Wongs Loving Life: 7 MINUTES in Lancaster

On Father's Day the Wong's left town for a week in Lancaster.

We had BIG plans!!!

Tickets to see Thomas, a day In Hershey, reservations to visit

a real working farm (complete with milking a cow), Dutch Wonderland,

and a horse and buggy ride.

The kids were beyond excited and could not wait for daddy to get off work at 3:00 so we could pack the car and get on the road. At 3:30 the mini van pulled out of the driveway and James' first trip to Lancaster, PA was underway.

At 5:00 we stopped to eat at Cracker Barrel.

It was shaping up to be a great day!!!

At 7:00 we arrived at the lodge.

We got the room key and daddy went to the room .

Mommy took the kids to the little swing set set near the country road.

The kids were VERY excited!!!

Zoey admired the flowers.

Mama took pictures of course.

They ran and played....

...James giggled in delight as he watched the "Buugy Horses" ride past...

...For about 7 minutes the kids had an awesome time.

Then as I snapped this picture sweet baby James fell from the ladder of the slide, the slide that he went up and down with ease on just moments before.

Time seemed to stand still.

My poor baby boy was screaming on the ground so loud, yet the 10 feet that I had to run to get to him seemed miles away. It felt like I was moving in slow motion... and everything was blurry.

Even though he didn't fall far, even though that visibly you could see nothing wrong with his arm, I knew that we had to go immediately to the hospital. I knew the cry he was crying was one of horrible pain. I heard that cry before - it was that same gut wrenching cry that I listened to for hours when my poor boy realized that everything and everyone he knew in Korea was gone and that Omma wasn't coming back.

The horrible cry that I prayed so hard to stop hearing because I couldn't stand to see this poor baby in so much emotional pain and grief was back, but this time his pain was physical.

This time he cried my name as I held him.

The ride to the hospital seemed like forever.

I never imagined passing horse and buggies as we rushed our little boy to the hospital.

Not once, not ever, in all my parenting dreams.

Ironically, the ER entrance was located on James St.

I held my big baby boy in the waiting room.

In true James nature, he knows what he wants and isn't afraid to ask.

Between the sobs and screaming I heard, "Rock you baby Mama".

James loves to be rocked and sang too. We usually keep it to the privacy on his bedroom.

So, what did this mama do?

I rocked my baby of course.

Right in the middle of the waiting room at Lancaster General, among the Amish that occupied the seats around us, I rocked my baby and sang the rock a by baby song.

And the Twinkle Twinkle Song.

And the Wheels on the Bus.

Thank God the wait was short and I am pretty sure I will never see any of those people again.

I prayed it wasn't broken.

James quickly learned if he was careful in his movements it wasn't so bad.

By the time we go to x-ray he was calm.

He was saying "cheese" during the x-rays even.

I began to have hope that maybe it was just a sprain - that this wasn't so bad.

Then the doctor came out and said he would need a cast - that he broke his elbow.

We headed back to wait and then were told they needed more x-rays.

Then we were told he needed surgery and an orthopedic was on his way.

Then I panicked.

It was late at this point, but I needed another opinion.

I wasn't so sure of having James have surgery in Lancaster.

I wanted a second opinion.

So, I called my pediatricians office and called the on call nurse.

The nurse got our doctor on the line.

And our wonderful pediatrician discussed everything with us.

He is kinda awesome like that.

He didn't care that it was late or that we were 3 hours away.

He just knew that I was a scared mama trying to make the best informed healthcare choice for my son.

He thought James should see a pediatric ortho specialist.

Lancaster did not have one.

Since James wasn't in pain at this point we decided that we would make the trip back to New Jersey and have the surgery at the same children s hospital where Zoey was in the NICU.

He slept most of the way.

and for a few hours once we got home at almost 3:00am

and then we headed to Jersey Shore.

After several hours in the ER and a zillion more x-rays he was admitted.

Little Man didn't mind - I think he though he was at an all inclusive.

He walked around the unit like he owned it.

He called all the nurses by name, walked the halls, drove the cozy coop. and loved the play room.

Life is rough!!!

Most of the time he was a rock star - but after a few days of no sleep he had his moments.

He even rocked surgery.

The nurses loved him there too.

They thought he was hysterical and said they never had a patient wake up from surgery and the biggest concern they have be "Where James underpants". He asked everyone why he didn't have his underpants.

No crying, no tears, the boy just wanted his underpants!!!!