Daniel's Learning Style

OK, to recap, Max started walking about a week after his first birthday.  Within the next month, Caroline was toddling.  Both went through serious Frankenstein stages (though I think Max just enjoyed tossing his head back and walking with his arms thrust out) and did a lot of falling over, but they were both pretty much walking by the end of their thirteenth month ... or at least right around the beginning of month 14.

Daniel was taking his time.

At their 12 month doctor's appointment, Max was walking and Caroline had taken steps, so the doctor said to let her know if Daniel hadn't taken any independent steps by 15 months so that they could do some intervention with him.  We weren't concerned.  Daniel was already up and cruising (walking with the assistance of furniture), so it wouldn't be long, right?

Fourteen months came and went and Daniel showed no interest in walking.  Now that he could speed along on his hands and knees behind his siblings, he was actually a little faster than they were on foot.  No worries - we still had a month.

Then fifteen months came and went.  Daniel could stand in the middle of the room with no problem, could cruise along any surface, and walk holding your hand, but he had yet to take an independent step.  But we didn't call the doctor.  I justified that it was just a week or so before Christmas, and nobody was going to schedule anything before the end of the year.  And, besides, they were preemies, so he was REALLY only 14 months old, right?  I told myself I'd call if he made it to sixteen months without taking a step.

Last Sunday, the babies would turn 16 months old and Daniel still had shown no interest in walking.  This was it.  After the holiday weekend was over, I really did need to call the doctor.  But on Friday I got home from work and Joe mentioned that Daniel had taken a few steps that day.  He debated not telling me because he was worried I would feel badly that I'd missed it, but since we'd been waiting for it, he thought it was best to share.

All through the three-day weekend I watched, but he wouldn't walk for me, and then on Tuesday he did it again with his aunt here.  And today he walked for his grandparents in Livermore.  This was getting ridiculous!

Finally, this evening, I saw him take his little steps.  And I realized that he might really have been walking before and I might not have noticed it.  His steps aren't hesitant at all.  He sees something he wants, takes a few steps towards it, then bends over to pick it up.  No dramatic wobbling, no spectacular falling, just nice, quiet, careful steps.

So it's true - he was really just waiting to try until he knew he could do it perfectly, just like he did with crawling.  Oh...learning sports and doing homework are going to be quite the challenge with this little boy!

In other news, we have some "sneak previews" from the photo shoot we did with Kree two weeks ago.

Enjoy!

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears  -  OH MY!

Mommy and Daddy need to take tips from the 'Teenies not to squint so much when we smile!