Today Was More Than I Bargained For

For the past week I had been looking forward to my daughter's first swim lessons today.

The class, Supertots, is held once a week at the YMCA and is really just a way to get the kids acquainted with the water. I know that she is only 22 months old, but she has a lot of energy and I felt like this would be a good activity for her to start with.

So a friend and I went to the class and everything was great. Camryn loved the water and had a lot of fun.

Then the trouble started.

After dropping my friend off at her apartment, I saw an old friend from work standing outside with her baby. I was never able to see her baby because she was on maternity leave when I was laid off. So I turned around and Camryn and I got out of the car to see them. About five minutes into our conversation, another former co-worker pulled up and came over with her 3 year old to talk too. -- Coincidentally, they happen to live in the same apartment complex.

Camryn and her three year old son were excited to see each other and began playing. Everything was cool until they decided to run to the fountain/pond at the entrance of the complex. In a split second, Camryn got too close and slipped in.

Now mind you all of this happened within about 30 seconds...but it felt like a lifetime to me. My former co-worker saw this happen before I did so she took off running toward the pond. I was right behind her and we both dived in. We were only about a yard away but when we got to Camryn she was in the water sideways and scared. I was going crazy and the second I got her I almost burst into tears and went into shock at the same time.

Camryn was fine and completely over it in about 5 minutes. I, on the other hand, was completely freaked out. I thanked my former co-worker a thousand times and then said my goodbyes to go home.

I am still freaked out by this. The thing that gets me is that it could have been so much worse. Accidents happen with children all of the time and it really can happen in the blink of an eye.

Thoughts of Mike Tyson's daughter have been in my head....

I plan to send my former co-worker a gift card first thing next week to say thank you again. She didn't hesitate to jump in the water to grab my child as if it were her own and that was not lost on me.

And best believe, I am saying my prayers tonight.

To end on a lighter note, here is the only picture I was able to get of her at the swim lesson....