I’ve been discouraged about Owen’s walking progress. He doesn’t seem to want to try very hard anymore. Kris says I’m being impatient and maybe I am. I want so bad for him to be able to do it, but lately he falls down once and gives up. Every kid is different…but mine is supposed to be different in an advanced sort of way. 🙂 Of course I’m being silly, but as a parent it’s hard not to want your baby to be above average in every area and excell at all things.
Last night during church I worked in the creeper room which is code for “can crawl and get around, but can’t walk yet”. Owen is the oldest child in the room and as some of the little babies move up from the infant room I’m just gritting my teeth thinking…he shouldn’t be in the room with these little 7 month old babies…he’s so much more advanced than this. It’s not a matter of me wanting him to grow up too fast. Honestly I enjoy every baby moment I have with him. We cuddle every night and I still swaddle him at nap time…I love every little jabber he makes and though I’m anxious to understand what he’s saying, I am so content on that scale. I love the jibberish. But at a certain point you see that a kid is behind in some area and you want them to catch up. Maybe he’s not really behind…but from what I’ve read…16 months is a long time to not be walking and the backward progress has had me a little concerned. I think that maybe his feet are a little small for his height and frame and maybe that affects his balance. I don’t know. I’m not going to dwell on it anymore…because I know worry doesn’t do either of us any good.
I had the best little bed-time snack last night. A cup of hot lemon tea with just a teaspoon of tubinado in it and then we had just a few peanuts and a few blueberries. It was extremely satisfying and just plain yummy. If I had read that from someone else just a few weeks ago I would have said that it would never have satisfied me. and truly at that time it wouldn’t have. I have changed, and I’m so glad about it. I don’t really think that I thought myself capable of it before.
Some concern and worry is totally normal about your child’s development. Owen probably got tired of falling and he is now protecting himself, but he will bounce back, I am sure. Kris was not terribly coordinated as a baby. He fell alot too. I think moving him up to the walkers nursery would encourage him to walk too. Your thick carpet may be a hinderance. Probably walking him around the kitchen a few times each day would be good. Hold his hand so he doesn’t fall.
I want to see him sooooooooooo bad.
Clay seems to be that way in speech. They make up for each other’s short comings. Clay will start to say something new and then as soon as I tell someone he stops saying it. I think he does it on purpose. I read over all the words Owen says and then wonder if Clay has some sort of dysfunction b/c he doesn’t talk as well as his cousin.