(no subject)

[rivka]

Thanks, everyone, for your support. This mothering thing would be a lot easier if it included clear-cut, objective performance reviews, you know? Because otherwise there's just no way to tell if you're good enough, and there are plenty of people out there eager to tell you that you aren't.

My freakout prevented me from announcing major Alex news:



At five and a half months old, she's sitting up. That can't possibly be right, can it?

(More September photos here.)

Comments

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

She's beautiful!

just no way to tell if you're good enough,

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

You'll never be good enough.

Kill the Perfect Mother in your head. She will never, ever solve a problem for you; she will only cause you pain.

Is your baby healthy? Is she cheerful? When she becomes a person, is she kind?

That's the only exam, and the results are never final.

Signed, Hates Herself Because Her 12-year-old just brought home an F in math.

Re: just no way to tell if you're good enough,

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

Don't you _dare_

I have my dad tutoring the kid in math. I flat refuse to make an issue of it.

[eeyorerin]

She's happy, healthy, and sitting! You must be doing something right. :)

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

She's so cute!

And she's obviously a very happy baby, which I think qualifies you as more than good enough.

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

She's so cute!

That can't possibly be right, can it?

I don't think you can believe what any of the books say - my niece just started walking at 8 months!

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Never pay attention to the milestones' ages-at-which-they-start-doing-X. The oldest-ordinary-ages are of more use for things like walking and talking to help pinpoint developmental issues, but you can imagine my shock when my oldest stood up at six months and walked just before turning seven? The books *say* they don't walk before nine, but I know half a dozen kids who have. So be prepared for early gate-installation but don't freak if she changes her pace either.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

you can imagine my shock when my oldest stood up at six months and walked just before turning seven?

*hands over ears* I'm not listening! I'm not liiiistening!

(But I did go out and buy gates today.)

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Smart move. I know a young man who started walking at six months. :)

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

Just like the EB - Alex is becoming a real live *person*!!! I find that to be the exciting part. :)

[platypus]

Lookit that face. There's your performance review, right there.

[windsea.livejournal.com]

Bingo.

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

Believe me, what Alex is doing is what Alex is supposed to do.

And you, Mrs. Dr. New Mother Doubtful, are doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing by being awed by her progress and not getting in her way.

[kightp.livejournal.com]

If Alex thinks it's right, then I expect it is.

What a happy baby face...

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

What a delightful and beautiful young lady! You guys are doing a great job.

[pameladean]

She looks pretty thrilled about it. You could just go with that.

P.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

What a happy, beautiful baby. :)

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

I'm just agreeing with everyone else: she's lovely, and that's all the performance review you need.

[saoba.livejournal.com]

She's lovely, she's happy and she's progressing like a champ.

Nature or nurture? I'd say both.

You have a healthy, happy little girl. Part of that is who she is, and part of that is who you and Michael are as her parents. I wish I could bottle up the faith I have in the three of you and send it to you by Overnight Express.

[erisian-fields.livejournal.com]

Sitting at 5.5 months isn't all that rare. Jackie had all her gross motor milestones at least a month before the "average" age range, but the fine motor skills lagged a bit. Shannon was the other way around. Colin seems to be doing everything early. He's really close to sitting up on his own and he's a couple weeks younger than Alex. What's freaking us out is the fact that he's going to be crawling very soon. He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth. He's even tried picking up a hand, but that made him shoot forward and land on his face on the carpet. Usually, he just pushes himself backwards and gets upset. He'll be crawling in a couple weeks or less.

The more kids I know about, the more I think those tables are "adjusted" to make everyone think their kid is doing things "early."

[orangemike.livejournal.com]

The more kids I know about, the more I think those tables are "adjusted" to make everyone think their kid is doing things "early."
Link

Nope, it's just that all our kids are Above Average.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Rivka, sorry for the LJ seizure but...
Hi Erisian - you had a 3rd baby this past spring, too? May I friend you? I have a 5 month old daughter, first girl after two boys...

[erisian-fields.livejournal.com]

Sure!

I have a boy after two girls.

