In her shoes

My little girl is now walking. She took her first unassisted steps back in mid-December, 13 days before her first birthday.  Even though she took practice steps everyday, she spent most of her time clutching my finger and dragging me around, up and down the hallway, in circles around the living room, all while holding that death grip around my right index finger.

Today, for the first time, she let go of that finger and stoof on her own. After contemplating that for a while, she took some steps: cautiously at first, but solidly and well-balanced. She could turn herself around, she could get herself back up if she fell forward, and when she realized exactly what she was doing, she smiled the biggest grin and clapped her hands together.

So what did iBean do with this new found freedom?  The freedom to go wherever she wished without having some nagging parent attached to her?

She went for the shoes:

SHOES!! Which ones, which ones...

I think I'll take these white and pink ones to match my tights.

Just need to support myself on one leg here...

Ok, one foot in.  Now for foot #2

And pivot and balance and face the audience...

Ta-da!  I'm outta here!

And so it begins.