So it has happened! Maggie took her first steps! Last night I decided to try another time to trick her. She and I went walking around each holding different ends of a fat paintbrush. When she was paying attention to something else and not really using the brush in my hand for balance, I just let go. And go she did! She kept on walking until she realized what she’d done and then dropped to her knees. Wonder of wonders is we got it on video!
We were able to reproduce this a couple times. And actually after maybe three times, she didn’t want to hold on to a hand to start off; she just wanted to be set on her feet. You’d better believe we did this for as long as she wanted to! We were all very very excited. And Bill and I were very very excited that she waited until we were back in town to do this. Thank you, Maggie!
Today she was wholly uninterested in walking alone and got frankly mad when we tried The Trick or some variation of it. And she had a horrendously wakeful night last night. We were vaguely prepared (i.e., we’d read a long time ago in the child rearing books) that developmental milestones would interrupt sleep. But holy cow. At one point around 2, Bill just decided to go downstairs and work. Here’s hoping that a day off of solo walking and a very sleepy baby will make for a full night’s sleep tonight. How did we ever do this every night for weeks and months?
Maggie’s a toddler!
Magrilless 
Yeah! Way to go Maggie! That is great that you got it on video. I am glad you guys made it back before the “big storm”. No need to get caught out of town a second time.
Yay Maggie!!
(Now go to sleep, little dear.)
Way to go! I love how she gets a few steps away & then turns around with the “ahem. Where'd you go?” look.
Those first steps are so exciting! She looks pretty darned balanced to me. My kids always just took one or two steps, then plopped down and built up a couple more steps each day until they were actually walking. I'd say they teetered instead of toddled.
Love, Aunt Charlotte