At Arm's Length

My baby is seven months old and already he is pushing me away.  When I hold him, facing me, he almost always leans back as far as he can and, with his arm extended and his elbow locked, keeps himself an arm's length away. Sometimes, though, when he is out there, on his own, something will startle him and he'll dive into my chest and burrow in. And I hope that is the way it always is with me and my kids- them pushing away, exploring, learning, living their own lives and me doing the same, but with my chest always available for a weary or worried head.