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!