First Time Mom Alert

Whoops.

Seems like I may have made a little mistake that must be rectified.  My husband and I were discussing this weekend when we can consider Sam and Anna as "walking" versus "taking steps."  I've been holding off on saying that Sam's walking because, to me, walking means that's what he does- maybe 90% of the time?  That it is the main mode of mobility?  When they stop falling?  When I can let him loose outside and he'll walk around without me worried he'll face plant into the cement?  Something along those lines, I guess.  Both Sam and Anna take steps and have been for a while- but just when do those steps cross the fine line between stepping and walking?

I told him I would check babycenter.com and google it up and see what the general consensus is.  Most of what I read said they considered walking when it is more than 1-2 steps and the baby does it on their own, without prompting or help.  Ooops.  Sam's been doing that for a while now!  The most steps I've counted is 11 in a row, but usually that's the highest number because he's gotten to his chosen location by that point.  I'd say he walks 50% of the time at home, while at daycare she said last week he was walking about 90% of the time.  So let me make up for lost time and give credit where credit is due: YAY!  SAM'S WALKING!!!

Maybe that's sometimes the disparity in babies that walk at 9 months versus 18 months?  Maybe some people are just more giving in their assessment of walking?  I know the same can be said for sitting- I didn't consider Sam and Anna sitting until they didn't need a boppy to cushion a fall.  I guess where I'm going with this is that people - talking about me here- sometimes need to relax a little and realize people have differing opinions on stuff like that.

(Anna's still solidly in what I would consider the "taking steps" department.  That's really only because she loves holding our hands to travel around and isn't willing too often to walk on her own.  She reaches for our hands and holds them so tight, it is impossible to let go mid walking.  I think she's being smart, actually:  she's figured out, if I only walk when mom or dad are holding my hands or between mom and dad when they are encouraging me, I'm getting sole attention of a parent.  Since Sam's an attention hog usually, I think she's being pretty intelligent on this one!)