Walking

All milestones come with delays...and take longer than with typical kids.  The range for walking for Down syndrome kids is pretty big.  But an average that we heard when she was born was crawling by one, walking around 2.  She didn't crawl until almost 16 months...so I didn't really expect that the walking would happen right at 2, but she has been so close for so long.  We do know a few that have walked before there second birthday and we know some that didn't walk until closer to three.  We are in the middle.

No one told me that if she learned a skill, though, she would decide not to USE that skill:)  Aubrey has been a "walker"...taking independent steps...for awhile now.  She can even turn and do some side stepping, but she has yet to decide that walking is the best way to get around.  Our PT told me today, that this is typical for many of the kids that she works with and not just her Ds kiddos.  She said that it was like potty training kids.  There are some kids that CAN do it, but it has to be up to them WHEN they will finally give in and do it.  Same with walking...so we will continue to cheer wildly until SHE decides that walking is the best way to get around...and then watch out world!

She can walk independently, as you can see from the video above that I took today.  But she scoots most of the time still.  Each week is progressively better.  Some days I catch her taking 4 or 5 steps from one piece of furniture to the other, but my aching back is ready for her to just do it all the time!