Monday, July 2, 2012

We Have a Walker!

It is official! After months of walking with the assistance of a wall, couch, coffee table or our hands, McKinley is walking on his own!! It all started last Thursday. We were on day four of our swimming lesson and all the babies were "jumping" off the side of the pool. McKinley "jumped" in a few times, but decided he wanted to hang out by the ladder. That's when it happened. He let go and just started walking. He took maybe five or six unassisted steps, however we realized that while walking he was holding on to his orange swim ring. We assume that he thought he was holding on to a wall or an object to help him along. When we got home, he was back to crawling.

Friday was much the same. Give him an orange swim ring and he was off. Get him home and he was back to crawling. I was determined to purchase swim rings that evening! It wasn't until Saturday afternoon that something seemed to click. We took him to Wonderscope, a hands on, interactive children's museum where kids can move from room to room and explore science, art and literacy. He played in several exhibits, but loved the two years and under room. It was in here that he walked like mad! Up and down ramps, up and down stairs and, down and back over hills! Some with the help of the hand rails, others without.


It wasn't until we hit the "Farm to Market" exhibit that McKinley let go and walked. As he left the garden, he walked to the egg bins with a rake and made a small stop. As you can see, he wanted his basket, and upon daddy clearing out the contents, he took said basket and walked it over to the chair. That was it! That's all he needed. As soon as we got home, he walked everywhere and has continued to do so every since! We've had two falls, a few wobbling moments where he falls on his bottom and moments of going entirely too fast and we have to intervene. Other than that, he's moving like a champ! Its as though he's been walking for months!


Way to go McKinley!!!

No comments: