18 months, 2 weeks and 5 days…that is how long I have waited for Harper to walk. I was honestly getting to the point where I didn’t think it would happen anytime soon. Knowing it wasn’t a physical issue was comforting, but at the same time frustrating because how do you make a stubborn child walk?? She has been walking holding one of my fingers for months now, but she would not.let.go. Truthfully, I was tired of the questions, tired of hearing (though well-intentioned, I know) it will happen when she is ready, tired of it all. We had tried pretty much everything under the sun and then to add to my frustration ECI turned out to be a dead end. I was getting ready to make some calls to pursue private therapy this week.
Anyway, Tuesday night I had a meeting and I got a text from Trent saying Harper had walked from her crib to our bathroom by herself!!! That is a pretty big distance and I was shocked! When I got home I wanted all the details. He said he had slipped his finger out of her hands (which we have tried before and resulted in her flinging herself on the ground and dramatically crying) and she kept going. He did it a couple of different times and she kept walking every time!
The next day I was excited to give it a try and praying this would be it. However, she was having no part of it that morning. I was disappointed and mad at myself for getting my hopes up. We went to visit my aunt and uncle that afternoon…when she went on a mission to find her bubba, I tried it again. And it worked! She walked clear across their house!!! and didn’t stop! I was in shock!!!
I captured some pictures of her outside:
Sweet little walker!!!
However, in true Harper (stubborn) form there were a few hiccups. First, we went to the gym that afternoon. It sounds crazy that I was excited to tell the childcare workers there that she was walking, but they have been trying for weeks to get her to walk and they ask every time we are there. So, I was so excited to give them the news…and she refused to walk the whole hour she was in there! And the minute I came to get her, she stood up and walked out the door and walked all the way to the car. Stinker!!! I let her walk all through Aldi after that and she did great. But, right before bedtime (literally minutes) she tripped on the lip between our hardwoods and tile and face planted. It definitely scared her (and me). I was terrified it was going to scar her and cause her to regress. So, I kept her up 45 minutes past her bedtime trying to make her walk again. FINALLY, I got her to take two steps. The next morning she refused to walk again and was crawling everywhere and I was so discouraged. But, by afternoon she was walking everywhere and hasn’t stopped since. :) I am SO proud of our baby girl!!!!!
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