Girl on the go!

Cara started walking on October 2. She stood up for the first time unassisted two weeks earlier, and I kept waiting for the moment she'd take off on her own. One night after small group, we came home and plopped her on the floor. We kept trying to coerce her to walk to us, but she just wouldn't take that first step, until Chance pulled out the big guns: ice cream.

He got a tiny bit of vanilla ice cream on a spoon and tempted her with it. She took 2-3 steps towards him, and we got so excited. I think it rubbed off on her, and it finally clicked that she could do it, so we spent the next 30 minutes (way past bedtime!) standing her up on her feet and then having her walk to us. It was so much fun to get to see this milestone all together. I had been so worried it would happen at daycare without us.

So she walked in 2-5 step segments over and over again, until she would bottom out and just lay down from exhaustion. Over the next few days, she started taking more and more consecutive steps. Being at daycare helped because so many of her little friends are walking. She got lots of practice that week.

She does a really good job of taking steps, turning directions, stopping while still standing and correcting her balance. Our lives are totally changing, but it's so much fun to watch!

Watch away...

And a few days later--gotta love a baby in just a diaper toddling around!