FINALLY!

We’ve been waiting for Noah to walk for what feels like FOREVER.  The baby books all say to start watching for it as early as 10 months (although a few babies will walk even sooner than that), but that most children will walk somewhere around their first birthday.  Apparently Noah didn’t read the baby books.  He was 14 months on December 11, and still no sign of mobile independence.  He’s been walking while holding on to someone’s finger for a while now, but he just never would gather up the courage to let go.  I had really hoped he’d be walking by Christmas, because some of the gifts he’ll be receiving will be much more fun for a walking child.  I remember telling Jennie when I picked him up yesterday that I’d given up on him walking by Christmas.

Well, last night he was in an ill mood, and Jake set him down on the floor crying, but instead of falling to the floor and crawling, he just stood there in the middle of the floor crying.  After a few seconds, he took two steps toward me on the couch.  Elaborate celebration ensued, and he got really excited and proud of himself, so Jake picked him up and set him a little further back from the couch.  He walked to me again!  At this point Jake grabbed his phone, and I got up to see if he would keep doing it, and sure enough, he did!  He was walking all over the house!  We got a little bit of it on video to share with you guys, of course.  :-)

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG_h2aEshD0']

P.S. – Please excuse the large prominence of my rear-end in a couple of the shots.  I was too busy being excited about Noah walking to pay attention to exactly where Jake was with the camera.  :-)