I thought I'd be worried

I was worried that I'd be a worried mother. One that looked at milestones and fretted if Maddy wasn't there, looked at where the other kids around her are and fretted if Maddy couldn't do something too, decided where I though Maddy should be and fretted if she didn't meet my goals. It turns out I am not. At least right now.

Maddy isn't leading the pack in terms of food or crawling or teeth or sitting up or pulling herself up or talking or word comprehension. She is eating more mashed foods versus pureed now but still isn't on true solids. She's making more and more motions towards crawling but is still content to roll and shimmy her way around the house. Her teeth have been playing peek a boo with us for months but seem to have subsided the last bit and are happily hidden. She hates sitting and would rather roll or stand so she's miles from sitting herself up and even further from pulling herself up. And she still loves "singing" more than babbling. And I think she understands a few words (like her name) but what a mouth is, or hands or food? Nope.

But none of that matters. She's healthy and happy and learning at her own pace. She's one of the happiest babies I have met, almost always ready to giggle or smile. And her giggle is beautiful! She's so social. Rarely does she play strange and she's happy to meet new people and see new places. When she meets a new person she'll often give them a huge Maddy smile, making them know she's so happy she's able to meet them. She's always eager to explore and is always moving and looking and touching and experimenting. She's most often easy going, except when it's something she really wants to do, look at, eat. Then when you get in the way, she grumps. But I love that she knows what she wants, and it isn't everything.

She's perfectly Maddy and while I am here to help her learn what her mouth is and encourage her to say mama instead of "SQUEEEEEEAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL" and cheer in pride when she gets closer to crawling, I am not at all thinking she should be anywhere or anything except what she is right now. And I am so happy I am not a bit worried.