My Gym

Since Cam was eight weeks old, he and I have been going to Mommy and Me classes, music classes, gym classes and playgroups. It started out as a need for me to socialize and get out of the house when I was dealing with a colicky newborn. I just needed the connection with other moms and some fresh air. It's also part of my inability to stay indoors all day every day. I'm a doer.

On Fridays, we go to My Gym with Sara and Leela. We started going when Cam was around 5 months old and it has been such a fun place for us. At first, he really didn't like it. The music was loud. There was a lot of stuff and a lot of people. And, he couldn't crawl to get to where he wanted to go. But, over the last few months I have watched him become a little more secure in his surroundings while we're there. A little more adventurous, and a lot more of a boy.

We decided October will be our last month there for a while. We'll take a break and try something new for a while, and so today I wanted to capture him in this place that has literally helped him grow.


There's a giant ball pit that Cam loves to play in. The first few times, he hated it. He cried and yelled and I got in with him to get him used to the feeling of falling beneath hundreds of balls. And now...

Since about three months old, Cam has loved the swings. When we are at the park, he could literally sit in the swing the entire time and be content. He thinks it's hilarious to go up high, he loves to try and kick me with his feet. He just loves it. So, you can imagine how excited he gets when the My Gym peeps bring the swings out.

My baby is also quite intrigued with himself and mirrors. There is a whole wall of mirrors at My Gym and he'll pop on over every now and again and check himself out and chat it up. Guess he likes his own company.

One of my favorite things about the program at My Gym is what they call Separation Time. The teachers bring out a bunch of toys and ask the parents/caregivers to step back and let the kids play independently while the teachers supervise them. My little man is quite attached to me, so I was nervous and hesitant the first time they asked me to step aside, but boy did he rise to the occasion. He has never once cried or crawled to me during Separation Time. He just dives right in, plays with the others and has himself a peachy ol' time. Love that.

From the very beginning of our days at My Gym, Cam has sort of been known as the kid who doesn't like to try the new gymnastics skills or activities. He gets scared, sad and is generally uncomfortable when the teachers would take him and put him on a trampoline or balance beam. But slowly, over the last few weeks, he's been taking some more risks and leaving my side a lot more often. So today, we tried all three adventures that the teachers had set up, and he ate it up. 

I'm glad we continued to go to class every week, even when I was afraid he'd cry the whole time (and often he did). I'm so proud that he's coming out of his shell already at ten months old. I love that he's becoming more adventurous and confident and he's not even one year old yet! 

Today was a big proud mommy day. Big.