The Pool

Today was the first day of Toddler & Me swim class. The pool is right down the street from our house, so Henry and I got into our bathing suits and loaded up the wagon to walk to the pool. Henry hasn't been in a pool since last summer, so I wasn't sure how he'd react to swimming again. He loves the bathtub, but hates showers, sprinklers, and his baby pool. The class starts with all of the moms sitting along the side of the pool holding their babies. We each get a sponge, and sing "this is the way we wash our feet (legs, tummy, etc)," as we get them wet with the sponge. Henry did just fine with that part. But, as soon as I got into the pool with him, he started crying. Not JUST crying, but shaky-chin, wailing, giant tears, snotty-nosed crying. He cried that way for the first 5-10 minutes of class. I held him close and comforted him, but I just kept right on singing the songs and moving him around in the water. Eventually he stopped crying. Then he started having fun. He liked playing with the balls and toys in the pool, and he liked floating on his back. Hopefully next time he'll remember that he likes it, and we won't have to go through the crying. When the class was over, I loaded Henry into the wagon, and was pulling him through the lobby of the swim center when we were stopped by three "grandmotherly" women sitting on a bench. They all cried, "there he is!" They told me how cute he is, and how they were watching him from the balconey overlooking the pool. One of the women told me that they were supposed to be there watching nine other older kids who were taking lessons in another part of the pool, but instead they were all watching Henry. The loved his shaky chin crying, and then they enjoyed seeing him relaxing and floating with his head on my shoulder, and they even recounted the fun he was having playing with a ball. They asked whether we'd be coming every Tuesday and Thursday, and when I said yes, they were all happy and said that they'd be back to watch him next time! As we left, they were waving and calling out "Bye, Henry! See you on Thursday, Henry!" When I got home, I told Jeff that Henry has his first Fan Club. We'd better not let the fame go to his head.

Playing in the backyard after swim class.

Henry loves his trucks!

He's doing some gardening.
The past few nights, Henry has stayed up WAY past his bedtime. I've been putting him into his crib by 8:00, but he talks and plays until 9:00 or 9:30. Last night he didn't go to sleep 'till after 10:00. But, he still wakes up by 6:30 every morning! I think swimming really tired him out because during his bath tonight, he stood up and held out his arms to me and said "nee nee" (night night). I gave him a bottle and put him down at 7:30, and he was out immediately. Maybe we should swim every day!