On a roll

This afternoon Madeline hit a big milestone - she rolled over. She had just eaten and was in a good mood, so I put her on her tummy for some play time. I had my camera at the ready, and before I knew what was happening she rolled onto her back.

I was astonished - when I put her on her tummy I thought she might raise her head and do some pushups. I wasn't even thinking about her rolling over. And I think she was just as surprised as I was - slowly a smile crept across her face and she began to chirp and coo.

I put her on her stomach again and almost before I could move my hands away she rolled over again. And then she did it again. After three good rollovers she was worn out, but my spirits were high. After weeks of gradual developmental improvements (watching and grasping objects and more frequent vocalizations), we were excited to have a more momentous occasion to celebrate.