I can do it…..I just don’t want to

#6 took his first steps last week.  Three steps from the coffee table to his dad, and the next morning, two steps from the couch to me.  (Why is it that the last three children have all taken their first steps when I’m not here?)

Since then…he just can’t be bothered.  We wait until he’s standing, holding on to some piece of furniture, then we sit down and call to him to walk to us.  He smiles.  He laughs.  He drops down on all fours and crawls on over to us.  He’s just not interested in walking.  He can do it, now why should he? 

He is utterly without motivation to walk.  He gets carried around everywhere, and because he’s not too heavy nobody minds.  He’s not a fast crawler, but he has nowhere to go in a hurry.  He’s more interested in climbing to the top of our furniture and bookshelves than in strolling across the room.

He’ll be one in two weeks, and while I’ll miss his babyhood, I’m ready to move onto toddlerhood.   I’m ready for his hand in mine as we walk down the path by the creek and to watch his chubby legs churn as he runs to his dad.  He doesn’t want to.  Who ever decided that these children could make such decisions or themselves? 

For the next few days, I’ll be following him around like a loon, trying to catch his baby steps on camera..immortalized to amuse me in my old age.  I’ll keep you posted on his progress.  His Oma says “No birthday cake for boys who don’t walk” is a German tradition.  She’s threatened him already, twice.  He just laughs at her.  Don’t tell #6, but she threatens them all, and even the non-walkers get cake.