Milestone: First Steps

Milestone Alert! On Monday, Henry took his first steps. It was right after lunchtime, and I was on the floor with him playing with toys. I helped him stand up and as soon as he was on his feet he took about three or four steps toward me. I don't even think he realized he was doing it.

We've known he was close. The day before, Daddy watched him take one step. He's been walking all over the place with his push-walker and while holding our hands. Over the past week or two he's been increasing the length of time he could stand after letting go of whatever was supporting him. It's been coming, but I still think it surprised us when he actually did it. I called Daddy immediately to tell him, and when he got home he got to watch Henry take a few steps as well. That evening we practiced some more, and again yesterday. Last night he walked several times back and forth between Daddy and me. He seems to enjoy it - or at least the praise and cheering we give him when he does it. I'm such a proud mama!!

It's just one more reminder that my baby isn't really a baby anymore at all. His first birthday is just three days away. *tear*

Photo Update: Tooth

Here, if you make a funny squinty face, you can see the lower left lateral incisor I posted about last week. The new top tooth has been harder to see, let alone photograph, but if I get a good shot of it, I'll add it here too. And, no, that's not war paint - it's squash! :)

Henry Meets Stryker

I'm a member of an online forum for moms and I really love it. Within this forum is a group of moms whose babies were all born at about the same time as Henry. This 'playroom' as we call it has been a fantastic resource when a new mom (that's me) has had umpteen random questions that sure enough other moms are also asking that BTDT (been there, done that) moms can answer.

Here's a small-world phenomenon for you: this forum is full of women from all over the world, and there are several others just like it. The town I live in is quite small and rural. Yet, another of the moms whose little boy - his name is Stryker - was born just three weeks after Henry is from my small town. Two women from the same speck on the map found each other in this massive online forum! She and her husband actually now live in Washington state (military), but recently she was down here visiting her family and we decided to have lunch. Here are a few pictures of our lunch. We didn't plan for them to be dressed alike, but how cute that they were! Of course, too bad Henry couldn't look happy about it or anything. ;)

After our lunch, Stryker and his mama had some errands to run, so we parted ways. I had already planned to go to the park and put Henry in a swing, so here are a few park pictures as well. He loved swinging and going down the slide with Mama. :)