Baby Steps

Over a month ago, Brooke took her first steps, in front of everyone!   She's been walking around furniture and standing up without holding onto anything for weeks...but was scared to death of letting go.  But apparently, all it took was an audience cheering her on.  Over Easter weekend, she was loving all the attention -- and just kept taking steps all by herself -- over and over again.  She mastered 4-5 steps before falling, but could have kept going if she didn't launch herself towards me. 

It caught us all by surprise, but Aunt Kristan got the tail end of it on camera -- how lucky is that!!

And then days and weeks went by, and she didn't dare do it ever again.

Instead, she spent her days dancing away.  She'd lift herself up everywhere and get her groove on.  Clapping, swaying, and shaking.  Play a song, sing a song, make a beat -- anything will get her moving! 

She's addicted to toddler radio Pandora station.  She was listening to it on the iPad, and when Aunt Katelynn came by to pick her up, she looked at the iPad, then Katelynn, then back at the iPad. She handed her the iPad, then insisted on getting picked up next.  Wherever she was going -- the iPad was coming too!

She also loves to confiscate my iPhone, for the sole purpose of listening to music – or playing with the protective rubber bumper :)

Sometimes, even Tanner will join in too!

 
So while Brooke could stand up all by herself and dance her heart away, we weren't sure when she'd learn to walk.  Then something magical happened -- Brooke turned ONE and she realized, “Hey, wait, I can do this!”  The day after her birthday -- literally, OVERNIGHT -- she mastered the art of walking.

She just skipped the “baby steps” phase and went right to walking.  She'd take 10-12 combined steps, and within a week, too many steps to count.

Carpet, hardwoods, grass, cement, with or without shoes – nothing is stopping her now! This girl is on the go—and it’s as if crawling is beneath her—save if be for only the most desperate attempts. 

It’s opened a whole new world for her.  The food pantry – now she can really go explore and get exactly what she wants.  Playing outside – now she can run around and enjoy time our play system and other fun toys– and her favorite favorite, the SLIDE.

Ever since she was a baby, she’d sit by the porch window just wishing and hoping to go outside.

The ONLY sad thing...is she grew up OVERNIGHT too.  Now that she's ONE...and she's WALKING...I've had to come to term with the fact she's not a baby anymore.  But she'll always be my little girl, even when she's all grown up.  And I'll always remember the sweet moments we've shared -- with her as a teeny tiny baby in my arms.  And here's to many more sweet moments in the years to come!!