Has It Been A Year Already?!

Yes it has… it has actually been 14 months, which brings me to my first observation on how we communicate ‘baby age’.

I used to be and maybe still am of the opinion that once a baby turns 1, she is 1… until she’s 2. Most, however, represent their kid’s age in number of umpteen months. This especially drives me crazy when the kid is approaching 36months! It’s not a car lease! I have learned that the reason we continue to ‘count months’ has to do with developmental milestones. It sort of matters if a baby is just over 1 year old or 1.5 or closer to 2 as far as hitting certain milestones like crawling, walking, teething, forming ‘Play-Doh ’ poops etc…

I digress… In what appears to be a blink of an eye, with the exceptions of many sleepless nights and my new ability to hear the crackle of a baby monitor within 50ft, my baby turned 1 year old. Let me say that again, because some of you reading this may be just beginning your journey and 1 year may seem like a long time…. it’s not. In 1 year Alejandra went from being a defenseless, dependent, relatively still human bundle of joy to an opinionated, mobile, sweet and demanding little person. How did it happen?! Purposefully.

See… kids pick up on everything. Let me say that again: kids pick up on everything. This is both amazing and scary at the same time.

Let me explain:

In Alejandra’s box of squares, triangles and stars, which she is supposed to learn the shapes and fit them through the lid, there lies a wine cork. Yes, it is a necessity around my house, and she loves playing with it (under supervision, of course.) So, she’s playing with this wine cork, and I see that she’s putting it close to her mouth, but not quite biting it like she does most other things. I didn’t think much of it the first few times… Then it hit me. I’m always putting on lip balm, and she was too! This is what I am talking about, Willis! (80's pop-culture reference: look it up).

So the second ‘ah-ha’ moment was, if this kid is observing me put on lip balm, what else in the family dynamics is she also observing? Is she picking up cues on how I sometimes yell at the dog for being in the way? Is she picking up how I tell her mother how pretty she is, and kiss her on my way out the door? These are the behaviors that are shaping our babies without us necessarily noticing. Both amazing and scary. This has helped me become more self-aware in how I behave and the tone I like to set around the house. Keep it in mind.

Looking back at the past year, I have but one thing to share with those of you looking forward:
     - Take lots of pictures and videos.

          Until next time,
          Alejandra’s Dad signing out … is that the baby monitor? ;)