Swim Lesson Star and The Little Bruiser

Last weekend was Jack's last swim lesson. We skipped the week before due to the thumb injury (he is all healed up and back to his normal activity). I had low expectations for this final lesson. He hadn't made it off the step yet, and now with a skipped week-I hoped to just get him into the pool. We suited up and headed to the pool area. Jack sat cautiously on the step waiting for the lesson to start. He had a new teacher (for the first 10 minutes) and I thought that would throw him for a loop as well. Oh well, I thought, maybe we need to come back in a few months or after the summer and try then. I wasn't trying to be negative, but more realistic about his learning needs and attention span at 3 years old. And then he surprised me, I looked up and he was out in the middle of the pool with the teacher. There was a huge smile plastered on his face! He was making "ice cream scoop" hands and everything. I was so excited...FOR HIM! He even participated in doing the "spider crawl" along the edge of the pool to the deeper water and then jumped off the edge 3 times to Miss Ana!!! It finally clicked! I was so happy and so was he. Miss Ana made a point of coming up to him after class and telling him how proud she was of him for swimming and jumping in. After a quick chat, she encouraged me to sign him up for the next session, reminding me that it sometimes takes young kids a number of weeks just to get acclimated to the surroundings and that it has little to do with them having been comfortable or not in the water in the past. She also said that she really liked Jack and hoped to get to see him in more classes. We headed straight to the main desk after our lesson and secured the last spot in the Saturday morning class. Sorry no pictures (it is too hot in there and the camera gets all steamy).

10 Months old and ready for action!

Will is on the move. He is a crawling maniac, lifting his belly off the floor most of the time and resorting to the army crawl when he sees an opportunity that he needs to 'pounce' on. He pulls himself to standing on everything and anything in his path. He is fully cruising along furniture, windowsills and toys. Amazing what a difference a month makes. With all this increased activity, there has been an increase in injuries as well. We have grown accustom to a reoccurring bruise and egg combination that finds a home on his forehead. I hate to see him all battered, but I also know he needs to explore and figure out his balance for walking. He has walked pushing my kitchen stool, his push walker (both inside and out) and the wagon. At 10 months old he is such a happy baby. He loves following Jack around and even calls for him when he can't see him. ADORABLE! They play "camp out" together in a tent in the play room. Will loves to crawl in and out of the tent "chasing" Jack as Jack squeals and screams. Just the other day, he figured out how to climb stairs and I found him up 2 stairs hanging on with just one hand, looking at me and laughing. I had a minor heart attack as I lunged forward to catch him before he leap from the stair.  He still has just 2 teeth on the bottom, but boy are they sharp! He continues to eat everything in site.  He loves to play peek-a-boo and will cover his ears when you say "Will, go hide". Once you re-position his hands over his eyes, he puts them there on his own too. He LOVES peek-a-boo and will go into a fit of giggles when you pop out from behind your hands. If you say to him "Will, call Daddy", he puts his hand up to his ear, like he is on the phone and starts saying "dada" "dada". It is hysterical. He claps his hands to the Pat-a-cake song and will clap yours for you if you let him hold them.

The injured thumb.

Enjoying a graham cracker in the sun light. 

Peek-A-Boo

Give me that camera!

We have continued to go to the Y 3-4 times a week and Will is slowly getting more used to being there. He has grown to like Miss Phyllis and the other teachers and doesn't cry the WHOLE time I am gone. I have loved getting back into the routine of going to the gym. I feel so much better after I have gone. I love our little routine of getting up and getting there just as the nursery opens at 8am. I have even taken a few classes too.

February has gone by so quickly! We continue to enjoy days with lots of sunshine and temperatures reaching up into the 70's. Jack has played more and more with the kids that live next door and he gets so excited to see them outside and have someone to run around with. He talks like such a "big kid" when he is with them. It makes me so happy to see him find some 'friends'. The family next door just welcomed their 6th child this past weekend. One of the girls, Bella, is about 7 or 8. She and Jack are great friends. They play restaurant in her playhouse, pull each other in the wagon and make mud pies. When ever they are playing together, I stay close by to keep an eye on Jack. He says to me one day (while Will was inside sleeping for his nap)-" Mom, why don't you go take Will for a walk to calm him down." I replied, "Jack, Will is inside asleep." He came back with "Well, can you just go for a walk then, we want to play alone." Am I already that UNCOOL? :) TOO FUNNY!