Walk It Like You Talk It - Day 454
g,
We hit a major milestone today. You toddled all by yourself big dawg, and for a pretty good distance too. If you were a bit older AND maybe a little inebriated, I would say you're full-on walking. You have this robotic and nonrhythmic bipedal motion that a lot of drunk people use to get from their Uber to the bed. In any case, I dub thee SkyToddle Gray Supreme of House Xander, First of Your Name. Being a child of one of the greatest walkers in el mundo causes me to hold you to a very high standard. You haven’t mastered this skill of your father just yet, but I can tell you’re well on your way.
To be clear, you just now started toddling “independent of assistance”. You started walking within the confines of a walker back in December of ‘18. You then transitioned to walking with both hands held in February. By April, you only needed 1 hand of support to make your way around. In May, it became abundantly clear that you no longer needed any help physically. There was a psychological inhibitor stopping you from walking on your own. You required at least the grasp of a finger to brave the perils of the wide open floor. Honestly, I thought that stage would be over pretty quickly. “By his birthday, he’ll be done with whatever is holding him back from greatness”, I'd say. But your birthday came and went without upright mobile independence.
We flipped pass the month of June in the calendar altogether, and you would still pout whenever I would attempt to slip my finger from your grasp while walking. You would navigate around tables and on couches in an upright fashion, but any trip across the open hardwood would be traversed by crawling. There were occasions where I was able to trick you into at least standing without assistance. I would put a Teddy Graham in one hand and Mickey Mouse in the other. While distracted, you would stand there eating and telling Mickey about your day, but as soon as you realized your position, you would plop down on your butt as if you were up too high.
Then we had a setback. You were standing independently one evening and dropped the item in your hand. You bent over to grab it, but you bent at the waist as opposed to with your knees. That head of yours dropped to the floor like an anvil, brotha. You refused to stand up by yourself for 2 weeks after that. Not pointing any fingers, but something tells me that noggin has met the hardwood on numerous occasions as you stopped crying relatively quickly. I’ll find the true number, but I personally have only seen you go down twice.
Now, here we are halfway through August, and you've finally made it. You're pretty swift, even with the drunk steps. You start and stop well, you can pivot, and you avoid obstacles big and small with ultra wide turns like an 18-wheeler. It's pretty obvious that you've been playing us with the finger requirement for at least 30 days, probably longer. I've never known a baby to just flip the switch like this. You are the greatest baby of all time, but I feel your transition was still extremely rapid. You can toddle while holding objects. You toddle with hands up, out, or down. I’ve deemed you this before, but you're official Toddler status now. You know, since you’re toddling around the house.
I have very mixed feelings about your new motor skills, and I know that's strange. We've practiced walking constantly, and I have been so encouraging. I wanted this for you, so how could I be anything but happy now that you are doing it on your own? The truth of the matter is that this signals you're not going to be my BABY boy much longer. You're growing up super fast, and I can't slow you down. I always thought that was a mom sentiment, but it's not. It makes me a little sad. I was watching the future instead of enjoying the day. However, (and this is a big butt) I am also LIT LIT. Your toddler status means we are that much closer to running and jumping and climbing and swimming and adventuring all over the world. You are also closer to washing the dishes, walking Bentley, and taking the trash out. All good things.
The morale is the story is this. Cherish the past, look forward to the future (because it is going to be dope), but live in the present. Otherwise, you'll miss it. Big respect to you and your new feat. Walk It Like You Talk It!!!
I love you,
Dahdah
