Going walkering

Usually sometime after 10 months of age, but before age 15 months, babies take their very first steps. These steps are months in the making, and parents with achy backs from stooping to help guide the little tykes safely along breathe a simultaneous sigh of relief and panic at their onset. Whew, she can walk! But now our entire house is one big safety hazard. You can see what a conflicting moment it would be.

But Kalina is only 6 months old! She certainly can't be walking yet! Or is she?

A long time ago, when babies were put to sleep on their stomachs and fed meat at 5 months, the world of child-rearing included a phenomenon called the walker. We've all heard of them, so why aren't there many around anymore? One theory is that they've been replaced by the Exersaucer, a toy with lots of flashy toys designed to keep the child happy for 5 minutes. Another theory is that, like the television (and Exersaucer), otherwise reasonable adults used them as dumb babysitters to the extent that kids were plopping down the stairs in them left and right. Seriously, people.

So they have a bad rap. Is it bad, then, that when we encountered one at a grandparent's house over Christmas we couldn't wait to put Kalina in it? She loved it, and promptly figured out she could use it to chase the dog.

The other day, it ended up at our house and we put her in it again. We soon noticed that with the advent of mobility comes the advent of an opinion.

For instance, Matt at one point sat a few feet ahead of her and tried to coax her to him. She stood and stared. But once he added the incentive of a crinkly plastic bag, she headed straight for him. Then I stepped into view behind her and she was soon zooming toward me. So now we have a ranking: Mommy and plastic bag are tied, with Daddy as a close second. The kitchen garbage can is another popular target.

Another time, "I want to go into this room," Kalina said. "No," I told her, "that's where the cats' litter boxes are kept." "What's a litter box?" she responded. The girl is desperate to learn.

The walker allows Kalina to have her hands free, which in turn enables drive-by touching. She walks along with her little arms stretching to touch anything in her path. Unfortunately for her, but fortunately for the cats, her arms just barely reach past the extent of the walker. It's quite cute.

Walkering isn't the only way Kalina travels, though. She's almost learned that rolling can get her at least rather close to where she wants to be. That's right, the girl who hated being on her tummy the first 6 months of her life now wants nothing more, at the expense of diaper changes and naps.

And of course, there's still the ever popular "cry loud enough and Mommy will give up and just carry me everywhere." Works like a charm.

So while we still have a little while before our tiny tornado truly hits, we're getting a glimpse of what to expect. We're looking forward to quite the ride.

Video: For about a week at around 4 1/2 months, this was the best way to get Kalina to tolerate tummy time. You can't see her face because she's chewing on her sleeve while laughing.