And... they're off!
Recently Colin's teachers reported that he stood up next to the Exersaucer, then walked across the room (about 4 feet) to play with a ball. At home he would take a couple of steps if we lured him, and he loves cruising around holding onto chairs, tables, and our hands. But that was about it. Our guess was that a large part of his not-walking-at-home was due to Sydney, who mercilessly covers him in lovey-licks every time he stands up. It is kinda tough to walk when you have a dog frantically licking your face, so Colin typically drops down, lowers his head, and crawls instead. Who can blame him?!?
Over the past weekend we made a rare trip to the mall. Grandma Lulu had given Colin a very kind and generous gift, and I decided to invest in a new pair of shoes for Colin. We headed to the Stride Rite store and they measured Colin - he was a size 4½. They then measured the shoes he was wearing, which were supposedly a 5... except they were actually about a 6½. My poor son was trying to learn how to walk while wearing shoes that were two sizes too big. I felt like such an incredible moron. I knew the shoes were a bit too big - maybe a half a size too big - but thought it wasn't too bad. Wrong! No wonder the kid wasn't walking! It had nothing to do with an overly-licky dog, it was because his idiot mother had dressed him in CLOWN SHOES.
Needless to say, in spite of the rather steep price, we bought him two pairs of new shoes in the correct size, and a few new pairs of socks as well. Properly shorn, with his clown shoes boxed away, we headed home.
This week his teachers have been telling me that Colin is taking more independent walks. Short ones, but more frequent. And today, it seems, was the tipping point.
When I visited him at lunch I stood him up and he took about 10 steps. And apparently he'd been doing it all morning. His "memorable moment" for today was in reference to his developing walking skills. And he's really into it - when I was packing his bag after school I put him down. Normally he would crawl away (or just slump and complain). Today he happily walked over to the play-yard, showing off for his mama.
When we got home, he continued to walk - even with Sydney wagging and licking him frantically in greeting. He walked down the hall, behind the house, across the living room... anywhere he wanted to. After H arrived home I told him about our little guy, Walker. Then we showed daddy - who was appropriately amazed.
At one point H asked (somewhat concerned) where Colin was. He'd been in the front hall, and we hadn't heard the slap-slap-slap of his high-speed crawling. Was he in the living room? On the stairs? (Even worse... playing in the litter box???) No. He simply stood up, silently walked into the kitchen, and was playing in the dog's water dish.
I think this is it. Our boy is now officially a walker! He isn't too steady yet, but I think within a week he's going to be unstoppable. And knowing our little guy that means running is in our near future as well.
Over the past weekend we made a rare trip to the mall. Grandma Lulu had given Colin a very kind and generous gift, and I decided to invest in a new pair of shoes for Colin. We headed to the Stride Rite store and they measured Colin - he was a size 4½. They then measured the shoes he was wearing, which were supposedly a 5... except they were actually about a 6½. My poor son was trying to learn how to walk while wearing shoes that were two sizes too big. I felt like such an incredible moron. I knew the shoes were a bit too big - maybe a half a size too big - but thought it wasn't too bad. Wrong! No wonder the kid wasn't walking! It had nothing to do with an overly-licky dog, it was because his idiot mother had dressed him in CLOWN SHOES.
Needless to say, in spite of the rather steep price, we bought him two pairs of new shoes in the correct size, and a few new pairs of socks as well. Properly shorn, with his clown shoes boxed away, we headed home.
This week his teachers have been telling me that Colin is taking more independent walks. Short ones, but more frequent. And today, it seems, was the tipping point.
When I visited him at lunch I stood him up and he took about 10 steps. And apparently he'd been doing it all morning. His "memorable moment" for today was in reference to his developing walking skills. And he's really into it - when I was packing his bag after school I put him down. Normally he would crawl away (or just slump and complain). Today he happily walked over to the play-yard, showing off for his mama.
When we got home, he continued to walk - even with Sydney wagging and licking him frantically in greeting. He walked down the hall, behind the house, across the living room... anywhere he wanted to. After H arrived home I told him about our little guy, Walker. Then we showed daddy - who was appropriately amazed.
At one point H asked (somewhat concerned) where Colin was. He'd been in the front hall, and we hadn't heard the slap-slap-slap of his high-speed crawling. Was he in the living room? On the stairs? (Even worse... playing in the litter box???) No. He simply stood up, silently walked into the kitchen, and was playing in the dog's water dish.
I think this is it. Our boy is now officially a walker! He isn't too steady yet, but I think within a week he's going to be unstoppable. And knowing our little guy that means running is in our near future as well.
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