The last thing a mother wants to think about as she looks into her infant’s eyes (most often while nursing) is that her baby will be walking soon. At least that is how I have felt from the very beginning. I want my daughter to walk when she is ready but I am not counting the days. Regardless of my feelings, the anticipation has been growing for quite literally months among close relatives. Family members have been predicting the first steps ever since she could stand. She timidly took her first steps at nine months. Everyone was sure she would beat her three month older cousin to walking, but she did not. Her excited steps, impatient steps, and her angry steps were occasional and shaky at best to my relief (I could not imagine having a confidently walking nine month old). After her ten month birthday, my husband swore she took eight consecutive steps while I had only witness three steps in conjunction. I was satisfied that she was not making quick progress with her new walking skills. After all she is already a speedy crawler and into everything that is not kept out of her reach. Progress did occur steadily for several weeks. Her confidence grew and she started taking her average three consecutive steps more frequently. Then three steps turned into four and four steps turned into five and before I knew it she was walking to retrieve toys (or random items) from her brother, from baskets, and around furniture. Her steps became more complex and more exact. She did not walk for the sake of walking, she walked because she was after something or someone. She still loses her balance and falls to her bottom pretty frequently but she is determined to keep on walking. She is most certainly not a full fledged walker yet, but she is clearly on her way!