Many, many updates since I lost wrote in...
We found out on March 29th that we are FINALLY HAVING BABY #2!! Little Squirt(as C and I have nicknamed him/her) is due December 3, 2009. We are all very excited. I am currently 16 weeks along and all is fine, as far as I can tell. I have a dr. appt. tomorrow. C is going with me and is very excited to be able to hear the heartbeat. He is thrilled out of his mind to finally be having a brother or sister.
C has made some HUGE improvements this year. He was finally officially diagnosed with
Sensory Processing Disorder, which means we can finally get people to understand his quirks.
His biggest advancement this year has been swimming. Let me start from the beginning since it's the only way to get the whole picture.
At the age of 3 or 4 months old, we took C swimming in the apartment pool for the first time. He screamed. The whole time we were in the water, he screamed. We tried the baby floaty, where he sits in it.. He screamed. Tried a few more times that summer. He screamed.
The following summer we tried again. He was a year old. He screamed if someone was holding him. He was perfectly fine playing on the steps where his feet were touching the bottom of the pool. We finally bought him a baby pool and he was extremely happy in that.
We took him swimming several times, every summer after that. As long as his feet were touching bottom, he was fine. Only once did he agree to wearing swim rings. Never would he agree to wearing a life-jacket(unless we were on a boat). At age 5 we started swim lessons. That was a no-go. He needed to learn to float, or he wouldn't 'pass' the class. He got a little sticker for 'best effort' or something like that. He wouldn't even let me hold him while we swam around in the shallow water. His feet HAD to be touching the ground and the water could not be above his waist. I had been thinking maybe he had some sensory issues, but doctors just brushed me off. Even the swim instructor agreed with me, since her son, who has sensory issues, was the same way.
At age 6 we went swimming, just like always. It was the same. Feet on the ground, no floating at all. I didn't even bother with swim lessons that year. Why waste the money? I just dealt with it. He had fun playing in the 1-2 foot pool w/the toddlers. He has always LOVED water.
At age 7, we had a warm spell in early spring. C agreed to wearing swim rings and arm floaties in the pool at the gym. We were playing happily when a woman came out of no-where and informed us we couldn't. She let us borrow a life-jacket from the gym.. I sat there, almost in tears, thinking 'there is no way my son will use this" and none of the pools were shallow enough for him. They start at 3.5 feet. Low and behold, my son surprised me. He wore the life jacket. Within 30 min. he was holding onto the side of the pool. Soon he was moving around the side of the pool, in the water, where his feet weren't touching. I about cried. Soon he was holding on to me and floating around the pool.
We went back the next day and he started floating around the pool on his own, wearing only a life jacket.
In May we went back again. This time he was floating all over wearing the life jacket with no problems at all. No hesitation. He was having a blast!!! And it was so fun for me to finally be able to swim w/my son, instead of swimming and watching has he played on the steps.
Come June, he decides that he wants to try just a pool noodle, no life jacket. I'm shocked and stunned and agree. He LOVES it.. He holds onto the noodle and floats around the 4-foot pool like he's been doing it his whole life.
One day we took his cousins, B, who is 9 and T, who is 7, to the gym with us to swim. Without hesitation, he goes in the 'big pool' with us. He floats out to the 6-foot section of the pool with his life jacket on. He has so much fun. Then he decided to try just a pool noodle. Okay son, whatever you are willing to try! So he does. And he does amazing. Like he's always been doing it. Like he's never been afraid of the deep water. I am sure I cried that day.
Right before leaving, C is in the shallow end of the 'big pool' with out a life jacket on. What does he do? He starts floating. Or trying to. He did pretty well for his first time. He then started dog paddling. Actually went almost a foot, just him, not touching the bottom of the pool.
Thankfully my mother-in-law was there as a witness, because I'm sure no one in the family would have believed me. LOL.
We haven't been back to the pool since then. I'm sure we'll go soon and he'll impress me even more.
And if that weren't enough, the boy is also riding his back.. 2 months ago he screamed and was scared to ride his bike. He did it, to make daddy happy. But he wasn't thrilled about it. Now? He takes off by himself. He rides FAST. He enjoys it!!!!
What have I learned in 7 years of parenting this wonderful, amazing, adorable boy? Kids will do things when they are good and ready.. Sure, some encouragement is always good.. But it won't happen until they have the confidence in themselves to actually do it. This is has been one outstanding year for C, and it's only mid-June. I'm so excited to see what the rest of the year brings.
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