You can't catch me!

In the last week -- just as Riley turned seven months old -- he has changed dramatically. The mellow baby we've come to know has been replaced with an active, willful wiggle worm. Feeding the distraction king has become increasingly challenging and has got me convinced he's going to squirm out of my arms and bonk his noggin on the floor. He is constantly in motion and, while he can't yet crawl, he can scoot backwards and back himself into a corner. Here, we had been trying to coax him toward his favorite toys in the middle of the room, while he defiantly seemed to assert that he has own agenda.

"You can't catch me!"

Riley has also learned how to manipulate us, crying to get our attention. Several times, we've heard him crying and as soon as we've responded, he's broken into a huge smile, as if to say, "I knew that would work!"

On Monday, Riley's child care provider asked, "What happened to Riley over the weekend? This is a different kid!" Exhausted, I agreed. Can a baby suddenly turn into a toddler when he's not even toddling yet?