I am beginning to realize that major developmental milestones rarely happen suddenly. It's not as if Madeline will be sitting one day and then suddenly rise up and walk across the room. "Baby steps," they say. These things take place gradually, with barely perceptible improvements each day, and we patiently wait, watch and encourage.
So when does Madeline officially crawl? Is it when her tummy rises up and her knees are under her body? Is it when she drags her body across the floor with her arms, or pushes with her feet, when her tummy is still touching the floor? The fundamental concept is mobility, after all.
Today Madeline rotated herself 90 degrees while laying on her stomach. It only took a minute or two - her legs are pushing off with purpose and her arms reach out in a repeated swimming motion. In other words, it's hardly accidental. If her feet didn't slide on the rug beneath her she would have moved herself in a forward line. Is that what crawling is - forward motion? Some books say babies find it easier to crawl backward at first.
I'm not ready to label today's activities as crawling - I'll wait until she moves herself backward or forward in a more linear fashion. But if today was any indication, that feat lies in the not-too-distant future.
2 comments:
Madeline is adorable. It won't be much longer before she is into a real crawl. When you or Lacey walk into the room she will squeal with excitement and quickly crawl to whomever is entering the room.
I'm so happy you are taking pictures for us to see how quickly she is changing. What you and Lacey are doing to bring her into our homes when we cannot be with her is priceless.
Thank you both for bringing us such joy.
Well, first there is sliding, then scooting, lurching,tumbling...then running all around that soccer field with mom and dad on the sidelines cheering.
Granddaddy Glover
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