an epic day

These are the days when your baby is learning so fast, he'll surprise you with something new every day.

Err, right?

Hmph. Not with us. Carter hasn't surprised me in a long time. He's been downright smug in sticking with what he already knows and acts completely blah about traveling outside his knowledge norm. Until today. I think he's been saving up brain power, probably to conquer the world and repopulate it with his own giant blue-eyed, floppy-eared, yo gabba gabbaing, waffle eating look alikes.

I'm declaring today as the day my bug officially started walking. He's done the whole wobble/fall-to-butt combo for an entire month, but today he was walking everywhere. And on purpose. I'll credit the new play area at the mall we've been going to a couple times a week. He's so inspired when he watches other babies. Aka, a major copycat.

A couple hours ago, we ran to Lowe's to pick up some screws and a 99 cent poinsettia. Since the store was fairly empty (and examining arrays of hammers and faucets isn't exactly my style), I plucked Carter from his cozy cart and stood him in the middle of the Christmas aisle. He grabbed my hand, and off we toddled - feet clad in nothing but socks - up and down the empty store. The proud grin plastered across his face couldn't have been pried off with a single wrench in that store (wrenches are used to pry, right? or do I need pliers?). Eventually his grip on my hand got sweaty, and his hair was damp, so naturally figuring it was time for a break, I scooped him up. And right then and there, onlookers gaped at the baby squealing in horror, arching his back to escape a mother who had feasibly just ripped out all ten of his fingernails. Matt hurries ahead of me and the pig wrestling spectacle I was creating, joking that he doesn't know us.

So I set Carter back down, and he falls to the floor out of sheer anger, face lying on the concrete, tears spilling everywhere. Then he suddenly epiphanizes that he gets to show off his walking again and politely reaches up for my hand.

And I guarantee this. You have and/or will give in, too.

So toddle, we did. You never realize how big Lowe's is until you've patiently ambled its entirety, bent down, steadying the grip of a blissfully plodding new walker.

Carter also ate something other than a carb tonight for the first time in weeks months I have no idea how long. I worry constantly about him not getting the right any nutrition. So with each bite he took, it seriously felt like weight was gradually coming off my shoulders. I never knew motherhood would bring with it utter gratitude to an apple. Thank you, apple. You can have my first born child. If he doesn't eat you first.

After we came home from Lowe's and ate apples, Carter let me wriggle on his new Babies R Us slippers, and he wore them around the house. I don't know when he decided to fit the whole shoes-stay-on-feet thing into his agenda, but I'll take it. I'm so bustin' with proud today.

And yes, I put together the diaper/dark-shoed outfit to get a laugh out of Matt. And for my own personal amusement.

In summary: My baby hated walking, eating and wearing shoes. But now he's marathonin' it up, chowing down and kicking butt. And I think he's a manager at Lowe's.