Walking Shoes

When I took Drew to his 9 month check-up, his pediatrician said "now every mom runs out and buys a pair of Stride-Rites when their child starts walking...but they learn better on bare feet" with just a hint of condescension in his voice. I guess he knows me too well, because didn't I go out to Stride Rite today to get Drew his first walking shoes. However, I didn't get them so much for walking, but more for staying on his feet. He would rip of his soft-soled shoes all of the time. The other day I picked up shoe...sock...shoe...sock as they were launched out of the stroller FOUR times in one store; so that is 16 times bending over and hunting them down. Plus, if only I had a dime for every time someone would stop me and say "oops, you lost a shoe" to which at first I would reply "oh, thank you so much, I have it right here" but after hearing it for the 800th time, I would just hold up the abandoned shoe and keep on walking. Some people must have thought that I actually brought my child out in the snow without socks or shoes, because there were some nasty looks directed towards me. I guess it does draw a little attention when he pulls his pants over his knees like shorts and holds his 2 bare feet up in the air to show off what he had done.

So, I went and got some walking shoes and I put them on him while we ate lunch in the Food Court (because of course he had bare feet by the time we hit the 2nd store in the mall), and I almost cried when I looked down at his dangling feet with BIG BOY shoes on! I can't believe how much older a pair of shoes makes him look. So I have solved the bare feet problem (I think), but now I have to cope with the fact that my baby really is becoming a toddler.

Big boy shoes and a baseball? Maybe I should just put a beer in his hand..

Drew actually does look a little like he was in a bar room brawl. He got his first busted lip this week. I guess first blood at 11 months isn't bad..but he is fine, I think he was more annoyed with me opening up his mouth and putting ice on him than he was with the cut.