Just Keep Swimming

So, it turns out that we got back home to Minnesota just in time for the beautiful part of Spring.  From what I hear, while we were enjoying the pool and the beach in Florida, our Minnesotan friends were cursing their lives dealing with a wet, rainy, muddy and cold Spring.  We missed all of that!  Couldn't have had better timing.  We pulled up to our house to a neighborhood full of lush green lawns and blossom trees blooming.  It's really beautiful here this time of the year.

And warm.  I sort of expected us to have to put jackets and long pants back on, after being in shorts and t-shirts for two months.  But we didn't.  We had a seamless weather transition.  It has even been warm enough for the kids to play in the sprinkler.  They also begged to play on the slip n' slide.  Both were fun afternoon activities, but I have to admit...

They ain't no pool.

I think the pool was my very favorite part of living in FL.  We took the kids swimming as often as we could, and I really enjoyed our afternoon, pre-dinner swims.  Spiff's schedule was such that he could often join us in the afternoons, which was made even more awesome when he decided to teach the kids how to swim.  In the five weeks we were able to work on it, Gunner went from not being able to put his face in the water to being able to swim an entire length of the little pool and back.  He can do flips, back floats, underwater tea parties, and dive down to pick something up from the bottom of the pool.

Hobbes figured out how to kick around and propel himself around the pool while wearing his life jacket.  He figured out that the most fun game int he world is to jump in the pool over and over and over again.  He also figured out how to blow bubbles and kick around the pool after Daddy with his face in the water.  He was the world's cutest little fish.

It was so very cool to watch their progress.  It's super neat to watch my kids learn new skills. 

One thing I that impressed me the most as I watched them learn and play is that they were really loving it.  Being at the pool meant happiness and joy.  Swimming with friends was even better.  I watched them kick, splash, move and play, and I saw how much fun they were having.  I also remembered that I never experienced that as a child. 

I never learned how to swim as a kid.  I grew up in rural Idaho where pools are not plentiful.  I am the fourth child.  I remember taking lessons as a young child (probably three years old) with my older siblings, but I think swimming just wasn't a priority and was forgotten.  I remember going going to pool parties as I grew up, watching my friends play while I hung on to the edge of the pool, wondering why everyone thought it was so much fun.  What was all the fuss about?!

Not that I didn't have fun in the water.  I also grew up waterskiing.  Yes, I waterskiied as a kid, not knowing how to swim.  It never occured to me that there was something wrong with that.  Spiff, the former life guard, is actually appalled by this.  But I wore a floaty wet suit and a life jacket, and felt completely safe.

Since marrying Spiff, he has taught me some things, and I can now say that I can swim a freestyle lap.  Of a short pool.  I can also say that I would be comfortable taking a class and improving my skills.  I have always been too scared before.

But as I watched my kids enjoy the water, I realized what the fuss is all about.  I realized that swimming can be fun for kids!  That I was all wrong about it as a kid!  I am happy that we were able to experience that fun with them.  Gunner's very most favorite thing was to hang out underwater.  It's a whole new world down there.

Our next goal is to sign the kids up for swimming lessons.  I don't want them to lose the skills they learned down there.  Gotta just keep them swimming!

Ready or Not

We're home now.  All of us are home now.  The boys, Spiff's mom and I drove home and arrived a week and half ago.  Spiff flew home on Wednesday.  I feel a giant weight lifted off my shoulders knowing that we made it, that my big plan worked out, and that we can have this baby at home with the appropriate family members present.  I feel like we witnessed a miracle.

So now, let's have a baby!!!

But wait...

I'm not ready!

I am feeling pretty good physically, and I actually think that with everything that has been going on (the whole "living in another state for two months directly previous to giving birth") that I haven't had time to emotionally prepare for the baby.  I'm due in three days, but I feel like I would be totally okay if she were two weeks late.  I remember feeling so DONE being pregnant with my other two by the time this stage rolled around.  Not so this time.  I think I'm just so not looking forward to labor, delivery, post-partum and newborn-no-sleep that I would be okay if she were to take her sweet time.

I never thought I'd say that.  I really do not enjoy being pregnant.

I have spent the last week and a half at home getting my house ready for the baby, and I think I'm finally there.  We were busy little bees yesterday cleaning the house and cars, moving boxes of baby clothes and diapers, cutting boys' hair, etc.  The house is ready. 

My freezer is overstocked with tons of food (my personal form of Nesting).  The kitchen is ready. 

The boys have been enjoying the presence of their grandmother.  She has been awesome at reading them tons and tons of books and giving them attention while I have been busy cleaning out closets.  I think they're ready, although they probably have no real clue what's about to hit them.

It's just me, then.  I need to get ready.  Last night, I had my normal late-pregnancy dream where the baby sticks her hand out of the side of my belly (underneath the skin), in a way that we can clearly see all of her little fingers, so that we can hold her hand.  I have had this dream with all of my babies.  Maybe it's my weird little way of bonding with my fetus.  It was definitely a sweet little hand.  So, thank you, weird dream.  I guess that means I'm ready, too.

Let's do this.