It doesn't seem so long ago that my youngest daughter was clutching her arms around my neck when we entered the swimming pool, so to see her development in a relatively short space of time fills me with pride and amazement. She lies on her tummy in the bath each night kick kick kicking, happily putting her face in the water and she is just like the sponge with water in the bath tub, the way she absorbs everything she is being taught.

She now loves to watch her big sister at her swimming lessons each week and you can see her wanting to climb in. It is now bordering on a wrestling match to prevent her from getting in the water. It is interesting to see a little competition between the two girls about who does well in their lessons (well the older one moreso than the little one) but you can see her wanting to swim like her sister.

The thing is, she is actually really beginning to swim. Until around 6 months, babies placed in water tummy-side down will move their arms and legs in a swimming motion, so when their swimming reflex and the dive reflex are both engaged, a baby can look like they are swimming but now at almost 2 years old .... she is doing more than look like she is swimming.

This week they have been learning to blink when they come out from being under water. When they are tiny, the parents always wipe away the water but as they get older they have to learn to clear the water themselves, so all we have been saying for the last couple of days is blink, blink, blink.

This small change is another reminder that she is developing so quickly, copying her sister in her desire to absorb everything around her and it amazes me how swiftly things can in the blink of an eye .....