Now that Nolan’s in daycare full-time, I don’t always get to be there when he does something new for the first time.
But he still manages to save a few accomplishments for the weekends.
This time, it was at the playground.
As any parent learns, when things get a bit unruly inside the home, it’s time to pack up the kids and head somewhere else to burn off some energy.
It was still an hour before dinner, and I had run out of other ideas, so I popped him into the stroller and we went for a short walk to the park.
He’s a typical boy there. He loves digging in the sand and going down the slide. He’s not really one to enjoy the swings, which as I remember as a young girl was my favourite thing.
So I’m accustomed to lifting him up onto the top of the slide itself, so he can go immediately down.
On this particular day, he decided it was time to climb up the ladder himself. He’s still a bit unsteady on the stairs, so I was fully prepared to give him a boost.
But to my surprise – and disappointment for losing another baby 'dependency' trait – he did it all by himself.
One small step for Nolan, another night of teary eyes for mommy as I watch him grow into a toddler.