Are you as impressed as I am?

Remember what they said? You probably do, because rarely do I forget to remind you but we were told that Dylan would probably not do much. She won't talk, she won't walk, she might never smile. Remember that? Apparently so does Dylan.

Over the last week she's been walking. On her own. All day long. I haven't been prompting her at all. She just goes and goes and goes then naps, and then wakes up and wants to just go and go again. It's amazing. I am shocked.

She's probably fallen to her knees, or worse, thousands of times. Thousands. It's all she does is fall, over and over, but all she sees is that before each fall she has succeeded. Each fall is a success to her because not only has she pulled to standing, she has stood by herself and she has taken at least one step. Probably several.

Each time she stands, every time she tries, she gets a little bit better. And she knows it.

This most recent development is beyond amazing. In fact, if I stop and start to think about it I really can't hold myself together. It's absolutely the most incredible thing to watch and it's a bit over-whelming. She takes my breath away.

And then I watch and it happens again, she walks, from one corner of the couch to the other, falling just short (I think she gets excited). Or just now, from the child gate nearly all the way to the counter in front of the fridge. I bet within a week she will walk the whole way without falling short. I will be shocked if it takes as long as a week.

I don't think I would persevere like she does. I would quit, then I would try again, and then I would quit. Not Dylan. Time after time. She falls and she stands, knowing she just fell short and the next time there is a possibility that she will make it, a thousand times she had has to have thought this. Or more.

Those of you who have seen this already sorry, I couldn't resist sharing as soon as it happened so these will not be any surprise to some of you. But even though you have seen them already, I still bet they will take your breath away.

This was the first time I turned the camera on, deciding it was high time to document this (By now, she had been shocking Matthew and I several times over the weekend when we would look over and she would be walking in the middle of nowhere.) I thought for sure she would get her right foot caught on the tire of that toy... I was holding my breath. She showed me. Be patient - I wasn't kidding when I said I wasn't prompting her and miracles take time...


And I couldn't settle for just one video, so several hours later I turned on the camera again.


And again (A lot of background noises on these, sorry!)


Without words.

Okay - A few more...

The icing on the cake - Thursday she ate nearly an entire thing of pudding for lunch. (Yes, when you don't eat you can have whatever you want for lunch!) There was maybe an ounce left in the container? I almost took a picture to document it but then I reassessed and decided not to. You would have been impressed though.

Not only was she eating it, but for most of the time I didn't have to touch her cheek to remind her to open it and take a bite. She saw it coming and opened wide. This is amazing because we are almost to where we were when I stopped (and even the open mouth for such a long tme is an improvment).

Not only that, but she would have eaten more if I would have pushed it. I just sensed she was starting to slow down and I wanted to keep it positive so I stopped.

I seriously heart this little person. She is a true miracle.