We now return rivka's LJ to it's previous program. :)

[richtermom.livejournal.com]

I think they're adjusted so we aren't psychotic that our kid STILL isn't DOING something are they DELAYED? should I take her to the EMERGENCY ROOM?

Heck. I didn't walk until around 17 months, so I was thrilled when Squeaky took after her dad and started tottering right around 10 months. I think she was sitting up around...6 months? Just before? And creeping and crawling around 7 months. Ish.

That's all a blur, and it's just last fall.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I didn't walk until I was three, so I think Alex is very advanced. ;-)

[raincitygirl.livejournal.com]

I love how in every single photo, she's fixing the camera with her eagle eye. She seems like she's giving everything so much attention.

It's all wrong!

[ailbhe]

Alex doesn't seem to have realised she's doing it wrong, though. If her grin gets any bigger she'll explode.

Linnea crawled *first*, then sat up. She climbed first, then walked. She fed herself from a spoon first, then ate fingerfoods. She bit me first, then ran away...

[perceval.livejournal.com]

there's a little boy in my baby massage class who's also mastered that trick. This is not only right, but also a very encouraging sign.

Further to your last post, here's a link to a nice book on Babycalming (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007159021/qid%3D1127641803/202-9270026-9955002) and a book to dip into for reassurance What Mothers Do, Especially When It Looks Like Nothing (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/074992490X/qid=1127641846/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/202-9270026-9955002).

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

She's so cute!!!!

And, um, officially now I think too big for the onesies I got her when she was born. And, um, wrapped and packaged and set beside my computer. So, er, um, d'oh! (Hanna Anderson, 50cm. Which I think is around a 3-month size. Though they might run big.)

Can you e-mail me your address, anyway? I seem to have thoroughly mislaid it. And what is Alex's last name, exactly?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

That might be my fault, because I think some people asked for my address in the early days and I was too foggy to send it out. Alex is on the cusp of switching to 6-9month sizes, and she's in the 80th percentile for length, so they probably won't fit her now. Re-package them for the next baby, I guess. ;-)

Her last name is Wald. Alexandra Calvert Wald.

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

After a long and intensive study of the picture I conclude that she is, indeed, sitting up, and while the pain may have addled your brain a bit, I don' t think you got her birthdate wrong. So it must be right.

I didn't get around to commenting on the other thread, and I know it's probably pointless to say this, but will you please stop worrying? By giving her the assurance that her needs will be met you are *not* spoiling her/breeding a monster, you are giving her the freedom to explore and experiment.

Kids need boundaries, yes, and I am certain you have set a few. If she pulled your hair you'd tell her not to, woulnd't you? Gently and kindly, but 'no'. I've always found it better to operate a clear policy of things that are absolutely utterly forbidden (and those tend to be pretty obvious - biting, scratching, being a general pain - all young mammals have to learn them) where no means NO.

I rarely tested my boundaries until I was, oh, fifteen, and then only in a mild way, because my mum always set them *sensibly* and explained them. I accepted, because I had plenty of examples, that she really *did* know best and that her rules were sensible, and because I had a lot of input even when I was very little, I never felt steamrollered.

Every parent, every kid is different. Yours seems exceptionally content with herself and the world and I adore reading about your adventures together.

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

That's right, folks. I'm sitting up, and soon I shall TAKE OVER THE WORLD! So Quake with fear, you puny mortals!

p.s. She's really cute.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

What lovable joy! And yes, quite right, too!

[thbeatnik.livejournal.com]

It seems pretty clear to me that Alex is healthy, happy, loved, and loving. So, no matter what petty quibbles others might have, you're doing the most important things exactly right.

As for the sitting, she certainly seems pretty comfortable and confident while doing so in your linked pictures. From at least *her* point of view,
sitting at this age is only natural.

[annafdd.livejournal.com]

This is a majorly cute baby. I've just spent a day with my cousin's child which I love dearly, but she's nowhere near this beautiful. I realize all babies have little itsy bitsy pug noses and large eyes but this is... she's actually outcompeting several kittens in my cutomemter.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Wow, lookit the sitting-up baby! SO cool. Go Alex, and go you and curiousangel!