Toddler warning signs?

I subscribe to babycenter.com and they send me weekly updates on Cadence's development along with plenty of diaper coupons and links to baby boutiques which no one, besides Brangelina, can afford. Sometimes these e-mails are really fun to read and help me to realize that I'm definitely not alone in the insanity that is "Toddler Land," yet, other times they make me worry myself mad, like the one I recently received. This particular e-mail included the 10 red flags for motor development in toddlers, needless to say motor development diseases are in every mother's top 5 scariest-things-that-could-happen-to-my-child list. I almost can't imagine anything worse than seeing our daughter experience a life with one of these diseases, but unfortunately, my mind was definitely not at ease after I read the list of 'red flags'. They included the following:

-Child's motor skills are regressing
-Child's limbs seem stiff
-Child's muscles seem floppy and loose
-Child doesn't walk yet
-Child is walking on her toes
-Child favors one hand or side of her body
-Child seems very clumsy
-Child is constantly moving
-Child has trouble grasping and manipulating objects
-Child drools and has difficulty eating

Definitely, I understand that if Cadence's limbs seemed stiff or her muscles seem 'floppy and loose' I should be concerned... but the rest of these seem like perfect descriptions of your typical toddler (to a certain age). Late walkers are fairly common, Cadence wasn't one of them, but some kids don't start until they're 18 months old. However, she definitely walks on her toes sometimes... when she's ticked off and trying to reach the lipstick that I just took from her and placed on the counter. She also tends to favor one side of her body as she pivots on one foot to spin circles and yell, "Whooooaaa, whooooaaa, whoooaaa, whoooaaa!" AND YES! She is constantly moving! That girl never STOPS moving, it's go go go go go! In fact we've recently learned that word... as in "GO! MOM!" On that note, she's also very clumsy. She walks along perfectly until those darn carpet fibers get in her way. Bumps and bruises aren't new to us, and FYI cushioned ottomans don't break falls any better than a regular coffee table. She also has difficulty manipulating and grasping objects... hence the frequently dropped pacis behind the changing station and crib along with her ability to say "UH OH!" since she was about 11 months old and even better than she says "Momma" and "Dadda." Finally, she does drool everywhere, A LOT. I would too if I had seven teeth trying to cut through my gums all at once and parents who keep me doped up on Motrin and teether tablets! Really, it's for her sanity and ours... Not only that but yes, she still has difficulty eating. Oh, she tries sooo hard to feed herself with a spoon... but she does a better job feeding the cat! Although I have to admit... I spill on myself at least once a meal. So, I guess the toddler I thought was 'normal' actually has both quantative and qualitive motor disorders. WHOOOOA! But hold on there, the e-mail also says that it can be difficult to determine if these 'signs' are just little quirks or actual problems... usually there's no cause for alarm... but when your child goes to put a block on a table and misses it may be a sign of epilepsy... but seriously don't worry most of the time these things are normal... yet if your child talks and moves around a lot it may be a sign of ADHD... no really though don't fret... too much. We all grew up wondering why our mothers were so crazy... now that I'M a mother... I know why. I know that Cadence is a perfectly healthy, wonderfully crazy little girl, but I can't help the urge to call the doctor every time I read a new article. Sometimes I think that it might be better to unsubscribe to babycenter and simply not know. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.

Thanks for reading,
Jae