When Zach was turning one year old – in early June – we all were hoping anxiously that he would begin to walk. This wasn’t because we thought he should walk once he was one, it was because he was 23-24 pounds and he was getting awfully hard for some of us to carry. He was an expert crawler and he could make it up the stairs like lightning, so I never carried him up stairs anymore. We all were ready for him to walk – but as is frequently is the case, he just wasn’t interested since crawling was such an efficient mode of transportation.
He was cruising – walking with holding on to something - and he would let go before he took a step and then hold onto something again. His mother, Fran, tried moving the furniture a bit so he’d have to let go, but Zach would get down and crawl to the next place he could cruise. We would just have to wait.
In August, Zach decided he was ready. He took a few steps and down he went. When he walked we would clap and smile and he would give us a big smile back. He knew he was doing something that we all enjoyed. Before we knew it, he had this walking thing down pat and now it is a favorite activity.
Fran and I would walk in the park and he was happy to have a ride in the stroller and then go to the swings. Now he wants to walk quite a ways before he’ll hitch a ride in the stroller. And in the playground he heads for the climbing play gym rather than the swings.
There is a whole new “reachable world” when you are walking rather than crawling. Those cabinet doors open so easily when you don't have to reach up and pull them out. You can find a new favorite rather than be told by grandparents which is your favorite. “Don’t you just love these plastic containers, Zach?” “Well these pots and pans and soda bottles I love to shake around are much more fun” …..You get the idea. You can reach tables and some counter surfaces and explore those things that had been put out of your reach. Life is grand!
You can’t keep them down on the farm once they’ve seen Paree!
We love each new phase and somehow are still conjuring up the energy to deal with each one. Zach brings us new energy and joy and we are grateful that he is in our lives each and every day.
1 comment:
Nice. Have fun.
We found that life is much more exciting for the child and relaxing for the parents when the ENTIRE field of exploration at home (probably most of the house) is completely child-proof. In a couple years, one can display all those fine sculptures and crystals again.
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