Scootchin’

Just last week, I wrote about how, at 9 months and change, our girl was showing no signs of mobility yet. Well, guess what? In a completely predictable turn of events, she figured out her very own method of locomotion, literally, the day that post was published. It’s wildly inefficient, but it works. She’s officially mobile—as long as she’s on a smooth surface.
I wrote last week about how our floors are unsafe because of all the kids and dogs racing around here. But in the middle of an afternoon lull, I plopped her on the floor while I folded some laundry. It’s not a big space, and she was right there next to me, but suddenly it dawned on me that she had managed to back herself up against the door. The next day, I sat her on the kitchen floor while I unloaded the dishwasher—and this time I watched.
It’s not a crawl of any kind. No tripod action, with the two arms and a knee thing, and she’s not slithering on her belly or up on all fours. There’s no bum scoot, and she’s not rolling around the house either. I’ve seen babies do versions of all of those, but the only time I’ve seen anything close to what my daughter is doing is in a fitness boot camp. We have ourselves a scootcher.
Picture it: She’s sitting upright with her chubby little legs extended out. She leans forward and plants her hands on the ground, and then she pushes herself slowly backward. She keeps pushing until her tummy is practically flat on the ground, and then she sits up and does it again. And she keeps going until she’s backed herself up against a wall, which is when she looks over her own shoulder with a, “What the –” expression.
I wish I could post one of the many, many videos I took, because it’s mesmerizing to watch. She’s incredibly slow and methodical about the process, which makes it is extra adorable. And points for creativity, right?
I just love the timing of it all. It goes to show how quickly these little ones grow up on us.