CAUGHT in the act!

15 months and he's still NOT walking. Yes, that's Titus.
What's the rush? He has plenty of people to carry him where ever he needs to go! Well, just because Titus isn't walking sure doesn't mean he doesn't get around! This stage of babyhood is really my least favorite. Sure, he's cute and it's fun to watch him try new things and babble his head off...but sometimes he's just too mobile! Then other times he's not yet not mobile enough!

We've recently learned that Titus was born knowing how to go up and down stairs with ease. I've always kept him off the stairs, the children have always helped me herd him away from the stairs, and he's not been taught to climb the stairs. HOWEVER, the other day as I was sitting on the living room couch reading, I learned about his skill in stair climbing. There I sat, reading, absorbed, relaxed, knowing Titus was safely playing in the family room. Then I hear "ha-mama" from above me. And who do you suppose was looking through the balcony railings at me with a very big and proud smile?? Yes, it was Titus! I immediately ran to get my camera (being the good scrapbooker that I try to be), and then ran up the stairs "in case he fell coming down". By the time I got to the top, he was gone. He had motored into Sophia's room where he was playing tornado with her dollhouse. He always loves to get in there and very methodically throw out all the people and furniture into a pile on the floor and once they're in a pile he proceeds to wave his hands and scatter them hither and yon as he's squealing excitedly. Now he had realized that not only could he climb the stairs, but he could access his own personal tornado alley! Of course, this tornado thing is not allowed, so we had a nice training session about putting things away and then NOT getting them out again.
Next, I decided to see just what he would do if I put him at the top of the stairs. How paranoid should I be about him being up there anyway? He had a look of surprise as I place him at the top and told him to go down. Then quickly and easily (too easily), he turned around and slid down the stair on his belly! He did it so well that I would've thought he'd done it a hundred times before!

So, now we know that if Titus were to go up the stairs undetected then he could come safely down. I'm not sure I like the idea that he can get up there so stealthily. He did, have to crawl right past me as I was reading in the living room to get to the stairs. Maybe saying that I was "absorbed" in my reading was a bit of an understatement? lol

For months, we've been trying to get Titus to practice walking... holding his hands, getting out the little walker scooter thing-y, and doing the thing that we all do... "walk to Mama!" His response has been pretty much half hearted. He is really good at lunging towards me. The torso was willing, but the legs were NOT with it! A month or so ago I just decided to stop trying. I figured that one day he's just going to take off and start walking. When he's good and ready, in his own sweet time. Well, true dat! Last night, that's just what he did! Brian and I were sitting together in the living room and Titus was standing beside us, then he turned and walked straight over to the coffee table! Sure it was only about 4 steps, but it was something more than his normal leg paralysis attempt at walking to me! It is fun to watch him try again and again, even today he's taken several ventures on his own. So now as his mobility changes, so does my mentality...now I'm really in for it! He's going to be all over the place!!!

Aren't kids great?!