Happy Birthday!

I know how you feel mom and dad, your little darling has turned a year old and oh, what an exciting time it is!  Look how far she’s developed from the newborn you brought home from the hospital twelve months ago to now… isn’t life good? 

Your child has started taking a few steps on her own.  She probably is a little wobbly and cautious as she takes those first few steps. But she is motivated to master this skill.  Your child will fall at times  so you may want to keep her on the carpet or on the grass. Keep her in some place that can cushion her fall because you may not always be there to catch her.  I remember when my daughter took her first steps.  We were outside, playing with bubbles and she stood up to try and pop the bubbles.  But as they were blowing in the breeze, she couldn’t quite reach them so she took one small, cautious step, then another and then lost her balance.  But that was just the beginning and she was walking well on her own within a month.

Another motor skill you will see is your baby throwing a ball.  It’s not an overhand throw yet but the throw will be more like a slight underhand toss.  Just be careful of the objects that your baby has in her hand because although her movements are intentional and more controlled now, objects can and will fly out of her hand.  Trust me on this one, I got pelted in the head from one of the wooden blocks my daughter was playing with and maybe it was the angle that the block hit me, but it really hurt!