Firsts

Three days ago, I had a conversation with a mom friend about how her fourth child was going to be her latest walker, yet. And I wondered when my fourth child walked, especially if it was late or early in comparision with the other children. I didn't know.

I looked on his first year calendar, which was only filled in to the sixth month. Uh-oh. I hoped I had written the info somewhere.

I went back looking on old calendars (which I keep to put scrapbook pages in the order that the events happened) and in old journals. I had the information to fill in his first year calendar! Yay! Good news!

All this sleuthing led me to compare more than just when the youngest walked but other interesting trivia, to their mom at least. This is what I found:

Rolling Over from Tummy to Back
S was 5 days old! (yes! it is true)
L, M and J were almost 3 months old

Rolling from Back to Tummy
S at 3 months
L & J were right around 3 1/2 months
M 4 1/2 months

Crawling on Hands & Knees
S * 6 months
M * 7 months
L * 7 1/2 months
J * 8 1/2 months

First Step
S * 9 months, 4 days
J * 10 months, 2 weeks
L * 1o months, 3 weeks
M * 11 months, 1 week

Walking
J * 11 months, 2 weeks
S * 11 months, 2 1/2 weeks
M * 11 months 3 weeks
L * 12 months, 1 week

Running
J * 12 months, a few days
He is the only child that I wrote down when he was running! He went the quickest from a step to a walk to a run.

First Tooth, Second Tooth
M * 6 months * 6 1/2 months
J * 7 months (1 day before) * 7 months (4 days after)
S * 8 1/2 months * 8 3/4 months
L * 9 3/4 months * 10 1/2 months

First words
L * Night, night
S * Daddy
M * Mama
J * Ball

It cracks me up that the boys first words were about events or things -- night, night & ball. It seems fitting then that the girls' first words were people: daddy & mommy.

I think the most surprising element in my research was that my first born wasn't the soonest in any accomplishment! I thought he was the most amazing kid and would wow the pediatrician at his amazing prowess at being able to roll over and walk and talk. The doc always said he was "normal". And I thought, "Normal? You mean brilliant! Exceptional! Extraordinary!"

Now, I know that normal development and healthy are wonderful words to hear. But, it was a serving of humble pie for this mother. And here it is surprising me again that my first born didn't accomplish any of these milestones sooner than other children except for me. He was the first child that I watched roll over, take a step, and get a tooth and walk. He still is exceptional to me and so are all three of the others: each in their own unique way and because they belong to me.