, Andrew was watching a movie and laying next to me on the couch snuggling and James was sitting on the floor by us. And then, it just hits me. Something is missing--or rather, someone. Matthew is missing. Matthew will always be missing. We will never be watching a movie or doing anything for that matter--all four of us.

And I know there was nothing I could have done, but I feel so helpless as a mother. I feel that I let Matthew down because I couldn't protect him from the hydrops. I was supposed to keep him safe when he was in my womb.

I know he's in a better place now and he's not hurting or suffering. But I want him to be with me so badly. I want to hold him. I want to see him grow up. I want so many things for him that aren't possible anymore.

I showed Andrew a photo of Matthew and asked him who he was. He replied "me" thinking most baby pictures I show him are of him. I told him that it wasn't him, but Matthew. And he then replied "my baby". Yes, sweet boy, he is your baby.

I am sad that Matthew couldn't live longer so we could have had more time with him. And I wish he had lived long enough that Andrew could have met him and hold him too. But then James and I wondered if it would be too hard on Andrew to have made that connection and bonded with his little brother just to lose him. We didn't know what to do; and we still don't.

We miss you so much, Matthew. We love you with all our hearts.

The Beach with the Armstrongs

Anh Thu's kids really wanted to go to the beach while they were down in Texas so Anh Thu and Anh Tuan decided to take them this morning. And they were kind to take Andrew with them too. Andrew seemed to have a great time and really enjoys being with his cousins. I miss him, but am glad he's having fun. I know he needs to be out having a good time and being happy.

Funeral Mass for Matthew

This morning, we had the funeral mass for Matthew. We were very fortunate that St. Vincent de Paul could accommodate us and allow us to have the mass there. Father James Joy presided over the mass and said a very touching homily about Matthew.

We are humbled and moved by the attendance and outpouring of kindness. We can't thank everyone enough who supported us through their presence, gifts, and prayers. Your continued love and support has been amazing. And a special thanks to our sisters, Janine and Anh Thu, without whom this mass would not have been possible.

We didn't take any pictures, but Nonna took a few after the mass as we hung out at our house after. It means so much to have our family here.

Music

Opening Hymn: Amazing Grace
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27
Offertory Hymn: You Are Mine
Communion Hymn: On Eagle's Wings
Recessional (Closing) Hymn: Here I Am Lord

Readings

First Reading: A reading from the book of Lamentations 3:22-26

The favors of the Lord are not exhausted,
his mercies are not spent;
They are renewed each morning,
so great is his faithfulness.
My portion is the Lord, says my soul;
therefore will I hope in him.

Good is the Lord to one who waits for him,
to the soul that seeks him;
It is good to hope in silence
for the saving help of the Lord.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans 14:7-9

None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.

For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord;
so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
For this is why Christ died and came to life,
that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written:
"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God."

So (then) each of us shall give an account of himself (to God).

The word of the Lord.

Reading from the Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30

At that time Jesus said in reply, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

The gospel of the Lord.

Father Joy's Homily

An angel was so eager to see this world, created by God, his Father. So he asked God to let him join the human family, and God decided to give a gift to a wonderful family, He created seven years ago. Thus, Matthew was born. After a few moments of his life in this world, he understood that heaven is much better than this beautiful world, and he returned to his heavenly Father’s home. Matthew takes the love of his parents, Sydney and James, with him to heaven. No words can give you consolation, but please remember that now you have someone in heaven to watch over you and pray for you. Andrew lost a worldly brother, but he gained a heavenly angel.

Matthew’s death is the greatest moment of pain and reflection for all of us. It is sad. It hurts. It is unwanted and unwelcome. Even if we know that death is not unusual, and comes to every family and every circle of friends, the premature death of Matthew is unique to family and all of us, because it touches our very hearts. On this sad day, we have no answers to the question “Why should this beautiful child not be left with his family for a while longer?” The only answer to this question is to pray for peace of mind. Indeed, we have a lot of questions and doubts. We can share all our sorrows and disappointments with the Lord. When we are in pain, God feels our pain. Our tears are God’s tears also. Turn to God and ask Him to heal you, of the great hurt that you have suffered.

God does not abandon us in our time of suffering. Our suffering is not in vain, even if it is beyond our understanding. Your love for Matthew, the care you gave him, your dreams are all seen by God. Even amidst this sadness, God is filling your hearts with His blessings. When one door closes to us, our heavenly Father opens many other doors in our lives. He fills our hearts and lives with His abundant blessings.

