The thirty-ninth week

Madeline has been everywhere this week. Ever since she got the hang of pulling up on stuff, she just can't get enough.

Our home's entryway is raised about 8 inches from the level of the living room floor. Madeline loves to crawl to the ledge, put her hands on it and pull up to standing. She also cruises along the length of the ledge, using her hands to steady herself as she practices moving her feet along. Once she reaches the end of the ledge she grabs the next piece of furniture to continue her cruise. The next piece of furniture happens to be her toy box, so the cruise usually ends once she sees the basketfull of enticing gadgets and stuffed animals.

During her cruises Madeline has even made the effort to stand upright without using her hands. I watched as she let go of the ledge and stood by herself, knees wobbling, for about three seconds before calmly putting her hand back down and continuing her cruise along the ledge.

All of this movement is opening up a new chapter of adventure for Madeline. She can hardly bear to sit in someone's lap any more - she just has to get on the floor and get moving. I have to admit that sometimes I miss being able to let her play while sitting nicely in my lap, but it's pretty fun to watch her do so much by herself.