The Trouble with Learning to Walk--What People Don't Tell You

I've found the past six months with Jack to be more difficult than his first year. It mostly has to do with the whole walking thing. First, it was the learning to walk phase, where he was constantly teetering to what I feared would be certain death. Toddle, toddle, toddle, fall, cement, BAM! And repeat. I felt like I was living second to second, trying to predict the angle at which his body would most likely land and trying to place myself ahead of the fall.

I thought that it would get better when he was sturdier on his feet. What I didn't predict was that he would get faster. I know you are probably thinking to yourself--duh! But dude, I had NO IDEA! So, even though he's not falling every few seconds, he is darting out in front of traffic or running away from me in stores or generally being a pain in the a$$ to keep up with. It doesn't help that he never listens to me scream "Stop!" I'm just the lame-o mom who's trying to dampen his fun. The ingratitude for saving his life over and over again can get to me sometimes.

And I blame the walking for his growing sense of independence. No longer is he happy sitting in a stroller, roaming around the mall or letting me shop. In fact, I rarely pull out the stroller any more because it involves too much screaming and crying to get him in it. And that's just me, you should see him.

I know that these are all natural progressions, the milestones he is supposed to be hitting, but I'm finding it very challenging. This isn't to say that all of the progress he has made over the past six months is all unfun. I mean, the three month old Jack couldn't give me slobbery, wet kisses (atleast not intentionally). Nor could the three month old Jack try to sing "Ring of Fire" while dancing in the backseat of the car (which mostly just sounds like "Down, Down, Down, heahkc disi ciso").

I'm just looking forward to the day when I don't have to save his life every few minutes. Please tell me it gets easier.

Edited to Add: I just re-read what I wrote and I felt like I had to add that I love Jack completely. Each day, I look at him and I am in awe that he is mine--that this little ham-ball is mine. I just didn't want to leave anyone with the impression that I didn't love my little bear, even if he can be giant pain in the tushy.