From an email I wrote to a friend who has several children (but it was also me talking to myself and thus worth it to me to post):
Please tell me the fact that my daughter isn’t sitting unassisted at six months is okay. She’s long and petite; doesn’t have a lot of ballast in the butt to anchor her. (I don’t know what I’ll do when the next person to meet her says, “She’s so SMALL!” That’s one of two things people ALWAYS say. The other is, “She’s so alert!” I’m tempted to start saying that she makes up with brains what she lacks in brawn.)
Please tell me that my daughter flipping herself from tummy to back constantly doesn’t mean she’s never going to develop creeping, crawling, and walking. She flipped herself from tummy to back at the age of two weeks (she hated tummy time). Now she’ll accept it and remain on her tummy a few minutes, but it’s not her favorite thing. She has rolled from back to tummy a few times lately. I’m looking forward to when she makes the connection that she can control both ways.
Please help me remember that my daughter has been ill the past week and that it’s okay if we don’t do a whole lot of stimulating stuff. And it’s okay that I find things repetitive and tedious sometimes.
I know it’s not a contest, this raising of children. But sometimes being around other parents tempts comparison.
I can tell you this: I marvel at my daughter’s curiosity and sweetness. She is pure. And loving. And adorable. I’m very, very blessed to be her mother.
And her Aunt LP arrives Thursday for another visit! I hope by then Husband is over his second bad cold and Bean is over her first, so we can all enjoy our visit. 🙂
When my daughter first figured out that she could get from Point “A” to Point “B” unassisted, she didn’t bother with creeping or crawling. She rolled. She rolled enthusiastically and very, VERY fast. In fact, when she finally started creeping, she would get frustrated because she didn’t get to where she wanted to be quickly enough, and she’d revert back to the rolling dervish.
You and Claire are going to be fine. Really. It never helps to compare, and I know because I’ve done it and come up short every time. You love her. You’re taking care of her. That’s what she needs. Children aren’t meant for checklists.
I love reading about your daughter. My daughter is about the same age (DOB 3 Sept 2007) and is no where near sitting up. Loves to travel the floor by rolling back to front to back and is just starting to pull her knees up under herself then flops back down. It is very hard not to compare to other babies we know, all within 6 weeks of each other… I sometimes think she is slow, but in other aspects she is ahead of them!! I’m just glad I haven’t had to start chasing her around the house!!!!