As most know, I have been paranoid about Mara walking…or rather not walking. She has been early or right on time with every other milestone in the book. She beat her brother hand’s down on most (he was a preemie, after all). Thane walked at 13+ months, so we were eagerly awaiting her first steps starting around 12 months or so.

Twelve came and went. So did thirteen. At fourteen we took her to her pediatrician then a Pediatric Orthopedist. Diagnosis: Loose joints. Prognosis: She is perfectly healthy and will be walking in 3 months. (Oh thank you, genie of the night for that prediction. How much did I just pay for this?)

Fifteen months came and went. My nerves were shot. I told everyone she was not walking….I mean everyone. If I were in line at the grocery store and someone said she was cute, my canned response was, “Thanks. She is X months old and not walking yet!” People would say I should be thankful, that it would be harder once she walked. Have you tried lugging around a 24 pound baby while chasing after an almost three year old???

When we went to Florida was when I really started to worry. Uncle Jim confirmed what we were thinking…that her not walking did not make sense to him so he recommended us seeing a neurologist and then going to physical therapy. A neuro appointment was scheduled for AUGUST! A different doctor put us at 3 weeks out. I panicked (if she did not start walking soon then she could not move to the next classroom come summer) and scheduled a PT session before the neuro.

Friday was our appointment, and on the car ride over, I kept reminding myself this was not a magic pill. We arrived at the child only place, High Hopes, and were immediately in a Tiki-Haven. I highly recommend this place should you need therapy for your kids in Middle Tennessee. The place was very welcoming, and very much not a doctor’s office environment. They sat with us in a huge playroom and listened to us while we watched her crawl around. They agreed that she did turn in the foot, did not have great muscle tone, seemed not interested in standing, etc, etc, etc. Then they tried to stand her. No dice. She kept picking her legs up and refusing to stand.

Somehow they got her feet planted on the floor and tried to straighten her out. They smoothed out her back with her palm and slowly removed fingers until she was only being supported by two fingers. Then they took those away, and she stood. For a minute. My eyes were glistening.

Then they decide to try to see if she could be encouraged to walk. This was either her first or second attempt.

Mara walking video

Tears were fully coming down my face. We tried all different things, walking in between each of the four of us, increasing the distance (she did 15 feet one time!) and adding turns. She was almost running. Apparently, she had been waiting to perfect her talent.

She could not stand up without help yet (it took her until Saturday to do that!) but other than that she was a walking champ.

She was exhausted when I brought her to school. I could not show off her talent and when I told them that she was walking, I don’t think they quite believed me. The note home that night said she was walking all around.

Somehow, overnight, I had my baby turn into a Toddler!

We have been telling Thanos that when he gets to Florida, he is going to catch a fish. My Uncle Jim and Chris are big fisherman, with their boat Catch 22 just outside their house on a canal, on the Intercoastal.

Thane has been very excited about catching that big fish. Uncle Jim got him a special Spiderman fishing rod for the occasion of his first fishing expedition. All day on Friday we practiced and practiced. He threw the line out and reeled in the plastic fish at the end.

Friday evening arrived and Uncle Jim got home from work with hooks, weights and special bait…shrimp. The guy at the bait store laughed at the purchase..asked him if he was downsizing…it is a far cry from his traditional bait purchase.

We headed out to the dock and Thane was all in to it. He threw the line out but the fish were smart…they kept chewing through the light web Spiderman was weaving.

Chris came out after a bit to help. He baited it with just the right amount and after a few tries, Thane reeled in his first fish! A puffer! I don’t know who was more scared…Thane or the blowfish all puffed out. This was definitely not the fish he was expecting..not your world of forms fish…as Kennette said, “It looks between a fish and a turtle.”

We zoomed in for some photo ops, each touching the very plasticy feeling belly. Thane even touched it a few times. We then convinced him to hold it. He held out his hand and Chris plopped it in…face first. The fish sucked on Thane’s hand with his rather ominous looking teeth. Thane screamed and dropped the little guy. Tears ensued. Luckily, we were able to get an action shot of that.

After the crying became small sobs, we had Thane watch us throw chomper back in the water. Splash! He liked that. We fished a few more times. Caught a few more puffer fish and got him a little bit back into the game. A snapper catch, a more traditional catch, got him interested in it again. He especially loved when they splashed and swam back away.

We went back out again this morning to much more success. Thane found nets and was really involved then…not only in the catch but the release. Way fun. He later asked if he could go out again.

Ah, the fishing bug hits another generation!