Let the races begin…

Walking is a monumental occasion for all parents. It’s a milestone that most parents reluctantly and anxiously await. Of course there’s always a competitive nature to it too. Parents whose children were early walkers are usually excited to tout the fact that their child was walking prematurely. Parents of late walkers are always happy to encourage the nervous parents that their child walked late, not to worry.

For me, walking was a big thing. Of course it’s big for all parents but the part that made me the most anxious, with Drew, was that I was going to be away from him when this monumental occasion occurred (reference my thoughts on the matter here). And although I even acknowledged that caregivers don’t mention first steps when separated from their parents, the thought that he would take even a micro-step without me witnessing it devastated me.

Since I am now tending to my children 24/7, I figured it was a sure thing with Gabby. So on August 15 when she finally took those four steps across the hallway, I was not only thrilled to be experiencing them but was also ecstatic that Adam was there to not only witness it but actually tape her first steps!

She took her steps the night before we left on vacation. I was happy that she was able to reach that milestone, eager for her to no longer be crawling over every surface in America, and nervous as to what this would mean for our vacation (having two walkers on board). However Gabby decided to go on strike from walking from that moment forward. Not taking hardly even one step without holding on for the majority of the next month.

September 5 the reigns of crawling, fears of actually letting go subsided and Gabby became a full fledged walker! Back and forth, veering right, veering left, picking something up and continuing on her way…Gabby is a completely walking! I realize with that means I may never sit down again, but with two under the age of four I wasn’t doing that much sitting anyway! Let the races begin…