Holly's 1st Swim

So with Holly's 1st lot of jabs out of the way she has the all clear to go swimming and therefore as with Joshua and Brandon she had her first swimming pool at just over 8 weeks old. I take you two boys swimming every week and have really settled into a routine. Obviously they can both swim, they both shower themselves, dress themselves and even dry their own hair and thus swimming has actually become fairly relaxed and easy. However throw Holly into the equation and it is back to being a military operation which requires detailed planning! Firstly there are there extra bags, milk feeds, swim nappies etc to get packed. Then there is the problem of cramming all this extra stuff into the lockers and finding somewhere to put the buggy / car seat. Then you eventually get into the pool and realise you had forgotten what it is like to be holding or looking after a child for 100% of the time whilst in the water. I am so used to the boys being confident in the water and kind of letting them do their own thing and just over seeing them or chucking them around a bit.

 

Anyway as with the boys we let Holly spend the first half of her swim in a float ring which we actually purchased for her last year in Greece. She thoroughly enjoyed floating around in the pool even if the two boys wouldn't leave her alone. They were constantly pushing her around, rocking her, spinning her, diving underneath her and so on. Brandon was holding onto her star float and kicking his legs to manoeuvre her around the pool. Then when Joshua got a turn, me and him were gently pushing Holly backwards and forwards to each other.

 

Holly's first experience in a swimming pool.

Holly in her Greek floaty ring.

All 3 of our kiddies enjoying their first swim together.

Holly's little legs kicking away under the water.

Underwater tootsies.

Brandon having fun pushing his little sister around the pool.

Another nice piccy of B and Holly. Note Brandon's new smile with yet another missing tooth!

To try and keep some sort of order with the boys we insisted that only one of them pushed her around in the floaty at a time. So whilst Brandon was taking his turn Joshua was practising some underwater backward and forward flips. 

Joshua performing a dolphin style forward flip in the pool.

Nearly all the way around.

Joshua taking his turn pushing Holly around.

Holly really enjoyed the pool and after about 15-20 mins we decided to take her out of the float ring and let her get her whole body into the water. She thoroughly enjoyed being bobbed up and down in the water and laying on her back floating. Loads of people in the pool were all cooing over her as she is so small and cute and very young to be in a pool. 

All 5 off us in the pool (picture courtesy of one of the life guards).

Daddy starting to teach Holly how to float on her back.

Bobbing up and down in the water with Daddy.

How adorable and what a lovely little swim suit.

In not time at all Holly was floating on her back with just some support under her neck.

After about 25 mins Holly was starting to get a little bit cold and so Tina took her over into the little baby pool for a while which is usually warmer. Brandon actually calls the baby pool his jacuzzi and it is right next to the adult jacuzzi and so he usually jumps in here when I go in the adult one.

Mummy and Holly in the baby pool.

Ladies chill time.......

Holly was very alert during the pool time but surprisingly not that tired afterwards.

This picture is begging for a caption competition....?

 

It may have been a handful taking all 3 kids swimming at the same time, but we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The two boys are such good swimmers for their age and I am sure Holly is going to be no different. All 3 of them will be little water babies and hopefully divers once they are old enough.