Gemma Atkinson and her partner Gorka Marquez's daughter Mia is approaching her first birthday, but the star is already shocked at how quickly her little girl is growing up - she is not far from walking already! In an interview with HELLO!, Gemma revealed the sweet reason she experiences "mixed emotions" when Mia reaches a new milestone and discussed how her own childhood development differed from her daughter's.
WATCH: Gemma admits she's a nervous wreck and reveals Mia's now crawling
Back in April, Gemma took to Instagram to reveal that she was a "nervous wreck" after baby Mia learnt to crawl, especially when she wanted to move away from the cushioned mats and onto the hard wooden floor of their Manchester home. So it's no wonder she feels their home gym is one of the safest places for the little girl! She explained: "It relaxes me when she's in there with us because it's a padded floor, it's like a foam floor for dropping weights. So at least if she's going to crawl or walk on there she can't hurt herself."
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However, the former Hollyoaks actress explained Mia had spent several days attempting to master crawling before it suddenly clicked. "It was only a few weeks ago I was on FaceTime with my mum and she was trying her hardest to crawl. We're going 'go on, you can do it' and she kept failing, bless her. And then suddenly she woke up two days later and just nailed it," Gemma said.
Gemma revealed she is sad to see Mia becoming more independent
It may not be long before the 11-month-old learns to walk, and while that's an exciting new achievement, there is a part of Gemma that is sad to see her daughter becoming more independent. She said: "She does it with a little walker at the moment. It's a mixture of emotions as a parent because you're so proud of their little achievements and you're rooting for them to do it, but then also you think 'don't do it too quickly because you won't need me as much.'" Discussing her own childhood, Gemma told us: "My mum said kids just do it in their own time. I think my sister was walking when she was one, but she said it took me around 16 months." We can't wait to see, whenever it happens...
READ: Strictly pro Gorka Marquez shares sweetest snap with sleeping baby Mia