The short life of this angel tells us that we are not the owners of our lives or the lives of our dear ones. God is the Father of every life. We don’t often think of how precious and special each one of us are in the eyes of God. Before the world was made, Matthew and each one of us were in God’s plan and loved by God. Parents are only chosen instruments in the hands of God. Do not grieve for Matthew for he is now in the hands of His heavenly Father. Matthew has completed his mission in life which is unknown to us. I am sure that our angel Matthew is happy to see the family members of Sydney and James, so united in this moment of your pain.

The great and sad mistake of many people is to imagine that those, whom death has taken, leave us. Our dead are not absent, only invisible to us. When we celebrate this Mass for this little angel, we know that Matthew is not absent, because death is not an end. Death is a part of life, but it is not the last part. Death is an open door, to a higher and more blessed way of living. Every moment and every action of this life, prepares us to live in eternal life.

I know that no words can give you consolation. Yet in prayer, let us all pray to Our Lord Jesus Christ to send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Consolation, to deliver you from every sorrow of this moment. Matthew is close to us by praying for us.

Build-A-Bear

Aunt Anh Thu was sweet by helping us out and taking Andrew to Build-A-Bear since I am still recovering from the surgery so that Drew could make matching bears for him and Matthew. Of course, when he saw a green bear, he chose it. He really enjoyed getting to pick everything out and going through the process of putting together the bear. And Andrew made us happy when he selected a Longhorn t-shirt for their bears.

We named Andrew's bear Matty Bear and Matthew's bear Andy Bear.

Happy 41st Month Birthday

Andrew is now 41 months and this is what he has been up to lately...

He is still very much into fire trucks and trains. I think he probably plays with them every single day!! He loves to pretend that the fire trucks are answering calls especially to save "cat in a tree." And when he plays in his kitchen, he likes to ask us "what you like to eat?" and will pretend to cook and prepare our requested meal. We usually ask for things like noodles, soup, fruit or vegetables.

We have been trying to play some more board games and Andrew so far likes memory, Hi HO Cherry O, Candyland, and Chutes and Ladders. And sadly, he wins lots more than he should without us even trying to lose on purpose!

Drew is very much into Fireman Sam and Chuggington. He has started watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates on the Disney Channel as well as watching Dinosaur Train on PBS again. He occassionally asks to go back to the movie theatre, which I would love to do, but haven't seen anything advertised that I feel a real need to take him too. But we are also introducing more full length movies to him on DVD, but watch in parts instead of the whole thing at one sitting. So far, he has watched Pinocchio and The Little Mermaid. He didn't like Ursula very much understandably so. He has watched a few episodes of Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry and likes them so far.

Andrew really enjoys kicking around the soccer ball with Daddy at home, but his favorite outdoor activity by far right now is swimming. He might ask to go swimming every day. He has been making great strides on learning how to swim and has gotten so much better about putting his face in the water.

As of late, his artwork includes drawing people, trains along with lots of train cars, tracks, fire trucks, firefighters, hoses, ladders, signals, fish tanks, roller coasters, airplanes, boats, and whatever else he can think of.

He really enjoys going to League City to visit Ngoai and Papa and asks to spend the night quite a bit too, which means we just need to take advantage of letting him sleepover there more! Drew really enjoys our little routine of going to the neighborhood pool, eating dinner, and then playing a little soccer at night. Another little routine he likes at my parents' house is eating chocolate covered almonds and cashews before bedtime!

He does a decent job of going to bed at night, but is a master in the art of stalling even more now. He will ask for hugs, kisses, water, and lately, to finish his dinner. This kid will try anything to fight off sleeping!!

And speaking of eating, he has been really good about eating more fruit. He likes to now eat cherries and pull out the stems and seeds. I have to admit, I still am a little apprehensive when he eats them for fear he will choke on the seeds. Andrew is also really liking Clementine oranges and can eat like three or four of them in one sitting!! For breakfast, Andrew has been asking to eat Toaster Strudel with the frosting. And I don't know if this might be just a summer thing, but Drew has been wanting to cool off with popsicles more recently too.

