Natalia goes down stairs 2009-04-04

Early last month I had dropped Ksenia off at a baby shower in Waterloo so that left just Natalia and I. Once we returned home, I remembered that I needed to check my E-mail and so, making sure Natalia was occupied upstairs in the living room, I quickly headed downstairs where the computer is located. Once down there I realized that I had forgotten to put the gate up.

For a second I was worried but then I remembered that it shouldn't be a problem. Previously she would quite readily go up the stairs but she was a afraid to attempt to go down them. She hadn't figured out how to do that yet.

But today the opportunity of the open gate presented itself. And she would not be denied!

Meanwhile, downstairs at the computer I quickly checked my E-mail and was about to head back upstairs. Imagine my surprise when I looked beside me prior to standing up and Natalia was already quietly standing there, patiently waiting to be picked up to sit in my lap to play on the computer too!

After I recovered from my heart attack and the immediate self-recrimination, I praised her discovery, we played some loud flashy internet-based games until it was time to go upstairs.

She lingered at my desk while I waited for her a few paces away. Her eyes stole to an unused Kleenex; she checked her surroundings and quickly took it. Then she followed me. About halfway to the stairs going up, she stopped, looked at her absconded Kleenex and then very deliberately wiped around her mouth.

Then we made our way upstairs together without further incident. Baby steps...