Milestones

Everything really is different with your second child.

With Maya, we were hyper aware of every milestone.

First smile, rolling over, sitting up, solid food, pincher grasp, standing up, walking, running,... We watched for and celebrated each one, closely reading the Baby Center updates that told us exactly what an average child would be doing at each stage. And of course, ridiculously proud when she reached each milestone a bit early.

We celebrate Elliot's milestones, too of course, though we are in much less of a hurry to reach each one. And the Baby Center updates now go straight to my bulk mail folder, since I'm not much interested in the official time line or all of the ridiculous must-have products they peddle, like The Medicator. Sheesh!

And unlike Maya, Elliot has an entire set of alternative milestones that we are tracking!

For example, as she approached her first birthday, we waited expectantly for a fresh round of sleep disruptions. She had been sleeping really well for a long time, just as Maya had. Then suddenly she reached the "Life Is Much Too Exciting To Sleep" stage, and suddenly started waking up at around 5:30 AM, ditching her morning nap, and wanting desperately to play if anything happened to wake her in the middle of the night.

A friend of mine has a 1 year old that just reached that stage too, so it's not just us and our sleep defying offspring!

Today, as demonstrated in the picture above, Elle reached the long-awaited, "Here Is Your Coffee, Mom" stage. It's a really good thing that the coffee the French press is barely warm by the time I fill my cup. With Maya, this milestone wreaked havoc on our entirely impractical and no longer white carpet. It means that coffee cups must be stashed at shoulder level if they are to be kept safe.

And it means that in a matter of days or weeks we will reach the "Hey, I Can Climb on the Couch and Reach Anything, Anywhere!" stage. Her access to the kitchen chairs has already put everything on the table at risk. Once she figures out how to get up on the couch, nothing on the window ledge, our preferred storage space for the camera, the laptop, and beverages hot and cold, will be safe.

Like Maya, I'm sure Elliot will reach that one long before she can accept and obey the word "No." Oh she can say it back to us, but only as a game, "No, no no no no," she says, shaking her head somberly, then grinning like a fool.

No, no, no, no, no..... no more coffee for me for a while!