Back in October I shared with you the difficulties I was having while I was practicing sitting unassisted. Since then I have been making steady progress. I became so good at sitting that I never go plunkers anymore. Sitting is actually quite easy for me these days.

Just as I was beginning to think that my days of going plunkers were finally behind me, a new problem has surfaced and now my encounters with plunkers are worse than ever. I long for the days when going plunkers simply meant tipping over onto the soft couch cushions. Going plunkers has taken on a whole new meaning.

As soon as I mastered sitting, I began working on standing. I became unstoppable once I discovered that I could pull myself up to my feet by holding on to the side of the couch. Then I realized that I could use the coffee table, chair, and even mommy for this purpose. I was standing every chance I got.

At first it was going great. I quickly overcame my problem of getting stuck in an upright position. I learned that by squatting I could have better control over my journey back down to the ground. This discovery made standing and going back down to crawling easy with only a little bit of practice.

I guess the trouble began when I realized that once I was standing I could control the way I move my feet and use them to propel myself in a direction of my choice. I was very excited about this discovery. As long as there were plenty of strategically placed objects for me to hold on to, I was now able to navigate around the room without having to go back down to the ground.

What I didn’t count on was that plunkers were waiting for me to reach this point in my development. One day, while I was walking along the edge of the coffee table, my foot slipped out from underneath me and down I went. It was the worst plunkers I have ever experienced.

Not only did it hurt, but it was very frightening. It’s a long way down when you’re standing on your feet. For a second I was stunned, but I quickly regained my senses and began to scream and cry. Mommy and daddy came running and they made a big fuss over me but I continued to cry.

First daddy held me while mommy tried to cheer me up. Then mommy held me and daddy gave it a shot. This worked a little better. Mommy is the better comforter and daddy is the better entertainer. Play to your strengths is what I always say.

Mommy rocked me and stroked my back and daddy tried to distract me with my toys. I watched but I continued to cry. Then daddy picked up my squeaker toy and offered it to me. I have loved that thing since I figured out how to squeak it.

I reached out my hand for my squeaker and daddy let me hold it. I buried my face in mommy shoulder and cried a little more. Sometimes my hands betray me. I wanted to cry for a while longer but the unmistakable squeak of my toy caught my ear.

My crying became sobbing as I squeezed my squeaker toy repeatedly. It didn’t take long for me to feel better and I was soon ready to get back on my feet and try again. I had not yet realized that the dreaded plunkers had returned.

Only a couple of days later I was standing by the couch and having a talk with mommy. As the conversation came to a close I turned to walk towards the other end of the couch when I tripped over a toy and went tumbling to the ground. This time I was somewhat less surprised and I began to cry immediately. It once again took a while for me to calm down.

Later that day I was thinking about my falls and spills and I began to piece things together. That’s when I knew that plunkers had returned with a vengeance. I was now going plunkers from greater heights and on harder surfaces. My days of reckless abandon were coming to an end.

Since then I have been much more cautious whenever I am on my feet. I still want to learn how to walk one day, and I’m not going to let fear stop me, but I have been careful. I still go plunkers from time to time but I do my best to keep it at a minimum.

Lately mommy and daddy have been encouraging me to walk without the support of furniture. The idea has been presented to me a while ago but I have been reluctant to try it. A few weeks ago I agreed to try it while holding on to the hands of people I trust. It has been a revelation.

I loved the feeling of walking straight through the center of the room where there is nothing to hold. Areas that were previously crawl only zones were now open to walking. Since then I try to get mommy and daddy to walk with me whenever I can get a hold of their hands. I just grab on and start walking regardless of if they had any intention of coming along or not.

I can’t get enough of this new activity. Mommy and daddy try to let me practice but I wear them out long before I’m ready to quit. A few times I have contemplated trying it on my own. I can stand by myself without holding anything for a while, but taking that step is terrifying.

Yesterday I did it for the first time ever. I took my first unassisted step. It was a little step and then a second little step, before I quickly sat down. I didn’t get very far but it was a start. Today I had several moments where I stood and tried to talk myself into trying it again but I haven’t had the nerve. I just know plunkers aren’t far away. It’s when I get excited about a new ability I’ve discovered that plunkers pounce.