I walked at 8 months, a point of pride that my parents recounted soon after my daughter was born. Milestones are not hereditary; I shouldn’t have had expectations for C, but I was surprised when she was delayed in rolling, insisted on butt-scooting instead of crawling, and wasn’t cruising at 12 months. Working with Early Intervention, she progressed by leaps and bounds, but hadn’t taken many independent steps until today at daycare pick up. Smiling broadly, hands in the air like a runner crossing the finish line, she walked four steps into my arms. I have never been so proud.
Liz Christian is a mother, infectious disease physician, and writer. Find her on Twitter @ECChristianMD.