My Little Mermaid

Once a week, Christian has therapy at the community pool.  For an hour he swims and stretches with his therapist in the wonderfully warm therapy pool.  Tessie usually sits on the steps and plays with the basket of pool toys.  Occasionally she will venture out into the pool, in my arms.  She has recently been a little more adventurous and has been circling the edge of the pool, while holding onto the rail.  I haven’t pushed her to do more than that, I do want her to love the water and feel as at home in it as I do, but I knew she would find that love in her own time.  Today it happened. 

When we arrived at the pool, Christian’s therapist asked if we wanted to start out in the big pool.  Christian loves the big pool, he refers to it as “the cold pool,” and is always asking to go in.  Tessie was hesitant, but when I said I would hold onto her the whole time, she agreed to get in.  As I was getting Christian into his swim trunks, Tessie found an idle pool noodle and carried it over to the pool.  I got in the pool and she climbed in after me.  Much to my surprise she held onto the noodle instead of me.  So I looped it under her arms, and pulling the noodle, I dragged her around the pool while she kicked enthusiastically.  We were having a great time with this arrangement when Tes suddenly said “Let go of me mommy.”  So I did. 

For the next hour and a half, Tessie swam all on her own with the noodle.  She kicked her way back and forth across the pool, laughing with glee.  Occasionally her face would dip under the water, and she would come up coughing, but she never asked me to hold her.  I was in awe, and so proud.  She kept calling out “Look at me, I’m doing it!  I’m such a big girl now!”  It was amazing. 

Recently Tes has really come out of her shell when it comes to being active.  She used to be so cautious about everything, but lately she is jumping into adventure after adventure.  Watching her swim around the pool made me a little homesick for Hawaii, but also excited about what our next trip out there will be like.  I can’t wait to see her splashing around in the ocean, my little mermaid.  I stayed in the big pool with her until her lips were blue and I was freezing, then after a brief hiatus in the therapy pool, she convinced me to get back in the big pool with her.  I didn’t mind at all, seeing her kick herself around, and loving it so much, was beautiful.