The Little Aaron That Could

All I wanted for Aaron this summer was for him to be safe in the water.  

I wanted him to be able to stand up on his own if he lost his feet in the water.  

He's technically part of a large swim team that is one of the best in the area but I never ever considered that he would actually be able to swim by the end of this summer.  I mean seriously - his range of motion in his legs is limited and his arms aren't the most helpful in terms of doing any strokes.  

I just wanted him to be safe.

That was MY Goal for my little son.

Last Thursday Aaron achieved one of my goals.  Being able to float on his back and then stand up without needing assistance.  Again - this may seem like a fairly easy accomplishment but for Aaron it is a BIG DEAL.  He is NOT afraid of the water.  He has been fearless from the beginning.  But each time his feet came out from underneath him - he was a good candidate for drowning and I was a good candidate for a heart attack.  Getting his feet back under him without being able to use his arms to propel him is dangerous.  

But this past week we figure out that when he is on his back, if he curled up and dropped to the bottom of the pool, then he could get his feet under him and stand back up.  After only two tries he had mastered that HUGE feat.  Once that was mastered.... AARON IMMEDIATELY SET OUT TO SWIM ON HIS BACK WITHOUT ANYONE HELPING HIM.

His coach is one of the BEST technical coaches on the East Coast and he had been working with Aaron on doing a modified breast kick.  But always with the noodle holding him up.  

Within a few tries... with Cos beside him...without the noodle.... he was GOING ACROSS THE BABY POOL ON HIS OWN.

THEN - HE DECIDED HE WANTED TO DO IT IN THE BIG POOL.  You know.. 25 meters across!!  Coach Cos took him over BUT WITH THE NOODLE for safety.  Aaron went all the way down and back but he was NOT HAPPY.

He wanted to do it WITHOUT THAT NOODLE.

25 meters.

FIRST TIME EVER IN THE DEEP WATER.

AFTER ONLY HAVING LEARNED TO DO THIS 30 MINUTES BEFORE....

He started across and just kept going and going.  No help.  Just Aaron and his little modified breast stroke kick. 

I didn't have a camera but one of the coaches grabbed hers.

The Little Aaron that Could.

Ben was standing on the end yelling for him.

I was on the other end cheering like a maniac and holding back a thousand tears.

Into his big brother's arms...

He was a bit tired and dazed and just stood there looking at all the crazy people who were cheering and yelling around him.

Then he turned and marched off because he was a man on a mission....

He got back in the baby pool so he could figure out how to stand up when he is on his stomach!!

He almost drowned in his attempt.  One of the coaches jumped in and tried to get him to rest and wait for another day but my boy was NOT going to be deterred.

Another attempt and another almost drowning until we told him to turn over.. turn over and drop just like when he was on his back.  He immediately lay on his stomach... started swimming... tried to stand... started drowning.. rolled over... dropped and stood up.

The Little Aaron That Could.

He puts me to shame!