There’s nothing more incredible and momentous than a parent getting to witness their child’s first steps. You never really know when it might happen – until it does. And while it’s usually the parents that are shocked and surprised at the precious milestone, sometimes the baby joins in on that astonishment.
That was certainly the case for Journey, a 1-year-old boy from California who recently took his first steps all by himself. The moment was captured on video by the boy’s parents – Alissa Pagels-Minor and B. Pagels-Minor – and was uploaded to social media. It didn’t take long for the moment to go viral.
As the baby boy walks around the room for the first time, you can see the surprised look all over his face. At one point, he even lets out a loud roar with his eyes wide open – which makes everyone in the room laugh, including him. He then stumbles over to the couch, where he puts his head down in disbelief.
“His little dinosaur noises kill me! Growing so fast ????????????❤️❤️❤️” wrote Alissa in the caption. She also provided an update, adding that ‘he is walking EVERYWHERE’ now – something all parents can relate to after a child takes their first steps. Once they take one, they don’t want to stop – and they usually don’t.
The comments section was filled with hilarious takes on the milestone. “It’s the self awareness for me…” said one user, while another commented “Little man downloaded the advanced package.” For an account that has roughly 9,500 followers, the post garnered a lot of attention – in the form of 400,000 likes!
The moment was far more special than most people realize. In an Instagram post that was shared the previous day, B. Pagels-Minor described that their little boy’s first steps came on the same day as his late grandmother’s birthday – who would’ve been 59 years old that day. That’s a sign if I’ve ever seen one!
“Happy birthday mom! You would have been 59 today.We would have gathered together and you would have had your grandson in your arms spoiling him as you always promised. It’s only fitting that he decides today is the day he gets his legs. Your legacy is in good hands,” wrote B. Pagels-Minor in the caption.
When Do Most Children Take Their First Steps?
Of all the questions a new mother and/or father might have as they enter parenthood for the first time, one of the most common is when they should expect their child to hit certain milestones – including their first steps. According to FamilyDoctor.org, most children start walking by the time they turn one years old.
With that said, every child develops at their own pace and parents should never compare their child’s milestones to another person’s child – or even any of their previous children. Some babies will start walking before they turn 1, while others might not walk until the 18-month mark – it depends on the baby!
In general, parents should expect their baby to be able to sit independently by 6 months old, crawl by 9 months old, pulling up to stand around 9 months old, taking a few steps while holding onto furniture by 12 months old, and walking independently (even if only for a few steps before falling) by 11-13 months old.
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For Journey, that milestone came right around the 13-month mark – we don’t know the baby’s exact date of birth, but he was born sometime around January 2022. And now that he’s walking, Alissa Pagels-Minor and B. Pagels-Minor will have a field day watching their child discover all that life has to give him!
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