I wasn't paying attention. My head was down washing dishes while Baby played with her toys in the living room. I looked up periodically to make sure that she was ok. That she wasn't climbing furniture, or eating books, or getting into trouble. That she was safe.
When I rounded the corner she was standing up, holding onto the couch and facing me. She's been cruising for months so it wasn't too unusual. Finding interesting ways to make it across the room, holding on to various edges at varying heights. But this time she let go. And took two confident and exaggerated steps to the side. Without holding on.
I froze. "Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing? Is she? Is she walking?!!"
It took some time for the wires that connect my eyes with my brain to signal that I was in fact watching a fairly significant milestone. I was watching her take her very first steps at 10 months. It took even more time for my brain to tell the rest of my body exactly what I needed to do about it. Should I get the camera?
And like that my knees gave out. I feel to the floor and did what any excited-first-time-mother watching-her-little-baby-take-a-first-step would do. I cheered. I hollered. I waved my hands. I'm not sure if I was actually saying anything in particular, like "Go! Go! Go!" or if it was random jibberish. But whatever it was scared the crap out of her. She fell down on her butt. She looked at me.
In hindsight, the cheering maybe wasn't the best way to handle the situation. I can put myself in her shoes and appreciate that learning how to walk is hard enough without someone screaming in your face. But I was so excited.
The next day, I wasn't sure if I really saw her first steps or if I imagined it. Then she did it again. I didn't say anything. The day after that she took more steps. She can now make it from the couch to the TV. She is demonstrating her walk abilities a lot. She is mastering this walking thing.
And in order to help her, I don't say anything. I don't fall to my knees. And I only cheer a tiny, tiny bit.
~ humps
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5 comments:
Haha, I TOTALLY understand the cheering & scaring thing... sometimes I think babies must think we're genuinely crazy people.
I'm so excited for her, and for you. Walking is awesome. It's a total new independence, and what a great time of the year for it, too! Wow. Yay baby!
Thanks so much Tatiana. I was thinking this week of the video you capture of Maia walking on your blog. I've tried and failed to get footage. Still working on it. :)
Oh, WOW!!! Hooray for Baby!!! That is soooo awesome! :) You must be such a proud Mama! That is a BIG milestone!
Little One took her first steps a few months ago, but has gone back to being super cautious. She'll take a few steps every now and then, but prefers to cruise along furniture, toys, and whoever is in arms reach.
I took her to a fundraiser for Haiti and everyone was laughing because she was walking around like nobody's business...only, holding onto ONE of my fingers. Really, she doesn't need me to walk, but it's more of a security thing.
Is it bad that I don't want her to walk yet? I know she needs to, but I'm not ready! LOL!
Well, that made me teary. I remember that SO well! How wonderful! You'll always want to cheer for your baby- I cheer and go crazy on the inside... ALL THE TIME. Every step she makes will make you so proud. It's an exciting, scary journey. I'm so pleased I've found your blog :)
Estelle - Thank you for reading. Thank you for leaving that comment. If someone would have told me how astonished, proud, excited I feel everytime I look at her, I would not have believed it until now. :)
~ humps
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