Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Swimming Lessons at the YMCA!!!

In February we joined the YMCA here in Birmingham. We were able to get a great scholarship and it included child care. I was very excited that I was going to be able to start getting in shape. Within a few days of joining I found out about their swimming lessons and because I have a great fear of water I thought it would be a really good idea for me to start Juliana in swimming lessons. So I enrolled her in swimming. And it has been such a great experience. She has loved it and I have really watched her grow in so many ways. She seems to have more confidence in herself and I love to see just how proud she gets of her accomplishments. After her first session in February we decide that we would put her in for another session, and then another and then another. Today was her last swimming lesson after 4 months of having them 2 times a week. And I am truly amazed at how far she has come. I am really proud of her and all of her hard work and I look forward to the fall when we will enroll her again. We took her out for the summer because the classes get so full and I would rather have her in a class that has 3 to 4 kids rather than 6 to 8. As for the summer, tomorrow she starts T-Ball through the YMCA. I am just loving this membership not only for Juliana and all the possibilities it has for her but for me also. I have been going to the gym about 5 times a week and I am making great progress in losing weight and getting in shape. I feel great!!!!



So I thought I would recap the last 4 months of lessons in a few pictures and video's. Sorry there are so many pictures but remember this is a 32 lesson recap!!!

First swimming lesson. Sitting on the wall getting them all excited to get in the water.


Miss Katie helping Juliana with her form.

Jumping off the wall for the first time...very scary.

Teaching her how to use her "swim arms".

All of them kicking at the wall.

As the lessons move forward Juliana is getting better at her form but still can't do it on her own.

Juliana really enjoying the float bar and learning to kick her legs strong enough to keep herself afloat.
Here she goes without her teacher and she is really moving now!!!

Here she is swimming on her own the whole length of the pool!!!!

Kicking her feet out of the water and keeping her body up more...she can really move!!!

Floating on her back and getting ready to swim on her back. (She still struggles with this)

Talking to Miss Katie about what she wants to do next.

Swimming with her chin in the water so that she can get use to her face in the water.


She looks so proud of herself...I love that look!!!!


Here is a video of her first attempts at swimming on her own at the beginning of her second session. I was so proud of her and now I look back and it is funny to me.



And this is her now!!!! I wonder if a year from now I will look back and how she is swimming in this and laugh. But I think she is doing so great and I am very proud of her. I know we will miss swimming lessons in the next few months but come September we will be ready to go. And for now T-Ball here we come!!!!!

7 comments:

Erika said...

Wow! That's so impressive! I couldn't see my 4 year old doing that! I'm putting her in a little dance camp this summer. So fun!

Perry Family said...

Very Cool!! I love how well she is swimming!! It was so good to see you in April!! Juliana is such a good little swimmer! :)

Katie said...

So Cute! I am going to get Belle and Ella swimming next month. I am a little nervous because of Isabelle's personality but we are hopefull.

Thanks for the tips. I have already started trying a reward type system, I think it will work.

Natalie said...

Two new posts in one week!! I am loving this. Way to go, Juliana! This membership sounds wonderful. I am a little jealous. Enjoy!

Simply Scroggins said...

I really appreciated all the pictures of Juliana swimming because I am going to try and teach the children myself this summer at our community pool and you did a great job showing the lessons that I need to do with the children :) Also Juliana is so pretty in her Daddy Daughter pictures. That was really sweet.

Thorpe said...

I can't believe how big Julianna is. That is awesome that she did all those swim lessons. I really wanted to do that this summer but we haven't got to it. I also thought that the daddy daughter date was so super cute. I am sure that Mike makes a great dad.

Missy said...

Swimming lessons are such a great idea!! Loved looking at all the pics!