One Small Step For Macy, One Giant Leap For Macy-kind...

I haven't forgotten y'all. Seriously. We've had a busy week, and quite frankly, my mind has been a constant whirlwind. From getting stuff ready for taxes, to working out and dieting (a new stress all it's own!), to just having the energy to function, it's amazing I've found the time to sit down and write.

That being said, hold on. I've got some fan-freakin'-tastic news!

[long dramatic pause for the sake of emphasis.]

[and another for good measure.]

Macy started WALKING this past week! Yippee!!!!!!!

Back in the fall, she took her first steps during a physical therapy session. We propped her up against the couch, lured her out into the middle of the floor with something shiny, and cried with joy. From that day on, she would take a few steps here and there. IF she was in the mood. Truth be told, she's always had the ability, just not the confidence.

Now she's been crawling for a good year, and she's so incredibly fast on her hands and knees that I've often called her "Speed Racer". I've told family and friends that it will be a miracle if she doesn't have arthritis in her knees by the time she goes to preschool. Her knees hit so hard on the floor, but it doesn't seem to phase her a bit. This kid has a pain tolerance like nothing I've ever seen...

So at Christmas, she received a doll stroller from her Granny and Papaw (that would be Chad's mom and dad, if you're following the family tree in your head!) Also, I've written about this stroller before if you want to scroll down and see those pictures! But let me just say, it is the absolute best push-toy I've ever seen. It's incredibly sturdy so it doesn't tip over, and it's got a wide base so her feet don't hit it when she walks. It's awesome. And it's given her so much confidence to be on her feet.

And a couple weeks ago, her Nammie and Popaw (my mom and dad, if you're still following!) got her a mirrored piece of plexiglass to hang on the wall. She absolutely adores mirrors and this is non-breakable, so we screwed it into the wall and discovered that she likes to stand up and talk to her reflection. (It's perfect for both physical and speech therapies!)

Her favorite pasttime lately has been to push her stroller into the mirror and laugh at herself. In my opinion, it's a great way to use both gifts at once! I'm just sayin'. But last week, she started gaining more confidence. She would take a few steps out into the middle of the floor and then stop and squat down to sit. It was so great to see her improve in these areas of development! And yes, I cried. So much in fact, that I also had to blow my nose.

So this week, she has become even more brave. She's walked from one side of a room to the other and smiled the whole way. And I don't even have to coax her anymore! She does it on her own! I can stand her up out the middle of the floor, and she'll just take off all by herself! Amazing!

Now you know I just had to add a picture of all this.

Bless her heart.

She's walking toward the mirror over there under the chair railing. (That's my niece, Charley, hiding behind the car!)

Now I think I'll go cry some more...