Keep on Swimmin', Swimmin', Swimmin'!

B-Boy had a tough go when we started up swim lessons again. It had been 6 months or so since his last lesson, and the first one back did not go well.

I am happy to report that the first one was a FLUKE! He absolutely loves the pool, and is now jumping in on his own! He will stand on the side of the pool, and launch himself into the water. We let him kick up to the surface, and when his head bobs to the surface, we pull him out of the water and cheer. He loves it... and then can't wait to do it again.

Let's do this! 

Just make sure the pretty blonde lifeguard can see me.

Are you watching? 'Cuz this is going to be AWESOME!

I was too fast for Momma to get with her camera. What you missed is:

1) Me jumping off the side with GUSTO

2) Me going under the water 

3) Me kicking back up

And then Daddy scooped me out of the water and cheered, but you can see that!

B-Boy has no fear of the pool... which shocks all the other parents. He is doing great kicking and moving his arms, the only thing he dislikes is laying on his back in the water. But we are working on that.

As you can see, the boy is a fish!

Wheeee! Faster Daddy!

The pool is fun, I hope you can join me soon!

Swimming once again

So tonight B-Boy started swimming lessons again.

The last time he was in the pool was in October. Neb and I decided it was time for him to get in again. In retrospect, we think we waited too long!

We arrived with B-Boy in good spirits- he had a great day at day care. We thought that was a good sign. We were wrong.

Neb got in the pool first, and as B-Boy and I approached, B-Boy started to moan a bit. By the time we got to the edge of the pool, he was crying. Not good.

He cried for the first half of the lesson, if not more. Getting into the water, something that used to be fun, was now torture. Passing back and forth to Neb, more water torture. And forget laying on his back- it's hard to imagine, but a toddler tantrum CAN be had while your toddler is laying on his back in the pool.

And I had NO idea B-Boy was that strong! He put his arm around my neck, and had a tight grip. I swear I could have let him go and he would not have budged. He was that strong.

I am happy to say that by the end, he was smiling. He finally got into the pool from the side with a smile, and when we passed him back and forth- SMILE. We even dared to put his head under the water... and he did really well with it.

We left on a good note. B-Boy stood on the side of the pool, cocked his head to the side and exclaimed "GA Done!" Yes B-Boy, "All Done".

Is that a Sea Otter or B-Boy?

Wow. B-Boy is rockin' his swim lessons.

B-Boy's favorite part of the swimming session is to SPLASH his Mommy and to have his Daddy lift him up quickly out of the water. Both activities make him squeal with delight.

Wheeeeeee!

His second set of classes has just finished up, and I wanted to give you an update on his progress, because we are really excited about it.

As you know, B-Boy goes underwater no problem. He also does great being passed back and forth between us, sometimes getting his face wet. He does so well with it, that we have now moved on to the next phase.

His teacher has us passing him to each other but letting him go under water. Yep, his WHOLE head... under water. We count to three, and on three I push him on his tummy toward Neb and let go. Where Neb usually grabs him as I am letting go, he no longer does. B-Boy glides through the water, eyes completely open- and then he kicks until he bobs up to the surface and Neb scoops him out of the pool. We then repeat the process in the opposite direction.

He holds his breath underwater no problem, and as I said, keeps his eyes open which is slightly freaky! The other parents are amazed at his progress.

Once he mastered that, the teacher challenged us to stand farther and farther apart to encourage B-Boy to use his arms to reach to us too. It is a bit harder to get him to use his arms, but we are getting there. He has learned he gets to us faster if he kicks, so I don't think it will take long to get there. We shall see.

Oh, and the other challenge the teacher issued? He told me when I bring him in the water from the edge of the pool, to let go.

Yikes. That one was really scary for me. But then I realized that was about me, not about what B-Boy can or can't do. So I took a deep breath, counted to three and pulled him in the water. And then... I let go.

B-Boy went under no problem. He then bobbed up to the surface before I could even say YAY! I scooped him up out of the water and we then cheered really loudly! YAY! I am not sure who I was more proud of... B-Boy for doing it, or me for getting out of my way in my head and LETTING him do it.  YAY us.

His next set has started and I cannot wait to see how he progresses. I'll keep you posted!

B-Boy finishes his swim class

B-Boy finished his swim class. His class is at the aquatic center near my work. It has been fun, especially since we would have some family time just after work two times a week.

He really enjoyed the class, swimming with the other babies, and playing with Mom and Dad in the water. I think he also REALLY liked his teacher, who reminds me a bit of ChiggerButt.

Hi Mommy! Isn't my teacher cute? I think she likes me!

When the lesson was finished, B-Boy looked exhausted. True to form, he slept REALLY well when we got home.

