I caught up with my neighbor Marnie the other day after her baby’s six-week checkup. “I’m so sorry if I came across rude the other day,” she said. “I hadn’t been outside for days when I saw you, and I’m still so sleep deprived.” I assured her she wasn’t rude, and I totally understood what it was like to be a new mom. “He’s gaining weight,” she continued, “but he’s still so small.” I peeked at him under his blankets, fast asleep. “Marnie, he’s beautiful. You’re doing a great job.”
She sighed and gave me a weary smile as she gazed at her son. I understood that smile. It meant: I’m happy to finally be a mom, but man, it’s hard work. When your nipples are raw, your wrists hurt from lifting the baby, and you no longer notice the smell of wipes and diapers because the scent dominates your home, there are certain infant milestones to keep you going. Not only that, if you take time to think about these firsts, you might see the beauty of the moment is really only the beginning. Here are 5 infant milestones you’ll feel for years to come as your child grows.
1. That First Smile (And First Laugh)
I’ll never forget my daughter’s first smile. She sat in my mom’s lap, facing out and she smiled at me! Then, she laughed! Luckily, I had my camera handy and took several (blurry) pictures to capture the moment. The full cheeks, gummy smile, and eyes that almost disappeared inside her laughter made my mom and me smile too.
Know this: That smile is the first of many. There will be smiles for you, for the friends she’ll make, for class photos. The sound of her laughter as she glides down the playground slide or when she repeats a joke she heard at school will keep you smiling with her through the years.
2. That First Tooth
It’s like finding a sand dollar on the beach—exciting and miraculous and you marvel at its appearance. I was still nursing when my son cut his first tooth and I worried about that razor edge. But he never bit down. We’d established our routine and he knew what to do and nothing was going to change that.
He’s 14 now and in braces. The orthodontist said we had to wait until all his baby teeth had fallen out before applying metal to his smile. With every lost tooth, the Tooth Fairy crept into his room and gazed at his sweet, little-boy face. Even after he knew the truth, he played along, and I got to admire those baby teeth as they showed up again, one by one.
3. That First Bite
Mushy rice. Oh, the face! Even though I zoomed my little red spoon through the air, the reviews weren’t good. And inevitably, some leaked out the corners of her mouth and dripped onto her plastic bib. But I took pictures anyway.
Today, we eat rice dishes all the time. My daughter loves curry! If you’re struggling with foods, know that it’s not always going to be this hard. While it may feel like forever to spoon an entire jar of sweet potatoes into her mouth now, in no time, she’ll have cereal before school or soup at dinner and you won’t think twice about how the food got to her tummy. Savor the time with her now as she takes those first bites.
4. Those First Steps
He walks with his hands in yours holding him up and then, before you know it, there he goes, walking by himself. You cheer his accomplishment as he smiles, monster stepping toward you, so thrilled with his newfound skill.
He’ll run next and jump. He’ll use those feet to hurry from you at bedtime and toward you when he jumps off the school bus. As I write, my 14-year-old is walking around Washington D.C. with his eighth-grade class, hundreds of miles away from where I sit at my kitchen counter. But I know that in those steps, he has confidence and capability. I’ve taught him how to walk and to do so without my help. Try to imagine all the places your child will go on those two feet.
5. Those First Words
Has your baby said her first word yet? My daughter’s first word was “bus.” She said it in her car seat as I narrated while I drove. Unlike my son, she took a long time to talk, and to this day, she’s quieter than he. But name something she loves—like Star Wars—and she’ll be happy to discuss it all night long.
I worried when my daughter didn’t have many words at age 2. But a decade later, I understand that all children are different—even two who’ve come from the same parents. And today, both can be witty and thoughtful. First words mark the beginning of a lifetime of expressing how they feel, what they like, and who they love. Enjoy the journey as your child’s thoughts and words evolve in complexity and number.
Enjoy the journey as your child’s thoughts and words evolve in complexity and number. Click To TweetWhat infant milestones have you enjoyed the most?
