Abigail’s First Paddle

We finally got Abigail out for a paddle today.

It was cloudy and rainy for most of the day, then about 3:30 it cleared up and got warm.

I told Jen it was the perfect time to go, so we packed up and headed over to the lake.

It really wasn’t meant to be anything big. The whole point was to get a life vest on her and get her in the boat for a short time – get her exposed.

Exposed she was. She started out tucked tightly between Jen’s knees, but as you can see it didn’t take long for her to loosen up and explore.

Obviously the PFD decision has been made. Of the two, the red one was most comfortable for her. They’re both Type II (they’re most likely to keep their face above water in case of an accident), so we were covered either way.

That’s her Argh! pose. There were plenty of threatening lazy fisherman to scowl at.

There were also plenty of ducks and green leaves to point at. Sitting at the back I couldn’t see much of the Abigail action, but as soon as I saw that finger pointing and the little “eh, eh, ehs”, I knew she was into it.

It didn’t last long. Having nothing to do but stand in one place and point gets a little trying for a 14 month old, so we headed back.

The trip on the water took less time than it did for me to load and unload the boat, but at least she’s done it. Next time we go, there won’t be so many unknowns for us. Hopefully we’ll figure out something to occupy her a little better and make her more comfortable.

– b