Busted

Madeline's walking skills have blossomed over the past month - so much so that walking is becoming more secondary. Instead of walking for walking's sake, she's walking while playing with a toy (or two) or walking to get somewhere. And, although she's usually pretty skilled at keeping her balance and correcting herself when teetering, she occasionally experiences a tumble. And some of those tumbles bring her squarely in contact with something painful.

Almost every day she has some new scratch or bruise, and this weekend is no different. Yesterday she was walking and playing with my camera's lens cap when she stumbled face-first into the corner of a wooden chair leg. Today her left cheek bears a shiny reminder.

I wrote a couple months ago about the potential danger she faces when walking around. Generally I've remained laid-back, but sometimes I know to stay close. Most of the time, however, it's impossible to save her from injury. She walks everywhere now, and in a moment she can be somewhere else. And she's so good at walking that it's harder to anticipate when she might fall.

Fortunately her injuries have been pretty minor, and they don't seem to bother her once the initial moment has passed. And, as much as I hate to see her cute little face marred by a bruise or scrape, I know that it's an unavoidable part of toddlerhood.