So Tadpole and I went swimming today. (sorry, no pictures even though she looks really happy in her new swimsuit. Cameras not allowed on deck and I figured the other guys in the locker room wouldn't appreciate me pulling out a camera). We got to the pool a little late - I still haven't really processed just how long it takes to get out the door with Tadpole, especially as the weather starts to turn, but still got about 20-25 minutes of our 30-minute class, plus a few extra minutes of splashing around afterwards.
The short version is that Tadpole loved it! The instructor provided a contraption that is combination wetsuit and personal flotation device (probably wouldn't support Tadpole all by herself, but definitely makes her a bit more buoyant) - we didn't have fancy things like that when I was teaching! (Of course, I learned to swim and did most of my instructing in pools that were oriented towards children and therefore pretty much as warm as pools get. The West Loop Athletics Center pool is definitely not competitive, but it's a bit chillier than I was used to.
We did a few songs and practiced different activities and holds - bubble blowing, feet kicking, reaching and grabbing (Tadpole is good at reaching for a toy & then nomming it!), and floating on the back. There were a few moments early on where Tadpole was a bit uncertain, but having daddy right there to hold her made everything OK, and she was generally great in the water. My favorite part was floating on her back. The former instructor part of me remembers that this is really the first skill that kids can pick up to be independent (try it sometime - trust me, it's easier to move around floating on your back with gentle kicks than anything else), so I'd love for Tadpole to actually be able to float on her back unassisted. She's not there yet, but the aforementioned wetsuit/PFD means that she might well be able to by the end of the sessions.
Anyway - extremely good times and highly recommended. There were 4 or 5 kids there along with two instructors. One other dad was their with his wife and child, otherwise the other parents were all moms, but that's too be expected. Next week we get a few extra minutes in the water as long as I can get Tadpole there early enough!
Logistics: The pool in only about a 15 minute drive away ... so total commute time of about an hour and half when you factor in getting Tadpole ready, getting out the door, finagling the carseat, etc. Still, a pretty easy trip. at 11:30, we should usually have about 30-40 minutes to get to class after a good nap. So it's close (since I really need to feed / change Tadpole as well), but doable.
Feeding / Changing the baby: The locker room works just fine for changing the baby. Just pull up the swim diaper and then tear apart the sides when done. Obviously no feeding, but the timeslot just after her first nap and before lunch is perfect for Tadpole.
Activities: There's really only one - swimming. But that's a pretty good one. Bubble blowing, kicking, front and back floats, going up and down in the water, playing with toys ... the possibilities in a pool are endless! (Or at least, you'll run out of warm baby before you run out of things to do).
Bottom Line: Sooo excited! I really loved teaching swim lessons when I was younger, and getting back in the pool with my daughter is a pretty amazing experience.
Most important fact: Temperature matters. We're luck to have a relatively warm pool, plus the warming suit. They also lay out warmed towels afterwards - wrap the baby in a war towel, rinse yourself & baby in a warm shower, then go get a new towel & go change. Keep an eye out for cold babies, especially if you're bouncing in and out of the water a lot. Oh, and don't let go!
Off to NaNo ... hopefully Tadpole will cooperate & take a nice long nap.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Insecurities
Tadpole has hit her requisite hour in the crib and just went back to sleep after some fussing. I've either got plenty of time to write this post (in fact, would have time to be productive on NaNo, which I should be doing), or I'll be getting up in less than 2 minutes when she reawakens. Honestly, you won't know the difference, since you'll get this post sooner or later anyway.
Tadpole and I start swim class tomorrow. I'm extremely excited, since it's been a long time since I was in a pool, but swimming used to be a big part of my life (swam competitively in high school, lifeguarded & taught swim classes in high school & college, though mostly 4-9 year olds. I watched/assisted some infant swim classes, but never taught).
Despite (because of?) how excited I am about the classes, I'm actually pretty nervous. This is my first outing with just Tadpole and other children when I don't already know the parents/children (other than a somewhat disastrous meeting at a recent pumpkin patch where I stood and watched R mingle with other parents). So far, this insecurity has primarily manifested itself in email questions - I'm still not sure if these were justified or not.
I dutifully picked up some swim diapers recently, but there aren't swimsuits available in October/November, so I figured Tadpole could just wear her diaper. I'm actually proud that I checked ahead of time, since it turns out she does need to have a suit, triggering a frantic scramble (thanks for the loaner C!). We did eventually get an email with this notification - less than 1 day before the class starts, but almost a week after we were informed of the parking arrangements. Slightly annoyed, but I only made a nuisance of myself by emailing to ask a couple days early. Not that bad, right?
Then today we finally did get the email with the final arrangements, including information that we would (not could, would) leave our personal belongings in a locker in the ladies changing room. Um. Hrm. That doesn't really work for a dad. Tadpole isn't quite capable of opening the locker after she crawls in to get our stuff, and honestly, I'm not sure she'd remember which locker was which. So I sent off another email ... turns out the men's room is also open, so I can leave my stuff there. (The original email was chock full of restrictions about where we could park, how long we could be in the changing rooms, and what facilities we weren't allowed to use - I don't think it was entirely unreasonable for me to worry that they might not have planned to open the men's changing room, but maybe so?)
Anyway - swim class starts tomorrow! We have a swimsuit for Tadpole and a place to leave our personal belongings! woo hoo!? Hopefully all complications are over other than actually meeting other parents, Tadpole wanting to drink the water, a longer car ride than I've ever done with Tadpole by myself before ... so excited ...
