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My Lovely Boy Can SWIM!

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By Sun 11-Oct-09 22:16:21 Add message | Report | Contact poster

I thought I'd post this in Adoptions becasue some of you (particularly the overseas adopters may understand).

I know everyone is thrilled when their children learn to swim but I was so moved that I had a lump in my throat and was glad of the chlorine to mask my rather moist eyes.

To put it in context, DS came home with me a little less than 3 years ago and he will be 4 in November. When he first came out of the babyhouse he was so scared of the water that I couldn't even put him in the bath - I had to sit him on the draining board and let him paddle his feet in an inch of water in the sink, then I moved to a baby bath with a couple of inches of water then a baby bath inside the bath, then once he'd got used to the bath we started on the swimming pool. Sometimes we spent 40 minutes getting there and getting ready and were only in it 10 minutes because he was so scared.

3 years later he can swim (well, flail!) without armbands and will jump in and go under the water quite happily. He hasn't mastered breathing yet so can only swim for as long as he can hold his breath... but that's a mere detail grin

It just seems like such a metaphor (is that what I mean?) for his incredible progress from tiny premature delayed baby to incredible social lovely boy.

So I'm not at all ashamed to brag - my lovely boy can swim! grin

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Mon 12-Oct-09 14:16:47

Hi, so sorry to hear you have been ill again. its really exhausting isnt it?

well done to you both on the swimming. DD was also TERRIFIED of water when she came home. i soon discovered that she had never seen running water from a tap or been in a bathroom.

I'm very impressed by the swimming without armbands befroe 4th birthday. None of mine ( even the bios) have managed without armbands befroe 5

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Mon 12-Oct-09 13:16:33

Added a couple of pictures - sadly none of him swimming!

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Mon 12-Oct-09 13:14:07

take a medal both of you. I wish more parents would take as much effort to help their children overcome fear of water.

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Mon 12-Oct-09 12:23:10

Kew - that is lovely (the boy, not the sleep problems) smile

I joined MN about 3.5 years ago and remember avidly reading your threads at the time.

It is amazing what you have done together

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Mon 12-Oct-09 12:17:37

no new photos - will try to find some and upload

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Mon 12-Oct-09 12:17:10

Illness kind of peripherally related. Whilst being on the steroids for the dodgy platelets (which obliged and made a reappearance) I put on a pile of weight and particularly (as is common with steroids) around my face and neck.

The extra weight (particularly around my neck) brought on (unkown to me) very severe sleep apnoea which caused extreme sleepiness during the day, poor memory, confusion and I used to sleep most of the evbening after work.

Recently had a sleep study and it was founf that I stop breathing over 100 times an hour whilst asleep (anything more than 30 is considered severe!). I now use a CPAP machine at night and although not completely back to normal, I am a new woman (or should that be the old woman?)

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Mon 12-Oct-09 11:13:59

wondered where you had gone kew, lovely news. cant believe hes 4!

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 11-Oct-09 22:36:58

Yes, we bought the house! We now have a new roof, a septic tank and filter beds, 2 soakaways for rainwater, a large kitchen/diner (knocked 3 rooms together) etc.

We are now busy chipping plaster off every single internal wall in an effort to dry the place out (years and years of damp!).

We're hoping to move in in February (as soon as we have a kitchen and a bathroom).

Is your illness connected with the last one? Are you on the mend, or is it another long recovery?

I'm off to check your profile to see if there are any new photos of your lovely boy. smile

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 11-Oct-09 22:27:51

he is a clever boy isn't he [smug emoticon]

Have new job - no time for mumsnetting at work and have been ill so not really on comuter much in the evening.

How are you? Did you buy ramshackle house that needs renovations? If so how is it going?

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 11-Oct-09 22:26:17

That is just one of the milestones you can celebrate (and perhaps mourn) over the coming years. I find it very difficult now to realise how old mine are - they were such gorgeous, and to some extent, needy babies! Now at 15 and 13 they don't really need me at all (though dd complains to me a lot).

I think little things mean even more when a child is adopted because of all the dreams we have during the process of adoption - I used to see all my friends and their babies doing things which were routine for them, but would have meant so much to me. Then when I could do those things with my own children I just appreciated them so much. So I really understand where you are coming from.

I can't believe you have your three-year coming home anniversary coming up. Surely it can't be three years. I used to lurk a lot on your blog and threads!

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My Lovely Boy Can SWIM!