Meet the next Michael Phelps

We live in Arizona. We have a pool.
We have to live in our pool to survive the Arizona's summers.

Therefore, we decided we would put Scott into swimming classes as soon as possible so he could get used to the water. We didn't know what to expect, but after attending our first class this morning, I am sure we made the right decision.

Jim and I had an utter blast hanging out in the pool with Scott. And Tank did really well for his first water session.

The Little Snappers 1 class, held at the nearby Hubbard Family Swim School, had five kids in it, and I was amazed at how much they teach them at such a young age.

I got in the water with Scott, and the first goal was to simply get him comfortable and acclimated to being in the pool. We just moved back and forth and swished side to side. Then we turned him on his back and got him splashing.

Scott was tired (it was past his naptime) and a little overwhelmed at all the activity, but he started smiling when we moved on to the next exercise -- kicking while swimming on his stomach. Mommy walked backward and sang and blew bubbles which was also very entertaining.

Then, the big time: going under water. We sang, and we counted to three and then we dunked. Scott came up sputtering and looked at me like I was crazy. He whimpered a bit, but stuck with it, going under the water two more times.

Entering the pool with mommy.

Splash, splash splash!!!

Working on our kicks.

One, two, three! Let's get ready to go underwater!

Submerge!

Uh...mommy. Uncool. Not entirely sure I am a fan of that.

Next, it was daddy's turn in the pool. Father and son worked on swimming through the water toward the pool's edge, reaching for toys, standing on the wall, and strengthening legs and lower back by kicking in a boat.

Instructor Lizzie helps Scott kick toward the wall.

Standing and playing with daddy.

Ooh, a ducky! And a pirate!

I can't tell who is having more fun here - Tank or his daddy.

Chillin' in the "boat."

The boat, by the way, was a huge hit. Daddy may have to buy a cruising yacht for our pool this summer.

We ended the 30 minute lesson by helping Scott float on his back. The swim instructor said that eventually Scott will be able to do it on his own.

After a short drive home, Scott was rewarded for his efforts with a nice warm bottle of milk. All that exertion took a lot out of him. He was snoring in daddy's arms before he even finished his lunch.

Can't wait until we are back in the pool next week.

The sunscreen quest

For the most part, I consider myself a relatively (note use of word "relatively") laid-back mom.

I mean, I don't let my little Tank juggle knives or anything, but if he tosses his favorite rubber giraffe or firefly-bug toy on to the carpet, I don't ALWAYS wash them off before giving them back to him -- even if I know they are going right back in his mouth.

The dog walks on the blanket right next to the baby? Eh...Baxter hasn't stepped on him yet. I am sure it will be fine.

Scott spits up on his shirt? Blot it off with a burp cloth, but it'll dry..no need to change him when I JUST PUT IT ON, right?

Those pajamas that fit last week too tight? He can probably wear them one more time before they go in the outgrown clothes box.


So I was sort of surprised when I started to obsess -- like really, really obsess -- about my baby and sunburns. You'd think I was preparing the kid for a field trip to the equator or something.

Maybe its because I live in Arizona, a state that averages more than 330 days of sunshine a year. Or maybe its because I know that my husband and I literally live in our swimming pool during the months of June, July and August.

Most likely its because my "Ginger, make sure you wear your sunscreen" broken-record-sounding mom, has -- in recent years -- had several painfully unpleasant bouts with skin cancer. And it stems from sunburns she suffered as a child and a teenager.

Now every mole I find on my skin is something to be taken seriously. Very seriously.

My obsession started innocently enough, with a simple post on Facebook querying friends about their sunscreen recommendations. Then I went into full-on research mode. The Environmental Working Group's listing of safe and effective baby sunscreens. Newspaper articles. Comments on BabyCenter.com. Customer reviews on Amazon.com.

In the end, I couldn't pick just one. In fact, I now own five different kinds of baby sunscreen. I have sunscreen in stick form and in powder form. I own organic sunscreen and sunscreen that comes in a bottle that changes color when exposed to UVA light.

Baby sunscreen takes many forms (California Baby brand not pictured.)

But it didn't end there.

No, my obsession took a new turn.


Hats.

Scott will wear one every day while he is outside. I'll make sure of it. And I have plenty to choose from, because he now owns four of them. Three are plaid in various colors. One is reversible. Two have chin straps to ensure they stay on more securely.

I have also decided that he will not just wear swim trunks. No, my son also has two matching rashguards to go with his uber-cute summer swimsuits (and no, I had no idea what a rashguard was until a few weeks ago). If you are wondering, its basically a shirt made of spandex and nylon that protects against the sun's ultraviolet rays.

It's very helpful in the summer, because it helps covers the little guy's torso, back, shoulders and arms without me having to slather him with sunscreen every 30 minutes.

The fully array of Scott's sun protection gear.

And yes: I am determined to protect his eyes too. Scott is also the proud owner of baby sunglasses, complete with a strap that wraps around his head so he can't pull them off.

For the record, he hates them.

How can I not do everything in my power to protect this perfect little face?

I haven't used any of my other products yet, so I can't say which sunscreens will come out on top and which will be abject failures. But the weather is turning, Spring Training and pool days are right around the corner, and I feel like we're ready.

Now, if you'll excuse me...Scott just threw his giraffe on the floor again.

Bubbles+Rubber Ducky+Warm Water=Scott's Happy Place

The first time we gave Scott a bath, he screamed. Like nonstop. Bloody murder screamed. There was absolutely nothing that he enjoyed about the experience. He was cold. He was unhappy and he wanted back in his jammies and swaddle - stat.

But now...well, I seriously think bath-time is the kid's favorite time of day. It doesn't matter how fussy or tired or hungry he is, when he sees that silly whale bathtub he busts out in the biggest smile. He'd take four baths a day if we let him.

As he's gotten bigger, he's also discovered the art of splashing. A lot. And given his body mass, he can displace a great deal of water. Jim and I had grown accustomed to having water sloshing on the counter, our work clothes...and all over the kitchen floor, until Jim's mom came up with the brilliant idea to put a towel down on the ground.

How did neither of us think of that?

Soon we'll move Tank to the regular bathtub so he can fully enjoy the bevy of water-based toys he got for Christmas. In fact, Scott enjoys his bath so much that we are eager to get him into an even bigger body of water - he's going to start baby swimming lessons in March so he's ready to take full advantage of our pool this summer.