Now, I'm a recent first-time YMCA member. I always felt a little nervous about joining the Y, convinced that everyone else there would be way more athletic and fitness-obsessed than I am. This winter, they had a promotion around New Year's that included a really affordable first month and waived all of the joining fees, so I finally made the leap to join the club. Then, I heard about the baby swim lessons, an awesome way for Rayden to get out and make friends while having fun! The Y would be a great place for him, as well!
For the most part, the little guy has loved the water during his first two lessons! The other kiddos range in age from 6 months up to 2 years, so the variety in their motor skills is fairly extraordinary. Ray is at the younger end of the spectrum, of course, but he likes splashing, watching the other kids, and trying to move himself through the water. He has been very independent lately (these days, he struggles against anyone who tries to cuddle him if he doesn't want it; he also tries to feed himself and moves himself by inch-worming his way around the floor in a desperate attempt at crawling, which is hilarious to see!). Naturally, he loves the sensation of propelling himself through the pool. We sing songs in class, too, and he loves the singing and tries to join in with his own unique noises. Unfortunately, though, for all of the awesomeness that is swim lessons, we newcomers manage to fail from time to time.
Fail #1: Swim Diapers. No, don't worry, I didn't forget the swim diapers! However, I didn't realize that every other infant and toddler in class would be equipped with his or her own adorable little swimsuit on top of said swim diaper. I had no idea they even made suits that small! And Rayden, with his incredibly impressive bowels, managed to poop before the lesson finished. The diaper kept it all in, thank God, but apparently, you can see right through those wet swim diapers and I was getting the stink eye from one of the other moms. Oops! Since we didn't have a spare swim diaper, and it apparently wasn't bothering him, I just let the little guy continue to play and splash for a bit longer before heading out. Plus, you know, the chlorine was working its magic, I'm sure. I figured, no harm done :) It got me to thinking that maybe that was why the others wore their mini swimsuits; what you don't know (or can't see) can't hurt you!
Fail #2: Swim Trunks. After the diaper incident, I figured that we should invest in a pair of miniature boys swim trunks for the little dude. We shopped around a bit to no avail. Finally, I saw that Shopko was having an epic summer baby sale, so we found him a little Mickey swim suit for 1/2 off. Of course, the smallest size they had was 12months, so the shorts slide down his little butt just a bit and reach nearly to his feet. (Where the heck are these other mothers finding a smaller size suit?) Still, the little guy wore the shorts and we were feeling fairly successful all around for the second class. Much to our surprise, one of the other moms had her little man clad only in a diaper this time! She smiled at us, and we decided that maybe the other mothers at the Y aren't too hoity-toity after all.
Fail #3: Cold Water. Can't do anything about this one. The pool was super cold during our second class since they'd turned the temperature down for a swim meet the evening before. As a result, when the instructor suggested we just dunk our little ones into the water for the "Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall" game she likes to start with, Ray did not appreciate the burst of cold water on his tiny body (and I only dipped him in up to the waist!). As my son burst into his screaming wails, the other kids all played about as if the water wasn't 40 degrees. (Okay, so I exaggerate. It wasn't that cold, but the little man's skin is sensitive.) We quickly made our way out of the pool and bundled up, only to cower on the steps and watch the lesson while we gradually made our way bit-by-bit back into the water. He tolerated this more gradual approach but burst into tears again near the end, making him the only baby to date to cry in his class (much less twice in one 30-minute period). Awesome.
Well, there you have it. Swimming has certainly had its ups and downs so far, but I hope he comes to love the lessons. I remember enjoying swim lessons as a kid at the local high school pool; it was so much fun learning to dive and mastering the strokes (I use the word "mastering" lightly here; there are legitimate swim pros in my family, but I am certainly not one of them!). By summertime, the little guy's swim trunks will likely fit a bit better and he'll be ready to explore the real water as we move up to Lake Superior! Just kidding! I don't think that big freezer of a lake is appropriate for an infant, but there are many lakes and pools to be explored in WI and Northern MI, and we are bound to have a fun and adventurous summer. Bring on the sunshine and warm(er) water!
Wow Swiss other than some of the swim fails, it sounds like Rayden is natural born fish out of water! Next time someone will have, to get him on video and post if you your blog, so we can see him go!
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