The Exciting First Step

In the beginning, you fondly watch your baby crawling to you; its adorable hands and feet pushing the ground, face knit in concentration. Then the baby learns to stand up with the help of you, or the nearby furniture.

Until then your baby’s world has been limited to whatever it can crawl to. Toys needed to be near, and you can secure a baby-proof area that the baby will not be able to pass.

With the first wobbly steps comes the first expansion of your baby’s world, and yours. It can happen at any time, practically anywhere. Some mothers miss it, some don’t. Some are surprised, others have been suspecting it for some time already. Some babies start slow, taking one wobbly step at a time and then falling. Others start with steady steps, rarely falling. Some babies are early walkers while others begin walking later. (Curious about baby developmental milestones? Stay tuned for a blog coming out soon about that very topic!).

With the first step, the baby becomes a toddler, marking a new phase in his or her life. As steadier the baby’s steps become, the bigger their world becomes. Now they can walk to mommy and daddy. They can get their own toys from across the room. They can travel to the sacred and forbidden place filled with danger, also known as the kitchen. With walking comes addition height. All of a sudden, the baby can reach the table and actually see what is on it! He or she might even be able to reach the television and the remote control, a new toy unlocked.

As a mother, a baby’s first step is the full realization that your baby is growing. It means taking extra precaution to make sure the baby does not touch a hot stove, but it also means a lot more. It means that babies don’t stay babies forever. They grow and become toddlers, then children, then they go to school. These milestones will be bittersweet. You will see them grow and become their own person. That might mean that eventually they will leave to forge their own path and maybe their own families in the future. But it also means that you get to be there every step of the way, guiding them, holding their hand, and supporting them.

This is the beauty of motherhood, and you are about to experience it for yourself. So don’t try to rush things. Enjoy every milestone and experience with you toddler. Your toddler who just started walking will soon take over the world, and they will need their mother on their side, every step of the way.