Tuesday, February 11

Steps!!!

Bryce took his very first independent steps last summer while we were in Michigan for the Conductive Learning Center's summer camp.  We were at the toddler play area at the mall and if my dad hadn't happened to have been standing right next to me, witnessing them, I truly wouldn't have believed my eyes.

As with all things Bryce, progress is steady but exasperatingly slow.  And since those steps he's continued to stand all by himself more and more, with increasing success and confidence.  He's also continued to work on taking a step or two and more recently 3 or 4 and, just very recently - and only very occasionally - as many as 5 or 6.

Try as I might, getting this on video has been impossible.  He'll do it once, completely out of the blue and then fall trying to do it again for the video.

BUT today, I finally got it!  So now that it's captured on video, posted to the blog and will soon be shared to Facebook, it's officially official - Bryce is taking steps!

(By the way, please don't judge us but we like to rock out before bedtime - hence the very loud background music - wink, wink)


I can't even express how joyful and grateful this makes my heart, y'all.  To be completely honest, there were months, years really, that I didn't know if Bryce would someday walk on his own.  Last summer when I saw him take those first steps I thought ok, he'll walk some but probably still need a walker or canes.

But seeing the fierce determination in his sweet little face when he's taking those fought and fraught for steps gives me new found hope and optimism that maybe someday he'll walk - really walk.

It's not like I think the end all, be all is walking.  It's just that life is harder if you aren't an independent walker.  Bryce's walker prevents him from walking on the playground, walking in and out of our front door, getting onto the bus by himself and so much more.

And as his mama, I think he has enough hardness in his life.  Wouldn't it be nice if this particular struggle was a part of his past?  I think so.