On balance and coordination

Something interesting that I noticed yesterday while watching the boy play - the casual observer would think that his balance has gotten worse, since he's toppling over more often right now.

But it's not. What really seems to be happening is a combination of two things. One is another small growth spurt. We know this because he's getting visibly skinnier again, and he's also outgrown the last of his 12-month outfits. Quick change in center of gravity = temporarily worse balance.

The other underlying cause is a big increase in the spped he travels at, and a lot more willingness to take chances. He tries to do more than he used to - he crawls and climbs faster, reaches farther, and tries to go higher than he used to. And he does most of it with no regard to his own safety. Thank goodness for childproofing aids.

Fortunately, toddlers are resilient. Saturday morning, while I was at the car dealership for an oil change, David was playing and he "pitched a header". Jane told me he fell straight on his face and hit the floor chin-first. He bled a little, she thinks from biting his lip, and he has a hellacious bruise right at the cleft of his chin. However, he recovered from it in seconds.

On the other hand, now he'll stand on his own for a short time, basically until the "Wile E. Coyote" factor kicks in. When he looks down and realizes he's standing unsupported, down he goes.