Andrew's speech continues to improve and he is doing a pretty good job of trying to get those final consonant sounds. We still have to remind him, but sometimes, he does it naturally, which we are so thrilled with!! He is talking in more complex sentences and we love hearing him talk. he says things like "yes ma'am", "umm hmmm" for yes, "orite" for all right, and "o tay" for okay. He will also ask for things by saying "may I have {blank} please?" We get a lot of "will you play with me please?" too! One of my favorites was when he said something and threw in "we talk about it?" just like I will say to him so often. He also says "I love you more" which of course, melts my heart. The fighter will tell us quite often "I not tired" too. And lately, he will ask me "when Daddy come home?" And if I turn it around on him and ask him what time Daddy comes home, he will reply "5:30". He will also ask me "when it get dark?" and now can answer "8 o'clock".

And Andrew has had to do a bit of growing up lately...and sadly, not in the way we would want. It's been really hard on him with everything that happened with Matthew. Andrew had of course been more and more curious and more and more excited about his baby brother and would ask all the time "when he coming out?" And he was talking about things he wants to do with him when he does arrive like holding him and feeding him. One day, he even said he wanted to teach him how to play trains. So cute. He loved to kiss my belly and say "I love you" to the baby too. He was so excited about being a big brother and was ready for it.

When we first found out about the hydrops, we told him that something was wrong and we weren't sure what was going to happen, but the doctors were trying to help us as best they could. He has been so brave with the hospital stays and doctor visits and good with Ngoai and Nonna caring for him while we have been away. We told him that Matthew had a very bad boo boo on his heart and lungs and the doctors did everything they could, but his boo boos were really really bad. We told him that Matthew went up to Heaven to be with God and Jesus. And he will add in "and Co Bay too?" referring to my aunt who passed away earlier this year. But he has done amazingly well considering and hopefully, we can help him to understand our loss.

It's been a rough month for us all, but Andrew is still such a blessing in our lives. We love you so much, little man!

I don't have any pictures from today, but here are a few more from swimming down in League City.

Our Little Boy

Yesterday was kind of like a whirlwind from the start. Part of it whizzed by like a blur and part of it seemed to transpire in slow motion. Sometimes, it's so surreal I keep thinking it didn't really happen, but it's as real as it gets.

I started the morning by trying to get some work done at home when I received a call from Becky, Dr. Kirshon's nurse. She told me that from the panel discussion this morning, the panel felt that it would be best to deliver the baby as soon as possible. First, they were worried the longer the baby was in my belly, the fluid would continue to deteriorate his organs especially his heart. And secondly, the longer the baby was in the my belly, the higher the chances that my uterus would erupt. Becky said they could schedule the C-section for 6pm that night at St. Luke's Hospital.

Of course, I was totally taken aback. We had discussed that the longer the baby could stay in my tummy, it would help to give him more time to develop especially his lungs. And I just wasn't in the mindset that we would be delivering him so soon. Becky said I could talk to Dr. Kirshon to discuss it more so she paged him for me.

Dr. Kirshon called me right away. He reiterated what Becky had told me about the panel's recommendations and he felt that this would be the best course of action. But of course, he said it was entirely up to James and I. But I know in my heart of hearts that he was looking out for us and the baby and was trying to give him the best chance possible.

Of course, I immediately call James and bring him up to speed. He is taken aback just as I was. But he says he'll come home right away so we can get ready and take me to the hospital. Then, I call my mom and ask if she can come up to watch Andrew.

James and I head to the hospital; and the nurses check me in. Everything is set into motion. I was prepped and then was brought into the delivery room. Finally, James was brought in after he changed into his scrubs.

Things get underway; and I keep trying to listen to everything everyone is saying. I kept waiting to hear a baby's cry. I just wanted to hear him cry. I just want them to tell me he's okay...even though I know that won't happen. But part of me can't help but hope. I remember them having to push down on my chest quite a bit I guess to get the baby out. It was terribly painful, but I just keep thinking to myself that it doesn't matter so long as they get the baby out.

Then, Dr. Kirshon said the baby was alive, but was going to be taken out of the room to be seen by the neonatologists as we had talked about. James and I had agreed that he would stay with the baby. I couldn't bear the thought of him being alone.

I waited and waited as they sewed me back up. And then Dr. Fernandez, a neotologist, came in and told me that they had done everything they could, but the baby wasn't responding. There wasn't anything more they could do. He said he would bring him in so we could hold him.

Then, James and I held our son until he went to be with our Heavenly Father.

We named him Matthew, which means "the gift of God" and Riggs for the surname of my godparents, Sidney and Alberta Riggs, who hopefully will watch over our angel in Heaven.

Matthew Riggs Pham Lenz

Our son, Matthew Riggs Pham Lenz, was born July 21, 2011 at 6:42pm and was received into Heaven at 7:07pm.

