Good Lesson with a Happy Ending

Last week Baby Z and I were at a friend's house, playing in the backyard and swimming in her pool. And the moment I had thought through many times happened: Baby Z fell in. We were on the edge of the pool and I was very close to Baby Z, thankfully (now I understand why they say stay within arm's reach). Baby Z went to grab an air mattress floating on the water that was about 5 inches from the side of the pool. I said, "No, stop, let Mama help," and then he was in the pool. I got to him very quickly and plunged my arm in to grab him, while thinking through how I would dive in after him if I couldn't get him with my arm. Looking down, I saw Baby Z sinking quickly down on his back with his arms and hands raised up toward the surface. His little face was scrunched up and his eyes were closed.

I was able to reach his forearm by pushing my arm in up to my shoulder. I pulled him up and sat him on the side of the pool where he sputtered a little and started to cry. He had held his breath the whole time but he was scared, obviously. We are so thankful we've had him in swim lessons where he has learned to hold his breath. He calmed down pretty quickly, and amazingly, I was calm the entire time. It felt like this lasted 5 minutes, but my friend said the whole thing lasted probably 4 seconds.

What blew me away about this whole thing was how FAST it all happened. How quickly would he have sunk all the way to the bottom? How long before he wouldn't have been able to hold his breath? How long would it have taken me to get to him from across the pool? I am so thankful I was nearby, because, honestly, I haven't always been right next to him. God is gracious and good. And I very quickly learned the prudence of getting a fence or safety net for pools. We are looking into that now for my Mom's pool (where Baby Z spends every Friday). After telling my Mom the story, she was also quick to agree that a barrier of some kind was needed. And, the perk of it will be that she doesn't have to chase Baby Z around her back yard constantly. She'll be able to sit on a chair and watch him from, say, 15 feet away.

Falling into the pool is kind of one of those things that happens to most kids at one time or other (hopefully when they know how to swim), but as with everything else, it's an eye opener when it happens to your child. I am so extremely grateful for the lesson early on in Baby Z's life which will better prepare me and my family for what lies ahead.

Here's a recent picture, just to reassure you that Baby Z is alive and smiling (Smile!):