First Steps

Rachel took three steps today. Not consecutively, but each one very deliberate.

The first she took at home. Daddy was teasing her with a toy and she wanted to go get it, so she stood up and started to reach for my finger. Before she grabbed onto my finger she took a little step. Then she chickened out and grabbed my hand to walk the rest of the way.

The second step she took at Grandma's house. We went to drop some boxes off at Andrew's parents' house. Rachel was playing with Grandma in the front room when she decided that she wanted to walk over to a little display cabinet. So she let go of Grandma and took a step forward. And then she chickened out and convinced Grandma to help her walk over to it.

The third step she took at home; again she just stood up and decided she wanted to go somewhere so she picked up her little foot and put it in front of her. And then she chickened out and grabbed onto the table beside her for support.

Truthfully her balance is good enough that she could just take off and walk any day now. Although in her case she may just skip walking and go straight to running. She's just learning things so quickly.

Last week when Sawyer was over she'd get up on her feet and watch him walk in circles around her. She really wanted to follow his lead and tried to move her feet but ended up looking like she was about to jump off a cliff.

I haven't jumped off too many cliffs in my life, but she looked how I felt as I crept up to the ledge and looked over. At Calf Creek it took me forever to get the nerve to jump. I would stand on the edge of the cliff and count to myself, "1, 2, 3!" and I would kind of lurch forward but my feet wouldn't budge...because I kept chickening out. I did the same thing at Wadi Mujib and had to jump from the lower level.

Rachel hasn't lurched like that as much these past few days. She took these steps without really trying to. They just came naturally. I'm sure she'll be walking very soon.

Is it strange that that makes me feel very, very nervous?