Walking And Talking

It was a milestone I thought I was ready for, but now that Gavin is walking, I am not so sure.  I suppose it means my baby has now graduated to toddler.  Where did the time go?  It seems like just yesterday he was sliding along the couch and tottering hesitantly while gripping my fingers.  Now he's walking completely on his own and is ready to explore the world around him.  These first steps represent his growing independence, which is important and exciting, but also a little sad as I will miss holding him on my hip, hearing him suck his thumb so close to my ear, feeling his sweet, hot little baby breath on my cheek, and having him lay his head on my shoulder and snuggle in close when he gets tired.  However, since this awkward walking stage comes with its fair share of stumbles and falls, I'll still get to kiss boo-boos and scraped knees and hand out hugs of encouragement.  In fact, I still get to enjoy those Mommy moments with Ryan as well.

On August 19th, Gavin walked across the kitchen to retrieve a refrigerator magnet that he had thrown across the room.  He was quite proud of his accomplishment and was even more tickled when he heard us applauding and cheering him on.  That first unsteady walk was quickly followed by more walking attempts of even greater distances.  By the end of the evening, he had become more sure-footed (and probably a little sore).  He's been walking ever since.  His newest thing is to walk with a long stick such as the Swiffer or a plastic golf club.  I'm not sure if it's for balance or protection since he's even more of a target now that he's upright!  It does bring back memories of Ryan tottering around the house with the orange plastic bat raised over his head!

Now that he's mastered the art of walking, Gavin likes to vacuum with me.  He follows me around the house pretending his walker is a vacuum.  It makes the housework take twice as long, but the company is worth it!

As I've learned with Ryan, the interest in helping with cleaning is short-lived so I plan to enjoy it while it lasts!  Soon, I'm going to teach him how to push the real vacuum cleaner and put a dust rag in his hands!

Although he's uninterested in any help from Mommy, he loves the extra attention he gets from Ryan.  The three of them (Ryan, Gavin, and the Swiffer) take their daily stroll hand-in-hand around the downstairs.

As if his first steps weren't enough, Gavin decided to expand his vocabulary (which previously included, "dadda," "momma," and "uh-oh") a couple of days later.  On August 22nd, during dinner, Gavin started loudly repeating "mo, mo, mo."  It took me a few minutes to realize he was saying, "more."  His panting, pointing, leg kicking, and fixed stare on my Arby's curly fries (is he our kid or what?!) were much needed clues to help me figure out what he was so desperately trying to communicate!