Bubba Walks!

Tiffany

With a first child you worry about everything and if that child is developing in a way that fits in the right timeline for the average child. But since Lily pulled through on everything and learned to eat solids, walk, talk, and go to the bathroom (all things I had worried about), I thought with my second child I was not going to be as stressed about timing. Everything would work out.

Ryan is such a sweet boy and because life is going so fast sometimes I forget how old he is and what he should be doing. But at his 15 month check up he still was showing no interest in walking and it was worrying me. Lily started walking around 14-15 months and I thought that was late, but to have no interest at all meant he wasn’t too close. The doctor said that 17 months is typically when they would start doing testing on him to see if there are other issues.

Another concern is that since I am due in April with baby #3, carrying a big child like Ryan was getting harder and harder. Plus I didn’t know how it would work to have a child that was crawling and not walking while I have an infant who has to be carried all the time as well. We had been praying for his progress, but nothing major was happening.  I, along with others, had put his name in the temple and one span of two days he was standing up on his own which was a big step so I thought we were close! However, he didn’t really want to duplicate that success again for quite a while. Then he started taking a few steps on his own, but every time I put him down to practice he’d buckle his legs and insist on crawling again. Maybe it’s because he is such a fast crawler. Or maybe it’s because his overzealous sister always wants him to walk to her, and he does not trust her (on account of her sitting on him or always pushing him over).

I have never fasted while pregnant because of course I’m not supposed to. I have heard of some women giving up something just to show they sacrificed. Well my love is sweets and anything bread related. I decided for January’s fast Sunday that I would give up those two things. I was so excited about fasting and praying that I started it on Saturday. And as easy as those things sound to give up, it was actually really hard for me so I had to check myself several times. And Jeff had decided to add Ryan’s walking to his fast as well.

Jeff

Ryan has shown glimmers of brilliance in standing on his own, only when he is completely distracted and not realizing he is doing it. For instance, the first time he stood unassisted was in the bathtub while turning the water on and off. So he chose a dangerous, slippery surface to stand alone for the first time and succeeded! At other times, the scenario was the same- distracted, playing with a toy, and standing.

Yesterday, he officially took his first steps in another unlikely place- outside in the snow! He is not one for making it easy on himself. This happened because he could not tell that I was not holding him anymore beneath all of the layers of his snowsuit and he took a few steps before sitting down. So he walks in snow, while wearing snow boots, on an uneven surface!

Tiffany and I have had multiple conversations about his walking. We were convinced that he could do it if he just had a desire to try it.

Today just happened to be fast Sunday. Tiffany, pregnant with our third, did an abstaining fast yesterday for Ryan to be able to walk. I added that to my fast today as well for today. Church went well and he actually took two steps to walk from one chair to another. But we didn’t really count that.

Tonight, he was ready for bed and we were playing in the front room, I told Tiffany that we were going to try to get him to walk. She positioned herself a few feet away and we tried it. And for the first time, Ryan was ready and willing.

He just did it. He walked to me and we cheered. Ryan was laughing. Then we turned him around and he walked to Jeff. Then back to me, and he did a face plant- ouch! There were tears, but we just put him back up and he tried again, and succeeded! We kept the game going, with Lily joining in and intercepting him for hugs. He must have gone back and forth about 30 times, smiling and laughing all the way!

After this, he was standing by the couch, and decided to venture off on his own. He walked across the entire room on his own, unassisted, and made it to the bookshelf! And the room had toys as obstacles, but he just toddled right through everything.

So that’s that! We did not expect our fast to be answered so quickly! But we are delighted to see his progress and the smile on his face as he did it. It’s wonderful to see our children progress and to know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers.