For most kiddos, it seems like one day they realize they can walk and they just do. I remember September 13, 2007, Zuzu took off and while the exact number of days it was from step one to full time stepping is fuzzy- I do know that it was days.

The Quail took her  first independent step the day after her second birthday. We weren’t really sure what to expect in terms of how long it would be until we had a fulltime stepper. Some fellow moms in the Ds community had reported an average of about 5 months. For kiddos with Down syndrome and more importantly- hypotonia, it’s not just a matter of wanting to walk or realizing they can. The average age for walking ranges from 2-3 years of age. There is a series of  functions in the brain involving motor-planning and a day-by-day physical therapy of building a good strong core to keep you up involved. Thursday, May 19, I picked our girl up and her teachers commented that she had spent a good portion of the day on two feet, without holding on to anything. Sure enough over the course of the weekend her confidence  shown through and she spent the weekend more frequently on two legs then down on all four.

Way to go Quail! Way to fly! Now, where’s that kid leash we had for Zuzu….