A Little "A" Swimmer

Every day there are constant comments by friends, family, or strangers about how much A looks like his daddy. If you're a fan of Austin Powers, Aiden is hubby's "mini-me". It can't be denied, and I embrace it - my husband is intelligent, funny, cute, and so is A; so what's the problem? Nothing. That doesn't mean I feel such feelings of endearment when Aiden takes so well to the water and others note "he takes after his mommy here!" I've made the water a part of A's life from the beginning. I have always poured the bath water right over his face when rinsing his hair, and we had Mommy and Me class at the Y at 11 months. By 12 months he was putting his face underwater all by himself in the pool and bathtub. He often will lie in the bathwater completely relaxed with only his eyes, mouth, and nose above water. At 16 months, Aiden was jumping into the pool unassisted, while I would fish him off the bottom if he didn't pop up.



This is the point that I insisted he enroll in Infant Swimming Resource (ISR). The concept of ISR is that if a child that cannot swim falls into the pool, he/she will know to flip over and float until someone can save him/her. The flip over concept will eventually become side breathing with actual swimming. We started in October and this has been an amazing experience. A now has learned to float on his back, and that it is the safe position to change into if he can't swim or grab onto anything. Our instructor has dropped him in backwards, pushed him underwater, and various other water challenges, and he still pops up to relax on his back.

Today, A had the task of floating/swimming in the water with winter clothes on, as if he fell into some water on a colder day. He was a champ! The pictures below are from today's lesson. fourteen 10 minute classes down, and tomorrow A is finished with ISR. I'm so proud!



And to prove he is alive and well after the day's tasks...