Mommy, can I use your purse as a pillow?

Not to worry, our neighborhood pool offers lessons. Neb signed us up to start in August. B-Boy will be a little fish by the time we are done!

Neb's first trip away

This week, Neb had to go to San Diego for work. This was his first trip away since B-Boy was born.

I know how hard that can be, on both of us. So this week, I was on my own. B-Boy and I did fairly well, but he sure did miss his Dad. Every morning when B-Boy is getting changed, Neb will peek his head in the door and make a silly face at B-Boy, and then duck out. After a few moments, he will repeat the peeking. B-Boy is always thrilled, and gives a high pitch squeal every time.

Every morning this week, he looked for his Dad. :(

But he was fine, and did really well while Neb was gone.

 

One of the things we did was to go to 2 more swim lessons. Whew! That was fun, but I sure wished I had 2 more arms! We started using pool noodles, putting them under the baby's arm pits and looping the ends up toward the sky. We then held on to the noodles and pulled them around the pool, getting them used to less support and not looking at us.

Faster Mommy, faster!

B-Boy loved it. He kicked like crazy, resembling a frog. It was a lot of fun, but I will say holding an almost 25 pound child in the water by the ends of a noodle is not easy! He got heavier and heavier, and my arms are still sore! But as long as he was enjoying himself, we kept at it. I can't wait for Neb to get home to get THAT workout.

Water resistence + 25 pound weight = tired mama.

The good news is that once we got home, all I needed to do was:

1. give him some solids to eat
2. give him a bath
3. give him a bottle
4. read him a story
5. put him to bed without ANY trouble

The pool has a magic power, that zaps B-Boy... so it was quite easy to get him to bed. The unfortunate part is that the four steps before bed take some time... and so he was often a bit fussy. Not that I blamed him.

When Neb landed after a crazy flight that involved a Red eye to Newark, running to catch his flight to Raleigh, his plane turning around midflight due to a landing gear issue, and then having fire trucks line the runway while they landed...

He eventually made it home. B-Boy was napping at daycare, so we met for a nice lunch. It was nice to eat with Neb and to hear all about his trip. We then headed to the daycare so Neb could see B-Boy.

It was a touching reunion, and we played together for a while. Neb started getting really tired and so I sent him on home.

Holy cow, his hair grew! It's so long now!

Daddy, you look tired... want to use my crib?

My Daddy is home! YAY!

Knock knock... who's there?

My Daddy! He's home!

So happy to have him back, and B-Boy is back to his old self, squealing in delight at seeing his Dad peek in the door while he gets his diaper changed.

Swim Little Man!

This week, B-Boy had his first swim lesson.

On Monday, Neb and I took B-Boy to the swim center near my work for his first lesson. There are six kids in the class and most are B-Boy's age.

His swim instructor, aka SwimLady, had us get in the water and stand him on the edge of the pool with support. She then told us to count to three and pull the babies into the water. She asked us to repeat the process several times, letting the babies get lower and lower in the water. The goal was to eventually put them under water.

B-Boy handled this so well... he went under water quickly, and was the only baby to do so.

Whatcha doin' Dad?

We sang the "Wheels on the Bus" song spinning around in a circle while the wheels went round and round. Then we sang that the doors go "open and shut". We pushed the babies out and then toward us during that part of the song. Finally, we sang that the "Windows go up and down" and put B-Boy under water. He adored it.

We also spent time with him on his tummy and back in the water. We were given a rubber dinosaur toy to toss in the water in front of B-Boy. We then pushed him at his hips while he was on his tummy so that he could get the toy. B-Boy's favorite part was at the end, when SwimLady told Neb and I to pass him back and forth in the water to each other. I would hold him at his hips and push him toward Neb, who would grasp his hands and pull B-Boy toward him. We would then repeat the process from Neb to me.

He had the BIGGEST smile on his face the entire time. He had a blast.

The funny part was that Neb took photos during the first part of the lesson. When we got in the car to go home, I pulled out the camera to look at the pictures. The one below made me laugh out loud. It was taken a few minutes into the lesson when we were getting the babies into the water. I was in the moment, and was enjoying the time with B-Boy, and did not notice what was going on around me.

It's a good thing Neb did... because it was funny. Two other parents watched me dunk B-Boy. All look at us in shock.

We went for a second lesson on Wednesday. B-Boy had a blast. We are working on him getting on his back, which he does not like. I find this incredibly ironic, given that this is the same kid who HATED tummy time as a baby.

More to come soon!

Happy 1st Father's Day Neb!

Today is Father's Day, and it was Neb's first. It began with a homecooked pancake breakfast for Neb and his cards. After we all ate (B-Boy had a bottle and then a big bowl of apricots), B-Boy and Neb played in the living room.

