16 month old suddenly needy?

TobieRose

My little guy has suddenly become very emotionally needy. Not separation anxiety, exactly--he has really taken off walking in the past couple weeks and has no problem exploring away from DH and I; he loves to meet new people, doesn't care when we leave him with grandparents for a few hours or when one of us leaves, etc. But he needs to be held a lot more than before, and if both of us are home he needs to know where we are at all times. He's also had some trouble when I leave the room after putting him down for the night--not something that's ever happened before! He also frequently asks for his monkey and binky, both of which he used to only want at bedtime. 

Is this a developmental phase? Maybe to do with his new found independence with walking? I worry for him because we will be moving (hopefully) by the end of the month and he has two brothers on the way, so he is going to have a lot of changes to adjust in the next few months. I want him to feel as secure as possible.