Swimming

So, we took the boys swimming on Saturday.  The last time Robert went in the swimming pool, he was around 19 months old, and we were on holiday in Cornwall. I was around 6 months pregnant with Christopher.  Christopher had never been in a swimming pool until yesterday, and the boys both did really well!  We weren't sure if Christopher would enjoy it or not, but he loved it!  Grinning and laughing the whole time, especially when he could splash, and he liked it when I rocked him back and forth in the water too.  Robert loved walking through the water, and could go right to the deeper end of the training pool, but it was difficult to help him relax in the water, we tried getting him to lay flat on his back in the water with us supporting him, and he kept bringing his knees and legs up.  I finally had a bit of success, and after a while when they both started shivering, we got them out, and on the way home, Robert kept begging us to take him back to the pool!

We're going to try and go once a week, it should do them both good anyway, even if I'm going to need to find a maternity swimming costume, as the size 18 tankini was constantly riding up (never felt so self conscious - and here was me thinking I didn't weigh as much as when I was pregnant with Christopher - this was the same swimming costume I wore last time!)

The reason we went swimming, is because it seems that Robert needs some sort of physical outlet.  He is so energetic, and he just needs *something* to wear him out, to stop him bouncing the walls all the time.  There's not much that he will happily sit down to do that is quiet.  He's not much for books (except his bedtime story), he doesn't particularly like puzzles, or drawing.  He will do them occasionally, but it's not an activity he requests much.  The only time he seems to want to do puzzles is when he sees Christopher doing them.  But even then not all the time.

Christopher's new favourite activity is by far jigsaws.  I don't know where it came from all of a sudden, but impressively, at just 2 years 3 months, he totally "gets" them!  He can do 24 piece puzzles easily on his own.  We have a few larger ones of 35 piece and 50 piece, he has a huge foam floor puzzle of dinosaurs which is 48 piece.  And the other day I ordered some 60 piece puzzles.  I took out the easier picture of the two 60 piece ones which was an Octonauts one, and with some help he did it.  Today, I gave even less help (once I moved a couple of stuck together pieces near to where they should go on the larger done piece, and a couple of times I suggested what piece to look for - "Shall we try and find the piece with the dolphin's back on it?"  "Who do you think is next to Peso in the Gup-A?") and he did it probably 90-95% unaided.  I reckon tomorrow he'll be able to do it 100% unaided.  I can't believe he can do a 60 piece puzzle at not even 28 months old.  This puzzle is recommended for children aged 4 years and above!

On pregnancy news, I'm now 24 weeks and 3 days - I have my 24 week midwife appointment on Wednesday when I'll be 24 weeks and 6 days ;)  I am hoping that I will be able to get my 24 week belly photo up soon - I need to get Jonathan to transfer it to the computer, or to find the right cable myself.  Anyway that's all for now, I'll be back soon!