first steps

[ToLiveIsToFly]

Frankie took his last night.

Most of his waking activity involves attempting to stand and to find someone/something to prop him up while he cruises around. Walls will do (though proximity to walls usually means forgetting walking in favor of a search for things he could strangle or electrocute himself with), shelves are better, hands are best. Both of our backs are always sore because of the amount of time we spend stooping over and holding his hands so he can walk.

He loves the push-things at day care. We borrowed a push-thing from some friends, but it's a wagon (not your normal radio flyer with the handle that moves around a lot - this one has a fixed handle at the perfect fixed height for pushing). The drag is that he can't steer it. So he pushes it and gets more and more excited until he's shrieking with glee, until it runs into something. Then he gets stuck and cries. It's fun.

Last night we were all playing on the floor. Frankie was between Mommy and me and had several "There's Daddy. He's fun. I'll go climb on him" moments before he realizes "Wait, Mommy's over there. I like her way better. See ya, Dad". Three seconds with me, five minutes with Mom, repeat.

He's been standing unsupported for 5-10 seconds at a time for a week or so, and he got so excited to see Mom that he started walking toward her. He took two steps, realized that no one and nothing were holding him up, and fell.

Tonight it was 3 steps and they were more confident. When Mom picked him up to day care they said he took his first steps today. Which is a great thing to hear because it means his real first steps were with us.

It's a whole new ballgame.

[silvercamaro]

This post gave me a big smile.

Congratulations to Frankie and to his proud parents.

[kayrharris]

Yep, he'll be able to find more things to strangle himself with or pull over on top of him now! Chapman can climb my stairs. There are sixteen of them! There are 4 and then a landing and 12 more. I can't take my eyes off of him for a second and it's going be to hard to "block" them off completely so he can't get to them. Good luck! Hope you got some photos.

[Bob Juch]

Just wait until he starts driving.

[MarleysGh0st]

Congratulations, Frankie!

[VAdame]

Congrats to Frankie!

And now your troubles start!
(Great words of wisdom from my 84-year-old Mom: never, ever, ever encourage a baby to walk!!!)

When is Frankie's birthday, anyhow?? He's not that much older than Johnny, IIRC!

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Just wait until he starts driving.

Maddie gets her permit around the time her braces will be coming off.

[ToLiveIsToFly]

Congrats to Frankie!

And now your troubles start!
(Great words of wisdom from my 84-year-old Mom: never, ever, ever encourage a baby to walk!!!)

When is Frankie's birthday, anyhow?? He's not that much older than Johnny, IIRC!

December 29

[VAdame]

Congrats to Frankie!

And now your troubles start!
(Great words of wisdom from my 84-year-old Mom: never, ever, ever encourage a baby to walk!!!)

When is Frankie's birthday, anyhow?? He's not that much older than Johnny, IIRC!

December 29

Aaack -- that's right; he's only a week older thank John-Angelo!

I'll warn Karen

[mellytu74]

A couple of stories from the children in my life:

1) Angelina, our grandniece and fan of Miss Annie Camaro, is two. As Miss Annie Camaro knows, Angelina loves to dance.

Boonie's sister (her grandmother) was baby-sitting last week. She went to the kitchen to get juice for Angelina. When she returned, Angelina was standing and dancing. No music playing, mind you. Just dancing.

This goes on for about a minute. Angelina belts out, "Viva Viagra!" Diane couldn’t stop laughing. Angelina tugged at her, “Nana, ‘s’ so funny? Huh? Nana, ‘s’ so funny?” Which made Diane laugh even harder.

2) Our friends have six grandchildren, ages 9 years through 4 months. On Sunday, Boonie and I were at a Phillies/Eagles viewing party combined with a birthday party for their 6 YO granddaughter.

Boonie and I freely admit that our favorite is their 3 YO granddaughter, Schyler (although the 4 month old granddaughter is an absolute doll), who is a piece of work.

Sky and her cousins had little rubber stamps and were stamping each other and the adults. We all began joking about not having to pay the cover charge when we came back into the house because our hands were stamped.

Boonie had somehow escaped the stamping and Sky noticed. She asked him to please come over and get his stamp so, if he went outside he could come back in. “If you don’t, you can’t take the cover off the spaghetti sauce [pot] and you won’t get any spaghetti.”

Boonie said he would be there in a minute. Sky looked at him, completely exasperated, and said, “Oh, Boonie! Be a man and get over here!”

A little later, I was playing with the baby, Sophia. She has a very tight grip. We were having a fine time. Sky came over, stared for a while and looked at me. “You know, Malala, they’re really useless at that age.”

[MarleysGh0st]

Great stories, Melly!