Texas Children's Hospital

This morning, we were released from Texas Women's and made a bee line for Texas Children's. Our first appointment was the ultrasound. After the tech took various measurements, the doctor came in and talked to us. She had been seeing the pictures from her office. She said there was definitely hydrops present. She said we would know more after the MRI and echo.

Next, we went to have the MRI. I was really nervous about this since I had never had one. And the tech was so adamant about being still that it made me even more nervous. I have never been one to be able to remain still in the first place. But apparently, I didn't need to worry because I fell asleep and didn't move at all. The tech even said when she buzzed me twice and I didn't answer, she figured I fell asleep. She said it isn't too uncommon because of the warmth in the machine.

After the MRI, we were now running a little late for our echo appointment, but the cardiology clinic knew where we were and were ready for us when we got there. The cardiologist who performed the echo told us that she didn't see any fluid in the heart, but did have some bad news for us. She said the fluid in the chest cavity was putting pressure on the heart and not allowing it to expand fully and develop as it should. She noticed some detoriation in the bicuspid valve and one of the walls between the chambers. She felt that it would worsen the longer the baby was submerged in that much fluid.

Then, we met with another physician who would tell us the findings of the MRI. He just told us what we already knew about the edema and hydrops. But he also informed us that Dr. Kirshon had requested our situation be presented to a panel of about twenty pediatric specialists in Houston; and they were going to discuss the MRI, ultrasound and echo in further detail. The panel meets tomorrow morning and afterwards, Dr. Kirshon would contact us.

Of course, James and I are devastated by the news about our son's heart. And to say we are anxious about what the panel has to say would be a severe understatement. We don't know what they will say...and to be honest, at this point, we don't even know what we want them to say...

We didn't get any printed pictures of our baby today, but here is the other one taken by Dr. Kirshon last week.

Amniocentesis

This evening, we had the amniocentesis. Dr. Kirshon removed over two liters of fluid from my stomach. At first, I didn't feel any difference, but then several minutes into the procedure, I felt this huge relief of pressure off my belly. Dr. Kirshon said he removed over half of the fluid in my belly...and I still have plenty to spare. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the two jugs of fluid! And I couldn't believe my eyes seeing such a difference in the size of my belly!!

Before the procedure, we spent most of the day watching TV and just waiting. James went home to get some things and most importantly, to be with Andrew. Then, he brought Andrew and my mom to the hospital to see me. I loved seeing him. He does make my day so much brighter even with everything going on. Monica also came by to see us; and she was really sweet to bring us some snacks and fruit.

And Doris is coming in town tonight to help with Andrew to relieve my mom and so that she can go to work tomorrow. We have been so so lucky to have the support of both grandmothers during this time. We are so stressed and so worried right now; and it's helps so much that we don't have the additional stress of worrying about Andrew. We know he's in good hands.

My contractions have been much better today. They have progressively gotten less intense and less frequent. So, Dr. Kirshon is happy about that; and if all goes well the rest of the night, I will be released tomorrow morning so we can go to Texas Children's Hospital where we have an MRI and echo scheduled.

I was so preoccupied and excited to see Andrew that I didn't snap a picture of him and didn't ask my mom to take one of him, so again, I am without. So, I'll just have to post another picture from last weekend of Andrew in League City when he was playing soccer with Dad and Papa.

Fetal Blood Sampling

This morning soon after I got to the office, I got a call from Dr. Kirshon's nurse, Becky, to inform me that Dr. Kirshon wanted me to have a fetal blood sampling this evening to check for possible chromosome defects and/or infections. I have to say I was taken aback to say the least.

I immediately called James and told him what was going on. Then, I called my mom to ask her to come up and watch Andrew for us. I went and told Andy what was going on and he told me to go home. But I wanted to stay and try to get my mind off things as much as possible until I had to leave for the hospital.

The procedure was scheduled for 6pm, but I had to check in at the Texas Women's Hospital at 4pm; and James was going to come right after work. The nurse took down all my personal information and got me prepped for the procedure. She did notice that I was having mild contractions--I was feeling some stomach pain, but just thought I was having a little bit of cramping.

After James arrived around 4:30pm, we were brought into a room; and they got me set up for the procedure. I had to lay on my side, which probably was a good thing because I didn't have to see the long needle that I could hear them talking about. Hearing the debate about the length of the needle to use definitely did not ease my anxiety!

