A WALKING ENIGMA

 Anna, where's Charlotte? Originally uploaded by PhylB

Anna has been a bit of an enigma for months now. Given she learned to sit at 3 months, unlike the three Gautier kids who all learned to sit between 6 and 7 months, we had assumed she'd be running around long before the average of the other 3 (which was 13.5 months), We were surprised she wasn't walking by her birthday but a few days before Christmas she was occasionally standing unaided and positively running around furniture, between the coffee table and couch and when anyone held both her hands so we knew it was a matter of days... or was it? She didn't really advance from that point and just looked scared stiff every time anyone let go her hand. Sometimes, if we let her go 2 steps from the table she'd run to its safety and sit down immediately. With the weather improving and the others outside it was becoming frustrating to have her in the buggy outside. A month ago she was happy to stand and play with lego, but again, didn't want to try walking. Two weeks ago she was happy to stand at the top of a staircase but no movement again. Last week took the biscuit when she mastered jumping on the trampoline, no hands, but still wouldn't walk. By then we'd sussed it was a stubborness rather than a capability thing. Finally last night after her bath she decided enough was enough, spent an hour on her feet shyly smiling at everyone's applause. We got mainly standing but their was some definite walking thrown in. And today? Well of course she's gone back to her knees, like yesterday never happened. Give me strength!