Right on track

This past weekend was a nice mix of quiet time, productive activities, friends and family. Friday night Dad and I made pizza and hung with B - who is cutting teeth and didn't nap all day...it was a touch-and-go evening. Saturday we cleaned out the master closet in preparation to put our house on the market then went to a surprise anniversary party for one of our best friend's parents. Sunday I packed for my 10 day trip to LA and my dad, sister and brother-in-law came over to watch football.

While at dinner Saturday night I was chatting with a BFF about her New Year's resolutions. On that list was the resolution to stop comparing her 10-month-old son to other children and not obsessing over his developmental progression.

Technologically advanced?

We have all been there. From the moment they are born you wait for the first poop, wet diaper, smile, laugh, etc. You read the development books, download the accompanying apps, consult with your pediatrician, ask your parents for reference and interrogate friends with babies remotely comparable in age. And then there is social media...

We had several walkers that really helped him learn to walk.

It's hard not to focus all your attention on this with the research indicating that 1 in 200 children are autistic...or wait, is it 1 in 90 now?! I can't keep up. And I did and do all of this. It took me a while to realize that the precious creature I birthed is fine and, honestly, not particularly exceptional. 

He sat up by himself at around 7 months, crawled a little after 9 months, walked about two weeks after his first birthday. I cannot understand a single thing he says besides Mama and Dada. He prefers french fries, chicken fingers and fish sticks to grilled chicken, veggies and fruits. He has an attitude, he has hit me in the face (and laughed), he likes to throw things and whines incessantly if he doesn't get his way.

Sometimes the pacifier and blanket have to brought out before nap/bed time.

Now for the typical mommy-blogger wrap up...I love him, can't imagine life without him, and he has changed my world for the better. DUH, he is my child. I carried him for 37 weeks, bore him without the help of drugs, milked myself like a cow for his nutritional benefit and think about him at every waking moment.

Just loading up the spoon with oatmeal.

And he is normal and I couldn't ask for more. So like my friend I am going to make an effort to relax and let him progress at his own pace. We will see how I do when he brings home his first report card, starts playing sports, or takes up a musical instrument.

Or forget the spoon, the oatmeal tastes better on my fingers!