When Sam was about four hours old, a nurse came into our room with a little tub of water and taught Eric how to give Sam a bath. After doing all of the work earlier in the day, I loved sitting back and watching Eric try his hand at this baby thing. Eric gently washed Sam’s hands and feet and learned how to wash his already-full head of hair. When Sam was turned over onto his stomach, he gripped the sides of the tub with his little fists and wiggled his legs like a fish.
Eric must have done something right during that first bath, because bathtime continues to be one of the highlights of Sam’s day. Several months ago I stopped trying to make him sit in a baby tub or any type of support system. Sam prefers to sit, free of any constraints, in the middle of the big tub. I have had a fear of water for as long as I can remember, and my kid practically has fins!
Water running out of a tub faucet usually scares babies by the time they are 10 months old. When I turn the faucet on, Sam is right there, reaching forward with his little hand to put it under the stream. He leans as far as he can and gets his knee on the edge of the tub, trying to heave himself in. He never takes his eyes off of the filling tub as I get him out of his clothes.
As soon as he is in the tub, he starts dunking himself under water. I have never seen anything like it – and I certainly have never put his face under water. He braces himself and leans forward…slowly…slowly…until he is face down in the water. Then he sits up, sputtering and laughing, wiping the water out of his eyes. As soon as he is ready, he does it again.
Mommy and Me swimming lessons, here we come!
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