He's on the move...

From the minute Fuss showed even the slightest promise of crawling on his own, I anxiously awaited the minute that he would actually crawl. I was so afraid that he would crawl for the first time while I was working and that I would miss it. The day after Christmas we were sitting around upstairs, and Fuss crawled for the first time! I saw him! I was so excited that my little guy was self-mobile. D and I would laugh at how fast he could go on all fours. He was like a little speed-demon crawling through the house. It was only a couple of days, maybe a week, before he was pulling himself up to everything. Within a few more days, he was walking around the furniture he was pulling himself up to, and my anticipation of missing his first steps while I was at work began. I should have known I didn't have to worry. He is my child, which means he is a little on the wussy side. He could have let go and taken off, but he was too afraid to do it. Finally, he did take his first steps a couple of months later, and again I saw it! It was just a couple of weeks before his first birthday. 

Now at 16 months, my child has become a climber. Today I was in my office, typing at the computer. Fuss had been behind my chair playing. Suddenly I heard a cry that sounded like he would have been calling for help if he knew that word coming from the kitchen. I have a desk that is next to a wall that is about 5 feet tall. The older boys Nintendo DS's were on top of that shorter wall. Fuss had climbed on the chair that is up to the desk, climbed on the desk, and was reaching for the DS. He couldn't quite reach the DS, but he couldn't get down either. I immediately put him on the floor and told him, "We don't climb on the desk!" We both went into the office. A few minutes later I heard Fuss giggle from the kitchen. I went in to find him sitting on the counter. He had climbed up the barstool and onto the counter top. I picked him up and put him on the ground and told him, "We don't climb on the counters!" We both went into the office. A few minutes later I heard Fuss talking to himself from the kitchen. I went in to find him sitting on the table. He had climbed up the chair and onto the table. I picked him up and put him on the ground and told him, "We don't climb! We stay on the floor!" I gave up on finishing up my work in the office.

I went into the bathroom to finish getting ready for the day. Fuss followed me. As I was putting on my makeup, Fuss climbed into the basket with my toiletry magazines in it, onto the toilet seat lid, onto the toilet tank, and onto the bathroom counter. I picked him up and put him on the ground and told him, "Why do you keep climbing on everything? We don't climb on counters!" He held his hands out to his sides with his palms up, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Mmmm" in a high pitched voice, which is Fuss' version of "I don't know," which I have found to be a typical answer from any child for any situation.