Cate’s pediatrician told me that the average age for most kids to start walking is around 15 months. So I took that nugget of information and stored it away, but honestly, I was starting to get just a teeny-tiny bit worried about Cate’s lack of interest in walking. I knew she was fine, my only concern was because most of the babies I know in real life started walking before their first birthday.
The thing is, she can stand up without holding onto anything for ages. And she can even do her little bouncy dance while standing up, so she obviously has the balance issue down pat. She just wouldn’t move her feet forward, and oh my lord, if we tried to hold her arms and help her walk, she would freak out. She has a little ride-on car, which she won’t ride on, but lately she’s been walking while pushing it in front of her. So, you know, that’s progress, right?
Last night she took a couple of steps sideways – which I guess makes sense, since she “cruises” sideways all the time holding onto the coffee table or the sofa. That was pretty cool. Then later, I was sitting on the floor and she took two steps backwards so she could plop herself down in my lap. That was cool too.
Then tonight, we were hanging out in the living room watching “The Riches” [aside: OMG, I cannot tell you how happy I am that show is back on. Love it, love it, love it!], and Cate was making a mess of her snack rather than eating it. (Bad lazy parent that I am, letting her eat in the living room so I don’t have to peel myself away from the TV.) Suddenly, she let go of the coffee table and took about 5 or 6 steps forward. We thought for a second that maybe she didn’t even realize what she had done, but then she started to laugh, so obviously she did. She didn’t even fall down, she just stopped walking and stood there bouncing in place and laughing at herself.
Later when we were upstairs, she was standing up at her toy chest, and I grabbed her xylophone and moved it just out of reach. She took a couple of steps again so that she could reach it. Whaddya know, I think we might’ve just hit a major milestone. Yay!
Yea! Congrats on the newest milestone. I know you will have videos posted soon and we can’t wait to see them!
Yeah, now it’s just a matter of how long it’ll be before I can get her to do it for the camera!
Way to go Cate!
You know you’re going to spend your life chasing her around now, right? I love when they first learn to walk — they look sort of drunk all the time.
Yay! I can’t wait to see the video. Maybe that was why she was so cranky. She was all about, “I have some motion-commotion and I need to get going here!”
Shannon: I already spend a good portion of my life chasing her, since she’s sort of a speed-crawler. But yes, I imagine that having mobility in a public setting will definitely take things up a notch (or five). Oh well, we canceled my gym membership ages ago, I could use the exercise. š
Cara: the frustation factor definitely could’ve been a contributing factor toward the crankiness, but I think it’s also that one little bastard tooth on the bottom that won’t hurry up and break on through (yeah, break on through to the other side).
Man, those teefs! My lil’ sister had that problem too. She had teeth that would lurk and lurk under the surface (arrival date: 2 weeks out) and then after weeks of whining, teary eyes, snotty noses, and even some puking, they would break through and she’d go back to her sunny self. 2 days later we’d see another nub and the cycle would repeat. It’s almost as if you want them to get all their teeth at once to just get the durn thing over with.
Cindy —
Does oragel help at all for Cate?
Not that it ever helped Gaby, but some moms swear by it.
Once Gaby was Cate’s age, I would put some fruit in the freezer, even apples and pears will work, and then let her gnaw on them until they got all mushy.
Dunno that it helped much, but it gave her something to do.
Yeah, the screaming and thrashing when trying to apply the Orajel seems to defeat the purpose. We’ve mostly been using Tylenol when she really seems to be in pain, and that helps a lot. I should try the frozen stuff trick, but she’s so weird about textures and temperatures, I don’t know if she’d go for it or not. Worth a shot, anyway.