In the blink of an eye

About a month or so ago I noticed that Oliver was blinking in a very pronounced way and quite frequently. It gave the impression that perhaps he couldn't see well. He would do it when watching TV but also at other times.

When I tried to ask him whether he could see OK he said yes. Probably not the best question to ask a 2 year old. I tried other ways of enquiring, but sometimes just planting the possibility of an answer in a two-year-olds mind is enough to prompt it.

We took him to Hayley's (and I guess Oliver's) GP and she recommended he see the nurse specialisaing in children's eye conditions who visits the baby clinic. (I forget the correct term: "opthalmic nurse" maybe?) Oliver had seen her once before as a toddler because as a baby he had one eye that opened slightly more than the other.

He saw her again today. On this occasion he had to look at pictures across a room - from about 12 feet say - and tell her what they showed.
A van. "Postman Pat's van."
A boot. (After a long pause) "Wellington!"
The pictures became increasingly small until for the last one he said "I don't know. You tell me Mummy and I'll tell the lady."

The conclusion of the examination was that he is fine and that the blinking is probably a nervous habit he will grow out of.

So maybe one of the answers he gave me had some truth after all. "I just like blinking Daddy".