One Giant Leap

When Neil Armstrong took that first step onto the lunar surface in 1969, I wonder if his parents looked on with the same happiness as the first time he took his first steps as a baby. While one was more monumental for mankind than the other, to a parent both could be measured with equal satisfaction. I am sure of this because recently Amelie begun walking. She had been taking tentative steps for a few weeks now. We have a three seater and two seater couch, both of which have been pushed together to form an L shape. Amelie built the confidence to let go of one, and shuffle forward to the other without support. She did this over and over, practicing her balance as best she could. To help her progress, Carla and I began to sit opposite each other and coax her to walk toward us. Again, the first step or two were solid, but then, with the momentum building, the walk became a lunge to our arms. And so it was like this for a good month, until the past couple of days where it seems, overnight, her motor skills developed enough to allow her the strength and balance to support her weight on just her feet alone. And similarly to the affects zero gravity had on Mr Armstrong, as both Carla and I observed for the first time Amelie taking more than two wobbly steps, our bodies became light, and our expressions lifted.

She has, of course, become over confident since then. Amelie now likes to walk around unaided without forethought of the consequences and dangers that surround her. So of late, there have been more moments were we find ourselves moving from a cheer to a sharp intake of breath in matter of moments. From elation to concern in 0.2 of a second puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on the heart, I can tell you. But there it is, she is walking. Recently Carla took Amelie to a Bumps and Baby class, where Amelie proceeded to show off her new skills to all the other babies. One of the mothers asked Carla how old Amelie was, and when she replied 10 months, the woman was astonished at how far advanced she was. It was my intention from first hearing that Carla was pregnant, all the way up to the birth, that I would never put pressure on our child. I would never demand anything from them, nor push them to be something they were not. Equally, if they were slower than a child of a similar age, I would not see it as a failing, but instead see it as a means to spend more time nurturing them until they caught up. But when Carla relayed that comment to me later that night, I thrust my hand through the air and adopted the demeanour of an overzealous American football coach after his team just won the winning touchdown. It was, in retrospect, wrong of me, but I guess my admiration for my daughter’s advancement was something I felt could only be articulated in Neanderthal.

Other noticeable changes and advancements in Amelie have been the ability to act confused when something has been removed, or taken away. The simple shrugging of shoulders and her evaporating catchphrase of "huh?" is so endearing we find it near impossible not to give her objects and then intentionally take them away just to ask her, "Where’s it gone, Amie? Where it’s gone?" She has also begun recognising words. For instance, if she is asked, "Where’s the ball?" Amelie will instantly turn to locate said ball in the room, and on occasion, go over to it. She knows that I am Daddy, and Carla is Mummy. Sadly, she has not fully grasped the concept of "no" yet, and finds it amusing to test our use of the word when venturing too near the fireplace, or the dangerous corners of the table. She has also learnt to give a High Five. It’s true. If I raise my palm high and say, "High five, Amie", she presses her palm against mine and quickly moves it away. Worryingly, she has also found much amusement in her tongue, and enjoys sticking it out and grabbing it. The whole process is fine, but there are times she doesn’t follow through with the last stage, and so remains frozen in a state of silent raspberry blowing, a lasting impression one would try to avoid when in public. All in all, these past couple of months have been monumental is her life, and ours. I sometimes wonder if so much can happen in such a small amount of time, what wonders await us in a year from now? Whatever they may be, I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing time.