Unfortunately, Dr. Kirshon was not able to retrieve a sample of the blood from the umbilical cord. The cord was obstructed by a lot of fluid and the positioning of the cord wasn't conducive either. He did take some amniotic fluid and was going to have some tests run on it.

When I was taken back to the recovery room, I was supposed to be there for about an hour or so to make sure all was well. But my contractions had not subsided so Dr. Kirshon wanted me to stay overnight for monitoring. I was given some medicine to help reduce them, but I started shaking as a result of the medicine, so they put me on a different one. I was also given some steroids to help strengthen the baby's lungs.

Luckily, my mom packed her things just in case. She's amazing, I know. I am so sad that I didn't get to see Andrew this evening; and I know he must be freaked that Mommy and Daddy aren't coming home tonight. We told him that I had to stay in the hospital so the doctor and nurses could help his baby brother and me.

Tonight surely didn't go the way as planned. I am so disappointed we weren't able to get a blood sample as I was hoping it could provide some answers. And I hate having to stay here overnight, but I understand.

Dr. Kirshon started talking to us about doing an amniocentesis tomorrow in an effort to remove some of the fluid. He hopes that it will relieve some of the pressure and keep the contractions at bay, and buy us some more time.

James and I are emotionally and physically tired. We are trying to stay as positive as we can. And we are trying to do whatever we can...what's best for the baby. But it's hard. We are so worried. We are so scared. We keep praying for a miracle...

I don't have any pictures from today of the baby or Andrew, but here is one of Andrew from last weekend when we were at Ngoai's and Papa's neighborhood pool. I love his smile so much. I love him so much. I love his little brother so much.

Perry YMCA

We came down to League City to be with my parents for the rest of the weekend. We wanted Andrew to have some undivided attention from his doting grandparents.

Today, we went to the Perry YMCA to check out the family pool of which I had seen impressive pictures on their website. And it did not disappoint.

Andrew had such a great time there. He was a little weary of getting dumped by the big water bucket, but quickly got over his apprehension. But he would run up the steps as fast as he could to get to the slide so he wouldn't get splashed. He also enjoyed the splash pad and mushroom, but he spent most of the time just swimming to James from the steps.

Andrew had so much fun--this is definitely worth coming back to!!

YMCA Summer Soccer Week 5: Philly v. Alief Dynamo

This morning, we took Andrew to his soccer game to keep some routine and normalcy in his life right now.

Our game was out in Alief which was about a twenty-five minute ride from the house. We didn't have our full squad out there, but the kids did awesome, especially Andrew. He did great running out there chasing after the ball. He worked hard to get the ball down to the opposing goal and because of his efforts, a kid on the other team kicked the ball in the goal. So, in essence, he would have been credited with an assist or the goal if official soccer stats were being kept...or how I like to think it would be.

Anyways, it was a nice little break from everything going on just to watch Andrew being a happy little soccer player.

Heartache

Today, we received the most heartbreaking of news--something a parent should never have to hear.

I guess I'll start from the beginning--this morning, I had my appointment at Dr. Samuels's office first. I gained five pounds and was measuring 37 weeks. The entire pregnancy thus far, I hadn't gained that much weight so quickly and then to be measuring that big, I knew it wasn't good. But at the time, I was thinking that the worst case scenario was that I would have an amniocentis to extract some of the fluid since we talked about that a few weeks ago after my last ultrasound. If only I had known better. That would be like the best case scenario now.

So, then right after, I went to Dr. Kirshon's office for my ultrasound appointment. James met Andrew and I there. We went back and got all set up for the ultrasound and waited for Dr. Kirshon. He started the ultrasound; and it was pretty immediate that something was wrong when his demeanor turned very serious. He was pretty grim, which is abnormal for him. He told us that things did not look good.

The baby has amniotic fluid around his lungs and heart, but doesn't seem to have any by his brain. Dr. Kirshon also said that the baby has skin and scalp edema. His initial thoughts is that the baby is not able to swallow the fluid and is why the fluid is not being displaced. He is worried that it might be a neurological issue.

The medical condition that our son is suffering from is called non-immune hydrops; and the survival rate is sadly a grim 10-30%. Dr. Kirshon is not sure of the cause and in many cases, the cause goes unknown with hydrops.

We've told our immediate families of the situation and prepared them that the baby might not make it. We, of course, are heartbroken. I am so scared and so beside myself. I keep asking myself what went wrong and praying that a miracle will happen.

At this point, Dr. Kirshon wants us to have some tests performed so we can have a better idea of where things are including a MRI and echo, which can hopefully be scheduled next week.

