Safe + Sound

We had a bit of a scare at the pool today.

Hayes was so content playing on his favorite stairs. I turned my back for maybe 20 seconds to make sure that my diaper bag & stroller were okay & Hayes took off.
He was gone.

I searched frantically for what seemed like minutes (though it was probably 45 seconds tops). I alerted the nearest lifeguard & every other lifeguard as I quickly made my way to the other one place I knew he would go.

The beach pool.

I look out in the middle & there is Hayes. Face down & writhing. I ran, splashed, dove & lifted him from the water as he grasped onto me & cried. Desperate for air. He was breathing, but clearly frantic & traumatized.

As lifeguards & other moms surrounded me, I felt the spirit so strongly that everything would be okay. As they checked Hayes to make sure he was responding well, one mom in particular hugged me & said every perfect word that I needed to hear. I wish I knew her name & could tell her thank you a million times over. That one thank you & hug wasn’t enough.

Hayes barfed all over me (not the first time that has happened) & was responsive & back to normal within 10 minutes. Although he wanted to cling on to me & hold me longer than he normally would. I’m grateful for that because this distraught, hot mess of a momma needed those extra cuddles today. He is my world.

The staff at Cowabunga were so kind & reliable. They made sure that I was emotionally okay (I wasn’t & I’m still not, but I will be). I’m grateful for the moms who came to check on Hayes. They & the Cowabunga staff gave me words of advice that I plan to fully put into action.

Hayes is doing well, he doesn’t have any signs of secondary drowning as of right now. Believe me, I am monitoring him very closely.
I’ve learned quite a few valuable lessons today. That Hayes is much like his daddy! He fearlessly loves water & he will be wearing his puddle jumper every single minute when we’re near any kind of water.