And finally... he crawls.

The baby in daycare who is exactly Henry's age has been crawling for months. And for the past couple of months, every time anyone has asked about Henry's age, the follow-up question is "Is he crawling yet?" After we try a cheerful "Not yet!" The response is inevitably, "Well, that is ok. Every baby develops at their own pace. Each baby is unique." The pediatrician had a somewhat less magnanimous explanation for Henry's lack of crawling, "He's just lazy!" Lately, we cut to the chase. After any inquiry about Henry's age or if someone even so much as glances in Henry's direction at the store, we say, "He is nine and 1/2 months old and he isn't crawling yet. But we know that babies all develop at their own unique pace. That's ok. We love him for who he is. Really, we wouldn't want it any other way. He's his own person. Now mind your own business."

All of this changed last night, though, because last night, Henry crawled. He crawled towards a tower of blocks and summarily knocked it over. The tall, ordered tower of blocks is powerful motivation for Henry. It begs to be toppled. Henry loves to eliminate potential energy, thus Mike's nickname for him, Captain Chaos. I was impressed by Henry's crawling form. I am no crawling expert, but I think he executed his first crawl with stability, effortless style, and confidence. Video evidence of alleged crawling soon to follow.