Milestones

When Emma and Ellie were very small, I didn't spend much time thinking about or even, documenting milestones.  I am sure I occasionally marvelled at the amount of change and learning that takes place in the first couple years of a little one's life.  But I expected every bit of it.  I never stopped to consider that they might not meet the developmental milestones right on time or that they were anything but healthy, normal kids.  I guess I was pretty naive.  And tired.  Really tired, which is why I don't have a very clear picture of exactly when most of these wonderful milestones occurred.  I know that Emma walked  shortly after her first birthday and Ellie figured it out a couple weeks later.  I remember being proud of them, excited and calling my mom to tell her and brag a littlle.

Being Jacob's mom has been so different and one of the biggest differences has been how I feel about the developmental milestones.  I don't even pick up What to Expect in the First Year - I don't need to see the list of normal development and know that Jakey is behind.  I haven't opened an email from Baby Center in forever - same reason.  I know that Jacob is doing well, very well, in fact.  But I also know that he is on his own developmental schedule and that is sometimes hard.  It is hard to watch babies younger than him doing things before he does.  It is hard when well meaning people ask me if he doing something, when he isn't doing it yet.  I have learned to try to ask people to tell me the newest thing their baby has learned instead of saying, is he sitting up by himself yet?

 I celebrate each milestone so much more than before.  I don't take them for granted - I can see how hard he works to reach them and watching him is truly wonderful.  So, I celebrate.  I danced around the kitchen like a lunatic the first day I looked over and he had pulled himself up on a chair in the living room.  I was so HAPPY that day.

At exactly 15 months, July 14th, Jacob took 3-4 steps toward my mom in the parking lot of the Burnsville mall.  And then about 10 days later, on July 25th, after his physical therapist had just left our house, something clicked in his little head, and he took off, walking all over the place.  From that point on, he has been a true walker.  He walks with a confidence that makes me laugh a little, as if he was just waiting to do it until he was SURE he would be fabulous at it.  I love watching him walk around.  I never really thought he wouldn't walk; none of his medical conditions have anything of that nature involved with them.  But I have worried about when he would do it, so it is such a relief to me that he has mastered it. 

Probably because I have been thinking so much more about development with Jacob then I ever have before, it occurred to me when he started walking how major of a change walking is for a kid.  It literally changes the way they can view and interact with their world.  Being able to walk wherever he wants, allows him to learn so much more and be involved in such a different way than ever before.  And he loves it.  Probably even more than I do. 

Yea, Jacob!  Good work!