FINALLY!

So, our little baby, is finally WALKING!!!

Summyr has taken her sweet time mastering the art of walking. Over the past 7 months, we waited as patiently as we possibly could. But our aching backs could only take so much more.

Honestly, I decided to finally put my foot down. I realized that we (Stephan and I) were carrying her too much. From the moment she woke up, whether it be morning or after nap, we picked her up. Yes, this was necessary as a newborn, infant, and up into the late baby months, but once she turned one, we were still picking her up and carrying her to the living room. Then we would carry her to her highchair. Then we would pick her up from the chair and carry her to the toy room. Or as a young toddler, we would carry her to the walker, or entertainment center. Then she would get tired and we would carry her to her crib, then back out of the crib, then carry her out the door, into the car/stroller. Never did her feet touch the ground. The she learned to crawl. We let her crawl at home, but we still carried her everywhere else.

So back to the part about putting my foot down. I decided it was time to STOP carrying her. When she woke up in the morning, down she would go, and with help, we would have her "walk" to the living room. "Walk" to the toy room. "Walk" to the highchair. "Walk" from the car to the store/Bible classroom/etc. Guess what? Within 2 weeks of doing this, she was taking steps on her own. All this time we had been complaining that she wasn't walking yet.

But it was our fault.....

So the day before Thanksgiving, we went to Conn's (appliance store). Summyr decided that would be the place that she would make eternal memories. She started taking independent steps, a few at a time, and today....Dec. 2, 2008, she can take 20+ steps on her own. She can walk from one room to the other, turn corners, squat down and then stand up again and take steps, walk with a toy/cup in her hand, and sometimes hold hands and walk with Jude.

So now we cannot go back. Our baby is now a big girl. No longer will she need me to carry her. Now she says, "Walk", and has no fear. Soon, she will run and play without hesitation. I am so proud to see her walk, yet so sad to see her grow up so fast.