It's Official (Part Two)

 I'm normally a pretty positive person. I really am. 

But my whiney post last week about spring never ever ever coming? 

Well... it actually seemed to work. 

We went from this

to this

 in just 4 days. FOUR DAYS! 

(Yes, I'm choosing to ignore the snow in the forecast for tomorrow..)

We went from snow days to sleeping with the windows open, scooping snow to water fights, hot chocolate to root beer floats, snow pants to bare butts running around the yard. 

I'd call that a success. So, with that kind of turnaround rate, I figure it's worth another shot.. right? 

Here goes..

Ella is never going to walk. 

Never, ever ever..

I have been waiting and waiting. And waiting. Last November Ella started to take her first steps, walking between JJ and I. And I knew she wasn't real close to walking independently, but I thought a few months would be all it would take, at the most. We went ahead with plans to start trying for another baby, fully expecting that she would be walking by the time we announced our pregnancy, or at least by the time I started to get a belly (and a backache). Or by the time the baby was actually born for pete's sake!  But no.. here we are. Stuck at square one. With 3 months to go before I have another child who relies solely on my arms for their main mode of transportation. Don't get me wrong, Ella has come a long way in the past few months. She is much steadier, much more controlled, can walk further distances, can fall a little better, can even occasionally walk a ways, then stop herself and stand still without someone catching her.. but she is NOT walking independently. And it's driving me nuts. 

Some days I watch her and I think she is soooo close! It could be any day now. And then others I see her wobble over and stumble her way around and I think we are sooooo far away.. When will she get the courage to just let go? When will she start running around the house by herself? When can I be done walking in circles around and around our chimney? When will she chase her brothers? When will my back stop aching from the weight of holding her? When will I stop seeing this screaming pick-me-up-NOW face All. The. Time??

And while I'm already here, why not shoot for the moon? I am convinced Ella will also never ever ever like her baths, want to swing outside in her swing, or allow me to be more than 5 feet away from her.

Bottom line (again): I am going crazy(est)

Okay.. and now I wait. 

T-4 days to complete independent walking (and a much happier bathing and swinging time).. right?????

PLEASE???????????????