The baby rolled over last week. She was rolling, front to back, teeter-totter, for a couple months. However, it has been sporadic, like losing her balance when placed "just so" on her elbows. This time, she actually pushed on her hands and flipped herself over. Pleased as she was with herself, she continued to do it, and prove that it's no longer a fluke.
Development. Check.
I felt excited, but also a bit nonchalant. Of course babies roll over. Why not? This is only one little milestone in a series of milestones in a lifetime of little things that each human accomplishes, then moves along to her next challenge.
Still, it's probably the final time I'll celebrate this one for my own child. It's also one of those little surprises and developments for myself. It sounds obvious, but I'm finding myself taking little steps and achieving little things right beside my roly-poly baby. I'm learning about babies with expected delays in development. I'm learning about Down Syndrome. I'm learning and re-learning and re-learning again that every person (including every soul in my home) is unique and interesting and yet not all that different from one another.
A friend shared a really sweet story with me the other day. It brought tears to my eyes, partly in widening my mind to hopes and dreams for my daughter. The tears were also out of guilt - for not having those hopes and dreams before hearing that story.
I don't know what to expect with her, but I'm learning to rethink it all - even to remember that I should have expectations. Maybe that's something to celebrate in and of itself. Maybe it's like rolling over on purpose - just engage some new muscles in the right way, at the right time. It's big, it's small, and it's part of growing toward more mobility.
Perhaps it will cease to surprise me when my baby - this baby - is on or ahead of schedule in development. Perhaps I'll learn to really celebrate those things. Perhaps, as another friend advised me, every little development will be a big deal. I'll get online and blog about it Right. At. That. Moment. On the other hand, perhaps I'll continue to learn that she's a baby, and babies do these things. There will be balance and progress, however uncoordinated and imperfect, for us all.
Development. Check.
I felt excited, but also a bit nonchalant. Of course babies roll over. Why not? This is only one little milestone in a series of milestones in a lifetime of little things that each human accomplishes, then moves along to her next challenge.
Still, it's probably the final time I'll celebrate this one for my own child. It's also one of those little surprises and developments for myself. It sounds obvious, but I'm finding myself taking little steps and achieving little things right beside my roly-poly baby. I'm learning about babies with expected delays in development. I'm learning about Down Syndrome. I'm learning and re-learning and re-learning again that every person (including every soul in my home) is unique and interesting and yet not all that different from one another.
A friend shared a really sweet story with me the other day. It brought tears to my eyes, partly in widening my mind to hopes and dreams for my daughter. The tears were also out of guilt - for not having those hopes and dreams before hearing that story.
I don't know what to expect with her, but I'm learning to rethink it all - even to remember that I should have expectations. Maybe that's something to celebrate in and of itself. Maybe it's like rolling over on purpose - just engage some new muscles in the right way, at the right time. It's big, it's small, and it's part of growing toward more mobility.
Perhaps it will cease to surprise me when my baby - this baby - is on or ahead of schedule in development. Perhaps I'll learn to really celebrate those things. Perhaps, as another friend advised me, every little development will be a big deal. I'll get online and blog about it Right. At. That. Moment. On the other hand, perhaps I'll continue to learn that she's a baby, and babies do these things. There will be balance and progress, however uncoordinated and imperfect, for us all.
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