How to take care of little Chuggernaut's feet once she lifts off.
Free her soles. American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) asserts that babies do not need shoes until they begin walking outdoors. If your baby is walking in open areas where no objects will harm her piggies, even outside, she may be barefoot. Walking barefoot promotes healthy foot growth, develops balance naturally and allows for exploration of tactile sensations. Pudgy bare feet have traction, lessening the chance for slipping and falling on smooth surfaces like hardwood floors or tile. For chilly days, try trumpette socks - cozy stockings with non-skid bottoms that are whimsically designed to look like shoes.
The newly-toddling do need protection for their darling little tootsies when they start to venture outside on more rugged terrain. Early walker footwear should have soft, flexible soles, (think shoe/bootie hybrid) and a roomy fit, with half an inch of space between the toe and the tip of the shoe. This allows plenty of room to grow and does not restrict movement of tiny feet. It's a good idea to check the fit every one to three months; your baby is growing fast! There are many affordable and adorable options for proper baby shoes. Typically, the $12-15 models are made from synthetic materials, while the price for leather will range from about $25 to $40.
With shoes this cute, you will have to remind yourself to let your baby cruise around shoeless as much as possible, learning about the softness of sand and the coolness of grass underfoot.
An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox.
It's exploration time!
When your baby becomes ambulatory, life changes quite dramatically for both of you. Her head-to-toe measurement will now be called "height" instead of "length!" And you will come to understand why people say to you, "My, you're busy." She may walk like a super slow-mo sailor who still has his sea legs, but she'll manage to cover every square inch of her surroundings and you'll feel like an endurance athlete in training. Baby-proofing is a must now, and it is good to be ever-vigilant of what is within your fledgling walker's reach. Try to anticipate what is in her immediate path at all times, to minimize trips, slips, and falls. Baby gates are a good idea in the stairwell, but walking up and down stairs with plenty of supervision is good exercise and helps set those gross motor skills. Bumps happen. It is upsetting to see a goose egg on your little precious' pretty round head, but remember that babies are well-engineered to withstand the trials and tribulations of learning to walk upright.
We don't usually begin to discuss the subject of bone mass until our autumn or even winter years, but we really should start the dialogue on this issue in the early spring of life. You have some power tools in your grasp to ensure good bone health for your baby's newly-vertical skeleton. A sound diet for your toddler, rich with Vitamin D and Calcium, is one vital factor. Whole milk supplies both. Calcium is the chief mineral that makes up our bones, and serum blood levels of the essential nutrient Vitamin D are directly related to bone strength. Actually, one of the most important functions of Vitamin D is to increase calcium absorption in the body. In addition to calcium and vitamin D, recent research found that polyphenols, the natural plant phytyo-compounds that give fruits colors such as blue, green, and purple, stimulated oteoclasts, or bone- forming cells. Sources include colorful fruits like berries and apples. By being conscious of instilling behaviors for developing your child's bone mass to peak capacity at this tender age, 
you are giving the gift of skeletal health that will last throughout life. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Use these preventive practices to ward off osteoporosis for you both. Your baby's natural range of exercise is best for her, including butterfly chasing and puddle stomping. For your bone density, the best forms of exercise include walking, running, hiking, dancing, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, and soccer. Bossa nova, anyone?
This is the sweet and simple way in which lifelong good habits for physical fitness are forged. You may want to check out a "mommy and me" yoga class or interactive music class, which is stimulating for your baby and remarkably energizing for you. And it's a good chance to exercise your socializing muscles - connecting with other mothers of tots is often really affirming.
