She Stood

She stood, she STOOD!
I didn't know she could.

It all began
as she sat in her basket, tan.

I washed my hands
and my baby girl stands!

Okay, so maybe it was actually a squat
but that detail doesn't change the plot.

My baby of five and a half months old
pulled herself up, no waver, no weakness to fold.

She held on to the edge the whole time
but, PLEASE, for her age, that's certainly no crime!

As yet her effort at a full crawl
has ended in a face-first sprawl.

But she moves backwards quite well.
That's how she's, from our bed, fell.

She rocks back and forth on her hands and knees.
And smiles SO big when you compliment her improvement by degrees.

A few times she's even lifted her hands in effort to move.
But her knees have been frozen; she'll yet get in her groove.

So, though her crawl is not yet full on,
I'm sure you'll agree she'll soon be running on the lawn.

Her desire is certainly there,
it just takes a while to prepare.

There seems to be an ache I see in her eyes.
To be with her sisters is her yearned for prize.

And she's on her way.
It really could be any day!

I just HAD to share my great pleasure
in my baby who is our family's treasure.

I hope you will feel my desire to share
more than any effort to compare.

The only competition, I try to tell my daughter,
is with ourselves... to be better and better... or, at least, it otter. ;)