Swimming Baby

One thing I always wanted to teach Murray was how to swim.

This is something Adam and I would talk about before Murray was born. I wanted to teach him how to swim and Adam wanted to teach him to ride a bike without training wheels. He was always enthusiastically pointing out those kids pushing themselves around on those wooden bikes where they can still touch the ground so they don't need training wheels. Apparently the idea is that if you never introduce a child to training wheels they will learn how to ride a bike a lot sooner. (I am not speaking from experience, because I was the loser kid in your neighborhood who couldn't ride my bike without training wheels until I was in the fourth grade.)

Anyway, what I did learn how to do early was swim. I remember my mom first taking me to swim lessons around the time my sister was born, so when I was two or three. After that I had a few swim lessons from time to time, but I really remember my dad and my grandpa actually teaching me how to swim. We were in Hawaii, because isn't that where everyone learns how to swim? (Remember, I have airline parents.) So, my Dad pulled me into the deeper end of the pool out of the shallow water. He and my grandpa slowly kept walking away and I slowly kept swimming towards them without noticing. Once I realized it, I was so proud of myself and I've been swimming ever since.

Have you ever heard of Oceans of Fun? Well, my sister and I practically grew up there. Seriously, every weekend of our lives until I was probably 15 was spent at that Kansas City water park. I do have some good memories besides the disgustingly dirty water that you would swim with your hand in front of you as a precaution to avoid the occasional mouthful of hair... or worse... a floating band-aid. We would spend hours in the wave pool diving to the bottom and then pushing people in floating tubes out of the way to find air above the surface (the wave pool was extremely crowded). I can still hear the Beach Boys songs and crowds of children running fervently into the waves.

When we got tired of that, we would take laps around the lazy river... swimming opposite of the current. We found ways to entertain ourselves by swimming all day. I don't claim to be a great swimmer by any means, but on hot summer days I daydream of swimming rather than sitting inside at work. Since we now have a child, it gives us even more of an excuse to go swimming. It also gives us an excuse to go use the free kid's pool in the park... because it is not usually socially acceptable to go there without a child.

Murray first got accustomed to water in his bathtub. He loves being surrounded by water and he especially loves to splash by uncontrollably flailing his arms and letting out high pitched squeals. I first took him to the pool when he was three months old. From the first time I put him in the water at the kid's pool he wanted to be on his tummy so he could kick and splash around. He seriously cries now, if we take him out of this position. However, once he gets tired, he will literally float on his back and almost fall asleep because he becomes so relaxed.

Going to the pool also has another bonus. Murray is usually totally out halfway through our drive home (which is only a little over a mile). I once got him out of his car seat, changed him out of his swimming diaper, put pjs on him, and set him in his crib without him even waking up. Yes, yes I did.

slashing and pulling his face out of the water... Murray that is, not Adam

taking a break

splashing

ahhh, I can see the sleep coming on now

This is the face of an exhausted baby.