(2 Karats and a Kid) Developmental milestones and why most of them can kiss my a**

Mommy-ism #22:  Screw milestones...just screw them!

I know what you are thinking...uh oh...her baby must be behind...but that's the farthest thing from the truth.  My kid has been kicking ass and taking names - rolling over, crawling, standing, cruising, walking, and operating his iPad months before any milestone chart said he should.

But it's the little milestones that you will drive you nuts. 

Oh no!  My baby isn't waving.
Jesus Christ!  My baby isn't clapping to the beat!
Heavens Lord!  My baby has been calling everything, "daddy" for about six months!

Never mind that most of the time when the baby is lagging behind on a milestone that it's because you forgot to teach him or her to do it! 

And either way, more times that not...babies just operate on their own timing.

After months and months of walking my son down our long hallway to try to encourage him to take steps by himself, I felt like I had dropped the ball somewhere.  But just as I accepted that he would take those steps when he was good and ready, one day out of nowhere he looked at me while he was holding on to my parent's coffee table, held his hands up, and took his first steps as if to say, "see, I just needed you to give me some space!"

I know more than anyone that it's very nerve-wrecking raising a child.  Especially with statistics that scare you about Austism, ADHD, and other medical ailments that we don't know much about.  But the best thing we can do is trust and pray that our children will grow into healthy, happy, talking, walking, and intelligent adults in their own time.  And as they grow, they will be appreciative of the love and acceptance that they receive from their parents more anything else.