Major Triumph!

Here is Caleb yesterday, standing proudly with his green necklace at the YMCA pool (our second home during the summer). He just replaced his yellow necklace (which means they can get up from falling in the water, but not a swimmer yet). Though Caleb could swim, he struggled with the water.
Caleb has had a fear of the water since he was a baby. I remember when he was just six months old and it started to sprinkle on him when I was going to the car. When the rain drops hit him, he acted like he was being shot by a gun over and over again. He has never liked swimming and the beach, but has been forced to because we live in this hot state of Florida. He would rather hang out on the sidelines than to splash and get in the water.
So, yesterday he wanted to take his test...which meant he had to swim the length of the pool without touching the bottom or the sides. And he accomplished it!!!! He received his green necklace. The lifeguards were so excited for him!!! They know that he is a little slower than the rest of the crowd, so this was a big deal. I am so glad that they really congratulated him and cheered him on while he swam.
Every little step towards normalcy with Caleb is a major triumph for us. Raising a mentally handicapped child can be very daunting and tiresome. So, it's little sparks of hope like this that just raise up our hopes. Great job Caleb...we are so proud!!!