Waddling into the toddler years

It was bound to happen.

Darling daughter is officially walking. Friday was a turning point in this new and exciting milestone of hers. Although she was waddling around for most of the day on Friday, she really started to grasp the concept of walking. And all it took was a friend's living room and two dogs to jump start her walking abilities.

After getting the tire fixed on Friday afternoon, we hit the highway and drove out of town for a wedding of two close family friends. We spent most of the evening hanging out at the groom's parent's house. Since it was a beehive of activity outside, darling daughter and I sat inside the house, trying to out from under other people's feet. It was a perfect opportunity for darling daughter to practice her walking. Instead of using a remote control to entice her, a device we usually use to get her interested in walking, a little dog was all she needed to get walking.

She would toddle to dog, back to me, back to the dog, out to the back room, back to the dog, to the pickle and olive jars sitting on a box on the floor (she must have been fascinated by the lids) and back to the dog. When the groom's and bride's dog, a beagle, was let into the house, darling daughter had a heyday, walking between the two dogs. Having enough of a toddling, shrieking baby, the poor beagle slunk upstairs for some peace and quiet.

I don't consider a toddler as she seems so young. Borrowing a word used by my parenting guru, K, darling daughter is a waddler. Regardless of word I use, my baby is leaving babyhood and waddling into toddlerhood. Time will only tell if I am ready for the toddler years.