And then there is our sweet Andrew who was so concerned about me. When I started crying in the ultrasound, he immediately wanted to be next to me and hugged me and kept wanting to hold my hand. And when I would start to cry again, he would say "don't cry" or "don't be sad". If only he knew how much he makes me loved and how he makes things more bearable.

Here is an ultrasound picture of our sweet little baby boy. Please, God, please help him!

Back to Work

After a long hiatus, today was my first day back in the work field. Eeekk!? But I am so fortunate with this job! Andy Murrell, a former colleague at both alliantgroup and Deloitte, started his own boutique tax firm with some other guys from alliantgroup. So, to put it simply, my new boss is a dear friend. And it's going to part time; and I will be able to work from home too. I am over the moon!!

Of course, the downfall is leaving my little man. We talked about my going back to work. He was a little sad and worried, but I know he'll be ok.

I went into the office this morning to get situated. Andrew stayed with a new babysitter, Sara. She said he was really good for her and that they had a good time together. We gave him a few options of what they were going to do today and for whatever reason, he picked to go to the Little Galleria and the Galleria train.

She was sweet enough to send me a photo of my little guy who I really missed today, but I just couldn't pass up this job opportunity. So here goes...back to work for Mommy!

Sea World

After the game yesterday, we drove to San Antonio to visit Nonna. One of the things we wanted to do was to go to Sea World one more time before my season pass ended and before the summer ended.

Right off when we first got there, we rode the Shamu roller coaster. I wasn't sure how he was going to like it--I was scared he might chicken out, cry, or scream (or a combination of any of those three). But he was very brave and did fantastic.

Next, we walked to the theater to watch the Sesame Street Presents Lights, Camera, Imagination 4D movie. Andrew sat through it, but he got a little scared when some of the 4D effects occurred. He was more scared at the movie than the roller coaster ride.

Then, we went to the Bay of Play, which was really cute and fun for Andrew. He rode the carousel, ran through the dancing water fountains, and climbed the big playscape. It was a really nice addition to the park.

After, we headed over to watch the Elmo & the Bookeneer show, which was a big hit. It went over much better than the 4D experience. Actually, I probably have to say that Andrew loved this probably the most of everything we did.

It was getting pretty late in the afternoon and almost time for someone to take a nap (or maybe more than just one of us). So, we ended up going home with the idea of coming back in the evening to do some more activities.

When we came back, we watched the sea lion show since it's one of Daddy's favorites. And then, James and Andrew went around a couple of times on the lazy river while I relaxed on a lawn chair. And the finale was the "rocking" Shamu show...meaning it was filled with rock songs mainly. It is always a good show and a crowd pleaser for our family. I so love Shamu...I think more so than Andrew does, sad to say. ;)

But we had a great day and fun time there. I think Andrew likes it more each time we go there so that's always a good feeling.

I forgot the SLR so the earlier photos were taken with my cell phone; and that's why the quality isn't that great.

YMCA Summer Soccer Week 4: New England v. Philly

We didn't have a game last week for the July 4th weekend. As such, Andrew was ready to play this weekend. And he did great--even scoring two goals. Well, the second was literally stopped by a dad who was in the goal supposedly helping his daughter play goalie. I am not joking...check out the video. I really don't mind parents helping their kids to play, but I thought it a little odd that the father was the one to make the save with his hands nonetheless. I even did a double take and had to ask James if I saw what I thought I saw!?

But Andrew did great job playing and loved handing out the snacks and drinks to his teammates. And,I guess we are quickly making the rounds at the Weekley YMCA because our coach this season, Coach Maria, is our instructor in our swim classes.

YMCA Swim Class: Day 4

Just wanted to share a photo and video from today's swim class. Usually, they don't hold classes on Fridays, but today was a make up for the Monday July 4th class. He's making some definite progress. We are just glad he is getting more comfortable in the water and learning a good foundation for swimming.

Flip Flops

This morning, I took Andrew to the Barnes & Noble story time near our house since we didn't have anything scheduled and it had been a long time since we had been there.

I thought it was so adorable how much Andrew enjoyed himself today laughing and dancing. But what really gets me is him wearing these flip flops. Makes him look like such a little boy.

YMCA Swim Class

I took Andrew to his first swim class today at the YMCA. Andrew was excited at first, but when we got to the pool, he was a little apprehensive. But he composed himself and did pretty good following the coach's instructions and doing what was asked of him. I was proud of him for being so brave!! Let's see what he learns over the next two weeks!?