Fearless

Olivia has earned the title of "fearless" this week.  A few years ago, while in Wisconsin Dells, while she had always loved the water, from birth, she decided to be terrified of it.  I think it's because Kris put her in a whirlpool bath with the jets on and it terrified her.  We could not get her to go into water for ANYTHING that week.  Not even to stick her feet in the shallow end.  She would just scream and cry.  And while she has enjoyed swimming at the YMCA, she can't wear floaties and so she really hasn't had any experience swimming, because she's either been held by us or had to stay in the shallowest parts.

This year, however, she was ALL IN.  I don't know what got into her, but she just decided that with or without floaties, she was going to swim NO MATTER WHAT.  Most of the time she had her floaties on.  But a few different times, without her floaties, she would just jump in.  Without warning any adults.  Without thinking "Hey I might drown if no one knows I just jumped in without floaties on!"

In fact, Kris had just been telling me about this type of thing and we were chatting, our backs turned to her and suddenly realized she wasn't standing on the side of the pool anymore.  We turned around and there she was, flailing in the water, no floaties. We got her and she was fine, but even then, she didn't appear scared.  She was determined to just be in the water at any chance.  And once she realized she was tall enough for the water slide, you better be sure that you are at the bottom to catch her, since she can't wear floaties, because she would just disappear and you'd see her at the top of the slide, ready to come down.  Her face just cracks me up.

I don't know if it is just because she is adorable.  Or if it is because she's our last and so we are really getting to enjoy and experience these milestones with her.  I don't know what it is.  But it was probably my favorite part of our time in Florida, watching her swim.  These following three videos will hopefully show you a little bit of the joy we got to experience with her on vacation.