She flipped!

I was telling my mom to watch out for Faith when we put her on her back on the sofa, daybed and flat surfaces elsewhere in the house. Becos I've observed my little girl has been arching her back to reach behind her head and pull at a panel of toys which we've tied on the back panel of her cot. Many a times, I've seen her half-turn her body while pulling at the toy panel as if she is almost ready to flip from her back onto her stomach.

True enough, she managed to flip by herself again (after the previous one-time feat) on Sunday night while Louis and I were with her on the daybed in our living room. All along, we've been giving her some tummy time to allow her to practice flipping from her front to the back. However, our little girl has a mind of her own and would instead scream and cry after a while in frustration at not being able to flip.

Monday night, she flipped again when we had her on the daybed while watching TV -- alright... I know some subscribe to the belief that children under the age of 2 should not be allowed to watch TV, but what can I say? And she seemed rather pleased with herself for finally managing this little challenge. As if to underscore the fact that she's now "mastered" the skill, she kept flipping every time we put her right on her back.

Louis and I were rather concerned that she might over-exert herself. Firstly, it was getting late and near to her bedtime. Secondly, even though Faith might think she's now a pro at flipping, she hasn't really been able to deftly prop one side of her arms forward in order to support herself while on her tummy -- its the arm that gets trapped by her body on the same side that she flips over. Hence, Louis and I were afraid that she might even hurt herself. But I guess babies are build to be resilient cos that's how they learn.

Eventually, Louis and I decided to take turns carrying her cos no amount of telling her so will she stop flipping. Just as I'm happy that she's finally managed this significant milestone, I can no longer afford to leave her unattended on any flat surface now. Yesterday morning, as I left her in her cot to go prepare water for her morning bathe, she again flipped inside her cot.

Last night, Louis lowered the mattress of her cot for safety reasons. And now, I know what E meant when she said that diaper changing would never be the same again once the learn to flip. Indeed! Its a constant struggle! :)