Doggy Paddling...

Smidget knows how to DOG PADDLE!

Jamie Lou went to the pool with us today. The kiddie pool was filled a good 6-8 inches deeper than normal, so the area that is normally 3-5 inches was about a foot deep! Smidget walks pretty well, but is just learning to walk through crotch-deep water, so he falls a lot and usually crawls in the water. Today, he couldnt crawl because it was too deep and his face was getting in the water (which doesn't really bother him).

So, he got down on all fours and his fingers were just barely touching bottom and he kicked his legs like he was crawling, but he couldn't touch with his legs, so he just propelled himself through the water! His little face was sticking up just above the water and he was a PRO at keeping his face up. He stuck his tongue out and paddled around and around and around. He even dunked his face a few times on purpose and walked toward the waterfall and even walked THROUGH it by himself!!! No crying or being upset. He's totally unafraid and begging to swim on his own!

When we're at the pool, JL and I pass him back and forth in the water with his face out, but now he likes to put his face IN the water. And he tries to get out of my arms to swim on his own too! Even in DEEP water! The kid is a FISH!!!

When he was dog-paddling, he paddled past another mom who was there with her 3 year old daughter and she was AMAZED by how fast he was going and how he could keep his face up in water that was too deep. He even ventured out a little deeper and kept his face up when NOT TOUCHING, but I was afraid to let him go too far, so I stayed with him and turned him toward the shallow end when he got to where he couldn't touch with his finger tips.

So, I've decided that next summer I'm definitely paying the $35 for swim lessons for him. I thought he'd be too young this year for the lessons to be truly useful (i can get him used to the water and unafraid of it by myself---obviously!). So, next summer I might sign up and see what they offer as far as helping him with form (learnign to use hands and feet together and to really propel himself...

BUT MY BABY CAN SWIM!

What's next? reading? Driving?

Its going WAY too fast!