Doesn't Abigail look like she's catching a wave in this first picture? I suppose that as she's trying to learn to walk, she probably feels like how I would feel trying to surf - it's a little tricky to do something new! She sure was practicing hard today. For the first time, she is letting go of things on her own and attempting to take steps on her own initiative. Before today, we had to pry her fingers off our hands to get her to stand on her own. She didn't take many steps today, but she got a lot more confident standing. (Oh, and she is wearing a sundress because it was another beautiful day. Felt even warmer than yesterday. But tomorrow night it's supposed to drop below freezing again.)
Surfin' In My Sundress
Oh, How I Love To Walk!
Abigail is busy at work learning to walk more independently. She still loves to walk while holding onto people, but now she has also discovered the joy of pushing a chair around the house. She hasn't figured out how to change direction, so she just walks until she runs into something, then whines/cries for me to move the chair so she can walk some more!
Tonight, Aaron and I played "pass the baby" after dinner. We sat on the floor facing each other and Abigail practiced walking from one of us to the other. She took steps a bunch of times, and just stood, leaned, crawled, or plopped the rest of the time. It was lots of fun, and we could see that she was really enjoying it. She would get really excited and squeal when she was standing on her own. After taking steps to reach one of us she would grin from ear to ear, looking so excited and proud of herself. We are very proud of her, of course - and we told her that over and over as we played.
Non-picture News
Last night Abigail took 6 steps in a row!! We left her with babysitters (Joe & Jamie) so we could go out to dinner, and right before we left she took six steps toward Joe! She took one more step today, and has tried just standing in place a few more times. She is really getting close to walking as a mode of transportation.
Today we had Abigail's Doctor appointment for immunizations and a check-up. She weighs just under 20 pounds and is in the 65%ile for weight. She is 29 1/2 inches long and is in the 95%ile for length/height. They said that since she is getting to be so active, it's normal for her weight to taper off. We thought she weighed 19.5 lbs. at Christmas, so either we were wrong, or she's really been burning calories like crazy with all that walking.
The doctor also heard a slight heart murmur during the check-up. She said it's probably nothing to be concerned about, but is sending us in for an ultrasound just to check things out. Will let you know when we know anything else about that.
Enjoying The Sunshine
Wow, what a gorgeous day. Today's weather was amazing. Beautiful sunshine and clear skies. Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the mid-seventies, and it might even reach 80 by Wednesday!! Abigail was thrilled to get to play outside a little bit. I had the front door open to let some fresh air in, and she loved standing in the doorway watching the cars drive by. Later we walked around the backyard, looked at the neighbor's dogs, and checked out our "patio". The big pile of bricks will hopefully be turned into a patio soon. (In the picture with the bricks it looks like she could be standing or walking, but she's really just sitting)
We're In The Big Time Now!
Abigail has started her career fulfilling corporate endorsement contracts. At this weekend's Home & Garden Show she wore a custom-made shirt advertising Aaron's landscaping company. It's hard to see in the picture: On the front it says "Go see my Daddy at...{company logo}"; on the back it has the logo again, pictures of some of their previous jobs, and their web address. A cute baby naturally attracts attention, so I figured we should take advantage of the opportunity! (And now maybe we can pay her for her hard work and call it a business expense!)
A Walk and A Step
It was another gorgeous day, so we walked to the park this afternoon. Here she is ready to go. Later, Abigail took another step! (Two Wednesday, one today, for a total of three solo steps.) It'll probably be a long time before we get photographic evidence, but we'll keep you updated on her walking progress.
Feb. 23 - Pandora's Box
Typically, the kitchen cupboards are off-limits for Abigail. I will remind her countless times that she is not allowed to open the cupboards or drawers. But yesterday as I was working to prepare dinner for a friend who just had a baby, there was nothing that would keep Abigail's attention long enough to allow me to cook - except the forbidden cabinet. Desperate for her to be occupied long enough for me to finish my task, I checked to be sure there was nothing dangerous inside, then let her go to town. At first she was just investigating the boxes near the door, but soon she had crawled completely inside the cabinet and emptied it of practically all of its contents.
Now whenever Abigail is in the kitchen, she heads for the cupboard door. She thinks that the corner cabinet is her personal playhouse. One day it's off-limits, the next it's playland. So much for consistency being the key to discipline.