But hey - maybe the hardest part will be the emails.
(No complications on the blog post - Tadpole's going long for nap two. Way to go baby girl!)
Tadpole and I start swim class tomorrow. I'm extremely excited, since it's been a long time since I was in a pool, but swimming used to be a big part of my life (swam competitively in high school, lifeguarded & taught swim classes in high school & college, though mostly 4-9 year olds. I watched/assisted some infant swim classes, but never taught).
Despite (because of?) how excited I am about the classes, I'm actually pretty nervous. This is my first outing with just Tadpole and other children when I don't already know the parents/children (other than a somewhat disastrous meeting at a recent pumpkin patch where I stood and watched R mingle with other parents). So far, this insecurity has primarily manifested itself in email questions - I'm still not sure if these were justified or not.
I dutifully picked up some swim diapers recently, but there aren't swimsuits available in October/November, so I figured Tadpole could just wear her diaper. I'm actually proud that I checked ahead of time, since it turns out she does need to have a suit, triggering a frantic scramble (thanks for the loaner C!). We did eventually get an email with this notification - less than 1 day before the class starts, but almost a week after we were informed of the parking arrangements. Slightly annoyed, but I only made a nuisance of myself by emailing to ask a couple days early. Not that bad, right?
Then today we finally did get the email with the final arrangements, including information that we would (not could, would) leave our personal belongings in a locker in the ladies changing room. Um. Hrm. That doesn't really work for a dad. Tadpole isn't quite capable of opening the locker after she crawls in to get our stuff, and honestly, I'm not sure she'd remember which locker was which. So I sent off another email ... turns out the men's room is also open, so I can leave my stuff there. (The original email was chock full of restrictions about where we could park, how long we could be in the changing rooms, and what facilities we weren't allowed to use - I don't think it was entirely unreasonable for me to worry that they might not have planned to open the men's changing room, but maybe so?)
Anyway - swim class starts tomorrow! We have a swimsuit for Tadpole and a place to leave our personal belongings! woo hoo!? Hopefully all complications are over other than actually meeting other parents, Tadpole wanting to drink the water, a longer car ride than I've ever done with Tadpole by myself before ... so excited ...
But hey - maybe the hardest part will be the emails.
(No complications on the blog post - Tadpole's going long for nap two. Way to go baby girl!)
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
All about me
OK, not all about me, but somewhat about me, since I do have a life and interests outside of Tadpole. So two brief notes about things other than being dad/parenting that are going on right now.
First, on Sunday I attended an evening with Joan Baez at the CSO, which was simply phenomenal. I'm a bit young to really be in her demographic (I'm under 30 and as the person next to me observed may have been the only person in the audience without white hair), but I grew up listening to Joan Baez recordings. Of the performers from my childhood, she's the one I most wanted to see, and the evening did not disappoint.
Ms. Baez has a repertoire of 50 years of songs and all of them were on display on Sunday, from recordings that I first heard on the album "Very Early Joan" to a new song she is still working on inspired by the OWS movement. The entire evening was full of comfortable songs from my childhood mixed with music new to me; activist songs intermingled with folk ballads. I'll highlight three moments in particular - introducing Joe Hill, Ms. Baez commented that it was "an organizing song - but with a leader!" Later, she sang an arrangement of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" that reintroduced me to a song that I have long considered a familiar standard. Finally, after a standing ovation, she came back out to sing "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Imagine" and "Gracias A La Vida", inviting the audience to join on the chorus. Singing these songs with Ms. Baez and a full house at Symphony Center was an incredible experience. I'm delighted that R (not a Joan Baez fan) agreed to watch Tadpole and let me go.
Also, today marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a challenge to write a new 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November. Last year I managed to complete it, so I'm hoping Tadpole's nap schedule lets me write my great science fiction novel (with space jellyfish!) this year.
In fact, I think I'll go work on NaNo now - bye!
First, on Sunday I attended an evening with Joan Baez at the CSO, which was simply phenomenal. I'm a bit young to really be in her demographic (I'm under 30 and as the person next to me observed may have been the only person in the audience without white hair), but I grew up listening to Joan Baez recordings. Of the performers from my childhood, she's the one I most wanted to see, and the evening did not disappoint.
Ms. Baez has a repertoire of 50 years of songs and all of them were on display on Sunday, from recordings that I first heard on the album "Very Early Joan" to a new song she is still working on inspired by the OWS movement. The entire evening was full of comfortable songs from my childhood mixed with music new to me; activist songs intermingled with folk ballads. I'll highlight three moments in particular - introducing Joe Hill, Ms. Baez commented that it was "an organizing song - but with a leader!" Later, she sang an arrangement of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" that reintroduced me to a song that I have long considered a familiar standard. Finally, after a standing ovation, she came back out to sing "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Imagine" and "Gracias A La Vida", inviting the audience to join on the chorus. Singing these songs with Ms. Baez and a full house at Symphony Center was an incredible experience. I'm delighted that R (not a Joan Baez fan) agreed to watch Tadpole and let me go.
Also, today marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a challenge to write a new 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November. Last year I managed to complete it, so I'm hoping Tadpole's nap schedule lets me write my great science fiction novel (with space jellyfish!) this year.
In fact, I think I'll go work on NaNo now - bye!
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