I now officially have a toddler. Oh, I know – once Claire turned one, she was considered to be a toddler, but it seems more official now that she is actually toddling. It started with a few steps here and there, but she still preferred to crawl. We continued to encourage her by setting her up on her feet, and letting her waddle a few steps over to us as we cheered and applauded.
Neal has been away for the “field phase” portion of his course; it will only be 8 days that he will be away from us, but I know he is going to see a huge difference in Claire’s ability to walk. I still watch her with awe. She still falls, to be sure, but she is much steadier on her feet, and it is far from uncommon for her to walk down the hall while carrying a toy or her sippy cup, and she has also become faster. I have also discovered that walking is much quieter than crawling, which means that I often go in search of her. Last night, she made it from her room to the kitchen and back again, with the dish towel that I always hang over the bar on the stove, without me knowing. I just suddenly noticed that the towel was gone, and when I went into her room, there it was on the floor.
Her new-found talent also, unfortunately, means that she is even less keen on being picked up. I am happy that she can get from one place to another on her own, but sometimes moms want to hold their children. She still wants me to be around, and she will almost always come looking for me if I go into another room, but unless it’s night-time and she is drowsy from having had her bottle, there is very little cuddle-time going on. On the other hand, fleeting though the moment may be, she more than makes up for it by giving the absolute BEST hugs I have ever known.
