It is hard to believe it but my baby is eight months old! His first birthday will be creeping up on us before we know it! It is amazing how much they grow in the first year. I’ve watched my little man hit the milestones one after another. They happen so quickly that I’ve had to be really diligent to get them documented either by photograph, video, or by jotting a quick note on the calendar. I can see why moms of more than one guiltily confess that they have a half finished baby book or only a handful of photos of the second or third child. It is almost impossible to document each new surprise as it happens even with only one baby!
It has been so exciting to see my baby, who just eight months ago depended on me for everything and couldn’t even hold his own head up, now crawl, sit up, and take the first steps towards walking! Those first bites of solid food and the faces he makes each time he tries something new are priceless! It’s been so fun to see him cruise around hanging on to the furniture and make funny faces with his tongue as he’s trying to feel those first teeth coming in. I know it is cliché to say, but they grow up so fast!
It has been a whirlwind adventure for me too, from learning to nurse to figuring out this whole eating solids thing. I’ve been bumbling my way through, asking lots of questions to my mom, the pediatrician, and friends who have babies. It really does take a village, and I’ve been lucky to have so many wonderful people to help me when I’m not sure what to do. I know some moms complain of unsolicited advice, but I’ve welcomed it, because I know the people who are doling it out love me and my son and want the best for us (and I know ultimately I have the final word and decision to make!).
As exciting as it has been anticipating and finally watching my son hit the first year milestones one after another just like the books and websites say, I’d like to leave you with one word of advice. Don’t be a pusher. What? You might be asking yourself what I mean. A pusher is a mom (or dad) who is constantly pushing there child to do more, to hit the next milestone, to learn to do something before the rest of his peers. Pushers are constantly watching for the next big milestone or achievement to take place. As a mother and an educator, I see pushers all the time. Let your child be a child or your baby be a baby. While we all want to see our children achieve success and to reach their highest potential, don’t forget to let them feed their natural curiosity and to discover the world – the buzz of the bees, the crunching of the leaves, the way that mud feels when it squishes between your toes. Stop and enjoy the moment and smile at the things your child is doing right now. Try to stop looking ahead and anticipating the next big milestone and enjoy the one your in right now