27 days

27 days until Miss Kiya's first birthday. :)

And so far 2 days in a row of blog posts :) I am chatty but this may be tough to come up with 30 posts that are even remotely interesting. At least I get Wednesday's off for pictures and you may just see more pictures as time is tight. Of all months for 30 posts this is it. There is a lot going on in our growing family this month. Dossier prep, 1st birthdays, playgroups, Thanksgiving, etc.

So for today's lovely rant: The perfect baby?

Why is it that other parents make assumptions of what kids should be doing and shouldn't be doing based on an age? I know you are probably tired of my complaining about people comparing babies but really enough is enough already. Every kid is different!

Sure I read the charts of developmental milestones. I get my babycenter.com emails and I read my "What to Expect the First Year" book. And yes there are things on all of those lists that say Kiya should be able to do certain things and she has yet to do them. Can she do them, yes I think she can. Why isn't she--ask her.

That said, if I read ahead a few months to see what to expect she is already doing some of those things that are expected of older kids. She can feed herself, she can drink from a cup, she can bend at the waist and pick up a toy. She babbles like it is her own little language. I could go on. She is developing on her timeline so if she skips things now to do other things that is okay. She doesn't have to go in order. It isn't a rule.

I guess my frustration lies in the judgement I sometimes see in other parent's questions that some how Kiya isn't developing well. I on the contrary think she is doing just fine. She has been evaluated by her doctor. Her doctor said most kids don't walk until after they are 1 years old so why does almost everyone expect Kiya to be walking?

Do I think her gross motor skills are delayed--maybe a little. Is she outside the range of normal? No she isn't so therefore I am not concerned. She couldn't stand at all at homecoming and when evaluated by Birth to 3 at 7 months she could for just a little bit so 4 months later for her to be walking while holding our fingers and standing up playing with toys is GREAT.

Why is there so much pressure for kids to exceed all milestones and be super smart? Why are their infomercials selling parents products to make their baby read? Why do babies need to read? I just don't see the need to put so much pressure on little ones. She will do everything she needs to when she wants to and when she is ready. It isn't for me to decide or force on her at this point. If she isn't walking by 18 months then we will intervene. She grew so tall in such a short time the doctor thinks she just has to get used to her new limbs and how to move them all together.

I look at it this way. She has been through so much in such a short time. How she is processing that is hard to say. She has been with us longer than she was in Ethiopia. This is the longest she has been in one place with the same caregivers. She is a strong and stubborn little angel. She has some confidence issues and is learning to trust. She is curious and a daredevil and can be a little shy. We can see the wheels turning and right now that is all that matters.