Babies doing swimmingly

Marisa O’Neil

Nothing says summertime like a community pool full of little swimmers

testing the waters.

And the city of Costa Mesa had plenty of swimming lessons start on

Monday, the first day of summer. Though most of the tiniest swimmers

were taking their first official class, some were seasoned water

babies.

“I swim with her regularly,” Lynn Oravetz said as she supported

her 10-month-old daughter Mia in the pool. “My dad jokes that she’ll

swim before she walks.”

Mia has been swimming casually with her mom since she was 6 months

old, but Monday was her first official lesson. She was happy to

splash around and kick her feet in her mother’s arms.

Mia was one of about half a dozen babies, age 6 months to 36

months, getting their teeny feet wet with their mothers and a swim

instructor during a Mommy and Me swimming class. Once they graduate

from that class, children can go to classes from level one all the

way up to level six, where they swim laps.

Another Mommy and Me swimmer, 17-month-old Kailyn Bush, was in a

pool for only her second time ever. Mom Carol Bush tossed a purple,

plastic dinosaur a few feet away and supported Kailyn as she tried to

paddle her way over to catch it.

“She’s just getting used to the water, but she likes it,” Bush

said.

After some time working in mama-baby groups, the class circled up

in the pool. Instructor Jennifer Beech led them in a round of “Wheels

on the Bus.”

Mia splashed along happily with a green turtle. When an

overzealous splash came up and hit her in the face, she cringed but

shook it off.

In another part of the pool, some bigger kids were taking their

first level-one class.

Lilly McCarthy, 2, just finished up with the Mommy and Me classes

and was on her own for the first time. She sat on the side of the

pool and willingly slid herself in when instructor Erick Battersby

gave her the go-ahead.

She clung to the wall, blowing bubbles, sticking her tongue out

and giggling with excitement.

Back in the baby class, 18-month-old Daly McAdams also scooted

willingly off the wall into her mother’s arms. Jenny McAdams signed

up for the class with her longtime friend, Bevin McNamee and her

18-month-old daughter, Eloise.

Eloise and Daly were both born at Hoag Hospital, just 36 hours

apart. Both babies love the pool, their moms said.

“Now all we need is surfing class,” McAdams said. “That would make

the daddies happy.”