Baby Steps

Jack officially took his first steps yesterday. Well, I'm calling it official. He still has to be coerced into it. We have to hold onto one side of a blanket or toy while he holds the other side in order to get him to walk. He still needs that security "thing" to have in hand in case he loses his balance. But I discovered yesterday that if I let go of my end, he'll take a few more steps before noticing I let go and sitting down. So with 3 steps on his own, I'm calling it "first steps" for baby book purposes. Once he faces the fear of falling and just goes for it, he'll be fine with walking--he can do it, he just needs a little more confidence. I can see so much of myself in him when it comes to change--he's very cautious and slow to adjust. Not like his father, who always jumps right in. His physical therapist and verbal developmental specialist came yesterday for an appointment, and while his physical therapy is almost completed, now the verbal lady is wanting to put some time into him. Ugh. Apparently, "we want to see between 4-10 words right now." Jack has da da and ma ma, and understands millions of others, but doesn't show an interest in imitating the sounds to make words. No interest in baby signs, either, although he recognizes some that I do. She tells us they look for 50 words by 18 months. I'm having a hard time imagining him speaking 50 words 3 months from now. SO, guess we'll wait and see. I suspect this may be another caveat of having the "extra attention" that goes along with premie follow-ups. I am not worried about his development; and I imagine without this outside guidance, he'd be considered in the normal (albeit slower) range for development. But we do appreciate the guidance.