Neb is excited as he got tickets to see his FAVORITE musician Jackie Greene in Raleigh on July 16th. The guy is immensely talented, and is just amazing to hear. (If you don't know who he is, go check him out at his website.) He is from northern California, where Neb grew up, and doesn't hit the east coast very often. Neb also got a few sessions with a personal trainer, as we want to keep him around for a very long time.

After B-Boy's morning nap, we all went back to the pool. B-Boy did really well again... he started floating in his raft with his feet stretched out in front of him. A little later, he discovered that not only can he stand in the pool with help from us, but that in his raft, he can stand and walk around pushing his raft where he wanted to go.

Nice shirt Dad.

For a kid who is as big as B-Boy, who can't easily maneuver around normally, the freedom of the water must be wonderful. He really enjoyed himself, but I must admit that the water was very warm, warmer than yesterday... so he started to get a bit fussy.

I took him to the big pool where I thought the cool water might make him feel better. Initially, I stood on the step and eased him into the water... but he perked up and I could not resist taking him further into the pool. I submerged him to just below his shoulders, and we spun around several times in the pool. Neb joined us, and we played handing him back and forth.... gliding him through the water each time. He adored it.

He's laughing here, not crying, I promise!

Then Neb played with him in the pool, and decided to try to see how B-Boy handled water on his face. He dipped him into the water so that his face got covered. B-Boy took it like a champ, and didn't even make a peep. I think part of this is due to the fact that when I give him a bath, I pour water over his head. It may sound mean, but I really want him to be used to water in his eyes. I don't do it with soap on him, that would be cruel, but there is nothing wrong with a little water... so I think that helped him today.

Neb also spun him around on his tummy, his arms out in front of him like a super hero, flying through the water looking for a damsel in distress. He giggled the whole time, although for some reason every photo shows him looking angry. I swear he wasn't! He squealed with delight the entire time, only getting upset when we started to leave, and made him take his top off to get dry.

The nap he took that afternoon was a VERY long one, and gave Neb a chance to head to the gym. We did a little shopping later this afternoon, and took B-Boy to one of Neb's favorite stores, Best Buy. 

All in all, it was a great day. We are all exhausted to prove it.

See the next posting for B-Boy's Father's Day costume picture.

I finally got a Pool Boy

I finally got a pool boy, but probably not the kind you are thinking of!

Neb and I are in complete agreement that we really want B-Boy to enjoy the water, and swimming. My family is from Maryland originally, and water is a big part of my memories of growing up. However, I did not learn to swim until I was in the 5th grade or so... Neb and I both wanted B-Boy to be exposed to it as soon as possible.

Neb found out that the Athletic Club has swim lessons for babies... and signed B-Boy up for lessons on Saturdays. Unfortunately, they don't begin until August. We didn't want to wait that long, and so Neb kept looking. He found that the swim club by our work is offering swim lessons for babies starting July 5th. They are offered on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6pm. Neb signed him up and we can't wait.

Did I mention we can't wait? So today, we took B-Boy to the pool for the first time to see how he would do... kind of like pre-work for his class.

It's my first time to the pool!

Neb found him a raft at Target that has a mesh seat in the middle for him to ride in. I have to say, B-Boy absolutely loved it! Neb also got him a cute hat, and he was sporting his sun glasses most of the time. We bought him some Litlle Swimmers diapers, that are specially for babies in the pool.

We snapped lots of photos for you... cause I know you want to see his adventures. And just for the record, B-Boy's swim trunks are size 24 months... for his 8 month old self.

We took him to the kiddie pool, which is 2 feet deep. There was a slight current that went round and round the pool. The water was the perfect temperature, and we had it all to ourselves.

First, Neb put him in the raft...

Well, this is new...

And he floated around the kiddie pool for a good long while. He was quite proud of himself! Neb and I would give him a little nudge to keep him floating.

I make this look GOOD!

He then found the toys attached to the raft...

This toy is BUMPY.

And then he discovered that the water is fun to splash...

Then I took him out of the raft and let him stand in the pool. Oooooh... standing....

Hi folks, I am standing in a POOL!

After he had fun standing up and feeling the water flow by him, I took him over to the stairs and sat down. He started splashing and really enjoying himself.

Wheeeeeeee!

Daddy, thanks for taking me to the pool!!!

In the end, B-Boy got REALLY tired. We dried him off, took off his shirt, and put him in his car seat. He was sound asleep by the time we got home.

Zzzzzzzzzz

I gave him a bath, Neb fed him, and he went down for a nice long nap... He is still asleep as I write this. Heh heh.