My Swimmer

For nearly a year now, it has been just Ian and me at home. He hasn't gone to preschool, he wasn't signed up for anything extracurricular, and for several months, he was completely quarantined and couldn't have any play dates. Now that his counts are better, I recently signed him up for swimming lessons. I figured it would be a good activity for him since it is in chlorinated water and therefore, hopefully low on germs. He has LOVED it. He woke up first thing this morning and before I even knew he awake, his swimming shorts and rash guard (he won't swim without one) were on as wll as diving torpedos in hand. It is an impossible task to try to explain to a 4 year old that we still have to wait 2 hours until it is time to go but I did my best. The only distraction he had from asking me if it was time to leave yet, was a search for his googles which unfortunately he found in about 3 minutes ( I thought it would take him longer since he hasn't seen them since last summer).

When we arrived, his grin was spread from ear to ear as we placed his shoes and towel in a locker and he waited for his teacher to come and get him.

There is a waiting area where the moms can sit that is on the other side of the pool, but the pool is encased in glass so we are able to see the whole time. Every move, every skill, every jump, was followed by Ian looking out to see if I saw it and an occasional wave or a thumbs up from both myself and him.

It was such a wonderful sight; to see him so full of energy, so full of color, so full of life. No one else there has any idea of what we have been through the last year. He is doing great and looks like a healthy, normal, four year old and I am so grateful.

I had a few bittersweet moments as I sat there thinking about how our lives are going to shortly change in the next 6 weeks. I will no longer be able to give 100% of my attention to him during the day as I have been. I have really bonded with him through this whole experience and enjoyed the time we've had with just the two of us. At the same time, I couldn't help but to be excited about the new baby and how great of a big brother he is going to be. Then I started to realize that I am probably the only person who sits there and gets emotional over a swimming lesson (gotta love the pregnancy hormones.)