Yeah, but can your kid do this?

On my first weekend free from writing or studying, our plans include babyproofing the house. Why? Because literally overnight Caleb has started showing the beginnings of mobility. It started Tuesday morning when I picked him up from GranB and Pop Pop's house. He has spent the night there so that Andrew and I could have the night to celebrate my successful defense. When C and I got home Tuesday morning, I fed him and then sat him down on his play mat. I turned my back for a moment to grab some toys, and when I looked back, he had moved to his tummy. Just to test his ability to "crawl" forward from a sitting position, I moved him back to the sitting position and watched as he indeed reached forward, rolled over his leg, and plopped onto his tummy. It wasn't graceful in the least, but he seemed unphased by the faceplant move that had just taken place. Once on his tummy, he began sticking his left leg out to the side in an attempt to push himself. In the past he had tried to do the "snake crawl" where he kicks his legs in the air and puts his arms out to the side. It is as if he thinks that he can propel himself on his stomach alone! This new "leg out to the side" thing hasn't yet yielded any forward movement, but he can spin in circles more efficiently than before AND he can crawl backwards! That's where the title of this post comes from. Seriously, what kid can crawl backwards before forwards? I think it's pretty impressive. Of course I do, I'm his mother! I'd think it was impressive if he could pick his nose, too!

At any rate, he's mobile one way or another, spinning, rolling front to back to front across the room, or backwards crawling. The days of being able to sit on the floor next to him eating lunch while he contently plays are over.

Here's a cell phone video of the "snake crawl," and at the end you can see the "leg to the side" move too. I haven't yet captured the backwards crawl, but check back soon for a posting unless he learns to go forward first.