Leilani took her first steps today! We were visiting Chris and Chris and Joseph, and I showed how nicely Leilani can walk now, with just one hand support. 5 minutes later she got up on her own and stood a while. Chris suggested we try letting her walk, and with a little motivation she twice walked one or two steps between the adults.
Our joy did not last long, moments later when she was crawling over to Joseph she stumbeled, fell and cut her upper lip. Not as bad as the last time when she fell on a shelf and cut the lower lip on her teeth though. This time the inside of her mouth is OK, she nurses and eats without troubles. She probably was overly excited about the walking or the applause, in any case, she cried, bleed and was miserable for an hour or so.
She did OK for the 2nd Monday in a row, today I tried to give her extra attention, and lay her down for a nap as soon as she got cranky, and stayed with her during her nap. We went to visit all neighbor animals, looked a lot of pictures and books, took 3 walks, and managed to eat before she got hungry (she has a tendency to signal hunger 5 minutes before she is crying from hunger). Both Mondays she met other children, and got to play outside for a long time, both Mondays followed low activity weekends, both Mondays she slept in.
One more new things are her morning walks. As soon as we are done with breakfast she gets her new Chinese shoes, and calls from next to the entrance door “Up, up!” She is then extremely cooperative while I dress her and put the shoes on, today she even found her yellow sun hat and put that on by herself. Then we go for a walk. She walks down the stairs with lots of support, and along the walkway. While I open and close the garden gate she holds on to the wall, and then we go up and down our street. Most days Andy and I walk on either side of her, so one person does not have to bend down so far – we don’t dare to hold her on just one handed yet on the pavement. Leilani enjoys very much to be able to decide where to go (within limits of course) and she seems to be very proud that she can walk like a big person.
