Walking? Walking.

We've been struggling to officially say that Avery is walking. She had been piecing together 2-3 step combos before lunging gleefully into Amy's or my arms, but we were never fully convinced that she was 'walking'. We (as a family) decided November 5th, that Avery had in fact taken enough steps to be labeled as a 'walker'.

It went a little like this: Ave stands in the protected waters of dad's hands, looking out hopefully toward mom. A foot wiggles, still grounded, but gaining momentum until it finally lifts off. The knee rise, pointed somewhat forward, but mostly outward. Her hands release from dad's outstreched fingers. She is free. Her hands rise above (or at least next to) her head, palms outward, hoping to look exactly like a monkey when the next step occurs. She does it. The raised foot lands, the other rises, sending her body on a controlled lunge to the left. Then back to the right. Mom is getting bigger on the horizon, arms outstretched, cheering at the advent of this momentus occasion. The legs are pumping now, the body bouncing back and forth, held upright in this chaotic equilibrium by some unseen bumpers. Six steps down, one to go; time to lunge: she stretches her body into an all-out dive. "Mom will catch me, mom will catch me, I believe!!!" Mom does catch her. The epic journey is done, the goal has been reached, high accomplishment attained... She has walked. She can now rest in her satisfaction, she can enjoy the radiance of this moment, she... suddenly sees dad. Ave stands in the protected waters of mom's hands.....