Walk this way...

Annabelle took her first steps today!

First four steps forward and then a few minutes later she took a few sidesteps. Dave had just come home from work and was playing with her in the kitchen. With his eyes glued to her, he provided the commentary and it was clear who most enjoyed this milestone:

"Everyone! She's walking! There's one step. And another! ANOTHER! OH MY GOD SHE'S WALKING! She's doing it!! Everyone she's WALKING!!!"

There's something that feels so special when I get to witness Dave's true enjoyment of Annabelle. It's during those times I most feel like a wife, and am most glad to have that feeling. More than feeling the excitement of Annabelle's new achievement, I am overwhelmed by those lovey-dovey feelings for Dave, the larger than life this-is-the-best-thing-that's-ever-happened-to-me feelings.

And, to be honest, it's a relief to still have those feelings after 11 months of extreme sleep deprivation. Only in the last few weeks has Annabelle moved from nursing every 2 hours around the clock to nursing only twice (and sometimes only once!) between the hours of 8pm and 5am. We had tried everything and came to the conclusion that the smartest thing a parent can do is work with their child instead of trying to fit their baby or their situation into that which only exists in the pediatrician's head/book.