We went right after I was discharged from the hospital, the kidney stones still tumbling out of me (what a visual! I'm so sorry that's in your head now). Oh, the pain! I can't describe it - not even morphine touched it. And the internal bleeding was pretty unsettling too, to be honest. But I took a Vicodin (fat lot of good that did me) and braved the beach.
We went early to beat the crowds and it was cloudy at first, but by early afternoon, the sun broke through and all was right in the world. Hot, yes, but that's what the water is for. Liam had NEVER even touched the water with his pinky toe. He'd splashed around in lakes and rivers, but never the ocean. Something about the crashing waves, unpredictable and fearsome, and his Asperger's just didn't mix. But wait until you see these photos... they speak volumes, more than I could put into words. To say I'm proud is an understatement. Well, just watch and enjoy.
Some of our finds!
The terns were out enforcing the beach rules.
We created a little seashell collection for DIY!
Liam wasn't so sure about putting his feet in.
He intended to, but when we got there, his nerves kicked in.,
His feet were wet, but would he venture in?
Longing... yet nervous.
Oh, here we go!
Ankle deep now!
Abort mission!
Goodbye, feet.
It was nice knowing you.
Oh yeah! Venturing further and further in.
Even his shirt was wet!
Enjoying himself immensely.
He'd even let go of Daddy's hand.
Independence FTW!
Cool dude to say the least!
Having a ball!
Getting further away from us.
Who would have guessed?
This from the kid who'd always hated the waves
and insisted on staying up on the dunes!
Ahhh, it's coming after me!
Stripped down into his bathing suit.
Shirt? Who needs a shirt?
Now he likes to go shirtless and exclaims,
"Look at my abs!"
Wave jumping.
Getting some air time!
Go, little dude!
Born to jump!
As the waves crash around him...
... he felt free.
It was hot that day.
The pictures don't show it, but after a cloudy morning,
the sun came out, blazing overhead.
We kept taking breaks on our beach towel,
but Liam couldn't resist running back to the water.
The salt water and sand was itchy
and he left big welts on his torso from scratching.
Biggest smile award goes to Liam!
That one was bigger than he expected!
Skipping through the waves
This is what happy looks like.
Strutting its stuff.
Who's that over there??
Hey mom and dad, are you watching?
The tern was not impressed.
He should've been, but terns will be terns.
Swinging his arms with a huge smile spread across his face.
I've got to get back to my waves!
No time to lose!
The tern moaning about something or other.
They're multiplying.
This is Dolores the seagull.
She just looked like a Dolores to me.
Got any snacks, by chance?
A naval ship out in the distance
The tern is sick of this crap.
You can just tell.
We brought our chairs back a ways as the tide came in.
We could see Liam, but he was over the crest.
Suddenly he fell into the water and his head went under!
I jumped up and ran towards him, but he resurfaced quickly.
He was angry that the lifeguard didn't come rescue him!
He was under for only a couple seconds.
Scary though!
Scary though!
He was a little hesitant to go back in, but he did it!
That's what bravery is: being afraid, but doing it anyway.
Close-up of the ship with my handy-dandy 30x zoom!
Hey, that's the hospital Liam's neurologist is at!
Some of the photos beyond this point are a bit dull in color.
But he was having such a blast, I had to include them!
Ahhh, it's coming for me!
We're gonna need a bigger boat.
Wading into deeper waters despite the scare.
He's all the way in of his own volition this time!
THIS IS MAJOR.
Liam is an expert at funny faces.
This wave looks so huge compared to him!
Digging in the sand with his scooper.
All smiles!
Jon enjoyed himself too - we all did!
What are you doing with that scooper?
Oh, that's what you're doing.
Salty hair, don't care.
Relaxing before we went. Liam didn't want to leave!
But we stayed over 5 hours.
That smile = all worth it.
Even my nasty sunburn was worth it to see him smile like that.
But ouch, did it hurt! I looked like a beet.
C'mon, Mary, get it together and sunscreen yourself next time!
Just because it's cloudy in the beginning doesn't mean you won't burn!
Live and learn.
And as I sit here listening to the howl of the Northeast winter winds, I long for the beach, the warmth soaking into my bones and the waves acting as a refreshing balm. Two more seasons and then I'm there. I can feel it.
Can you feel it?
