With my first child, milestones were like the elephant in the room. My daughter was born two months early, and while most babies her age were sitting unsupported, pulling up on furniture, and beginning to crawl, Emma was still struggling for muscle control and strength. With each milestone, the pediatrician gave us both the “normal” range for completion as well as adjusted age guidelines for her early birth. Each milestone also had a deadline. If Emma did not reach the milestone by this deadline, it would mean a new round of testing. We worked hard to help her make progress, but every playgroup meeting ended with me collapsing in tears as soon as I reached my home. Would my daughter ever catch up to other children? Would she ever have normal motor function?
When she began crawling around eleven months, we were ecstatic. Even now as I watch this video of my nearly one year old daughter trying to reach her cat, her left leg dragging, her little body huffing and puffing, I am grateful for this and every milestone.
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This post is a sponsored post in conjunction with the BabyCenter Blog Network.