stand up sit down (walk walk walk?)

I’ve been mostly keeping a good attitude about the fact that my child can’t walk. He’s always been on the “late” end of the spectrum for physical milestones. His doctor isn’t worried. I’ve frankly enjoyed that he has been much easier to wrangle than most other kids his age. Plus it’s given me a card to play when people seem irritated or jealous of his verbal ability. Hey, look, he can’t walk.

But the last few weeks, it’s been wearing on me. He insists on holding “BOTH!” hands when he walks. I try not to hunch over, but that leaves me in a sumo wide-leg waddle that isn’t ultimately that much better. Now my knees and my back hurt.

The other day, I ran into a mom friend whose kid is now 2. (Hi Mantra!) Jonah was in the stroller, we were heading to Trader Joe’s to do some shopping. I hadn’t seen Mantra in a while, reported to her that I’m getting impatient, wanting him to walk.

“You know,” she said, “once he can walk, it doesn’t mean he’s going to go where you want him to.”

Oh! Riiiiight.

D’oh.

That night, Jonah initiated this game in the bath. He sits, he stands up, he sits down. Scott narrated it. Staaaand up! Sit dowwwnnn.

Then, yesterday, Jonah started playing it in the nursery, with an added “Kapow!” for when he lands on his butt. It’s amazing he’s not completely bruised. He loves this game. He stands up, raises his arms, flops down on his butt. Laughs and laughs. After he’d been doing this NONSTOP for half an hour,  we finally remembered to get out the video camera. He’s slowing down a bit by this point, but still going.

Walking can’t be far behind, right?

Today he was doing it again, and standing for as long as five seconds. We are crazy impressed.