Steps

I have many stories to tell from our festive week leading up to Anjali's birthday! But I have to share the news as it happens, too. So. .! . :

This just in!!!

Anjali has taken several independent steps.

The first two, taken one at a time on two different occasions, happened with the grandmas watching, and were followed by squealing from the spectators. I saw the second one, so I can confirm it was not a Tall Grandma Tale. ;-) Yesterday she and I were in the garden and she was taking her first bold moves to harvest strawberries for herself. She was so interested in the matter at hand, she stood there for a very long time without holding onto anything ~ but the strawberry she ate. Then she took three steps forward ~ to pick more strawberries.

Today we were having a session on the steps inside ~ up a few, then down a few trying different approaches, and when she reached the bottom, she sat down with her rear end on the step and feet on the hardwood. Then, instead of getting down on all fours to crawl away, she stood up. And very deliberately put one foot.. then the other.. then the other... for five or six steps before she lowered to her knees. She looked up at me and smiled. I smiled, too.

Not steps, but a remarkably long time standing unassisted,

and a very satisfying pick-your-own strawberry experience.