He's a fish

It has been my desire to take Randy to the pool at an early age.  Late May 2009, I eagerly went to my local YMCA and signed him up for swim lessons.  Well in June 2009 he had a shunt revision and July 2009 he had ear tubes inserted.  Then in August 2009, he began his two month illness that I thought would never go away.  He had another shunt revision in November 2009, then we were in the middle of winter and his neurosurgeon and his pediatrician suggested I wait until late spring to enroll him in swim lessons.

So I excitedly looked up the information for lessons this summer.  I decided to wait until July because I was still working part of June.  Well I took too long to go register and was closed out of the class! I was disappointed.  So instead i took him to the pool during open swim.  The first time was about two weeks ago.  He was a little clingy at first, but became comfortable very quickly.  But we where only able to stay in the pool for 15-20 minutes because he began shivering uncontrollably.  Although he has put on some weight, he still does not have enough body fat to keep him warm in the pool (and it was a heated pool). 

So I bought him a swim shirt, and waited for him to get over a slight cold he had before I took him back.  So last night we went back and he LOVED it.  He is a natural in the water.  He splashed his hands.  He kicked he feet.  He knew how to move them together like there were fins and separately in a kicking motion.  He floated on his back.  He even knew to tilt his head back when he floated on his back.  He stayed in the pool for 50 minutes.

The only thing I noticed is that his right leg kind of "dragged" at times.  His right side is his weak side; he has less strength and it is his weak eye.

So I am definitely going to have to get him in some lessons.  I was thinking about the YMCA.  Does anyone have a better suggestion?