Nursing Home Walker Races

Sophie's first birthday, while a happy event that I am looking forward to, is causing me frustration as it nears (this Sunday!!). She still isn't walking. I know, What to Expect the First Year says that only some kids can walk by their first birthday, but my baby isn't just your average baby. She sat up early, she could roll over at 3 months, got teeth and starting eating table food at 4 months....she's always been advanced - exceptional even. Plus, I was walking at 8 months according to my mom...What's the big hold up!?!
I think it has to do with my daughter's stubbornness. She's so super quick with her walking aids (See January's Mowing the Hardwood) so I know she could go it alone if she really wanted to. On Superbowl Sunday, dressed in her Arizona colors, we took Sophie to visit G-G-ma Marge at the home. Within minutes, she had commandeered Marge's walker and was headed out the room and down the hall. Marge, of course was tickled pink at getting to see this. I think we need to find her a walker race to run.

She even managed to figure out how to turn the thing around. We had a hard time getting her to give it up, even after she tried pushing it with the middle horizontal bar and tipped it over. She walked so much that she slept through the good parts of the Superbowl. Here she is on our friend Vamsi's floor.

On another note entirely, I was in my co-worker's office a few weeks ago and saw a picture of his daughter in which she donned pigtails. The last picture I had seen of little Hailey showed hair not much longer than Sophie's, so I was inspired to give it a try. The next week we started with pigtails to daycare, and there's no turning back now. Isn't she the cutest??