I’ve been thinking a lot about the childhood milestones; as parents we all look out the next new step in their development whatever their age. As Lucas is becoming older the major milestones are becoming further apart. With a newborn it seems like something new happens every week and it is all major to a first time Mum. When they smile at you and then laugh, when they learn to roll over, crawl and eventually walk. The first year holds so many milestones that I recorded in some way, dates and photos, but there are so many more to come.
Today Lucas pointed quite clearly to our cat and said ‘ca’ he then looked at me expectantly, smiling as he knew this was something to be proud off. He didn’t need to look for me to know; I was already clapping and grinning at him! This has become an even bigger milestone for us as he is 18 months at the end of February and we don’t get any real words. He has so many sounds and associates them with objects; when we see the ducks there is a quack sound and when we have dinner there is a yum sound. I can see the progress he is making and he knows when he is close to the right word. Our health visitor asked me to see her at the end of this month if I am concerned. I wouldn’t say I am concerned but I still want to see her, tell her we are moving forward and get some advice about how I can best help his speech. If he needs a little bit of extra help that’s fine but most of the time he gets by just fine without talking.
As pleased as I am about this big milestone there seems to have been a whole host of mini milestones that go unnoticed until I suddenly stop and realise that he wasn’t doing it last week. He holds his arms out to help me put his clothes on and if he is holding a toy he knows he has to swap hands while I get his clothes on. We now let him walk alongside the pushchair and when I get him out he lifts up his hand to hold mine. He picked out his first book by himself at the library, ‘Goodnight Digger’ and we have read it every night since. I caught him at the front door a couple of days ago with the house keys held up to the lock; there are so many little things like this that we don’t even realise he is taking in and making sense of how they fit into his little world. My favourite by far is that he will now come for a cuddle and hold his little face against ours for a kiss. When I kiss him goodnight at night I sweep the hair across his forehead and now when I ask him for a kiss he will stroke my hair.
Although the changes aren’t as dramatic it is still nice to record these little moments of loveliness that make my heart melt. It gives me confidence we are doing something right as parents. I can’t even think about the milestones when he is a teenager, god help us when he has a first date. For now I will thoroughly enjoy him stroking my hair and smiling at me while I tell him I love him.