Milestones

Milestone: mile•stone (noun)
A stone showing distance to a place. A significant or important event in the history of a country or a person’s life.


Milestones can happen at any moment, at any age, and for any person. They can be big or small. They can mean everything to one person, and be insignificant to another. They can bring both satisfaction and frustration.

When Mason was a baby, I lived by the charts that told me what he should be doing and at what time. I wanted to be sure that he was on target, and that he was progressing in growth and skills at the appropriate times. As focused as I was back then, you would have thought the milestones would have meant more to me. As soon as Mason achieved a goal, I mentally checked that off my list and moved on to the next…Never completely content to just sit back and enjoy the pure wonder of a baby learning to do what babies do. I was a “Mommy on a Mission.” You’ve seen and heard them before…usually sipping frappuccinos under park pavilions, pushing strollers around the mall, or in the hallways of your daycare or preschool. Their casual conversation so often comes back to what amazing feat their little one has accomplished…..3 months ahead of schedule. They live by the milestone charts. It’s funny now when I hear them…I realize they have tunnel-vision. They can only focus on that one single thing right in front of them, and in the process they are completely missing the big picture.




I’m looking at things differently now. The older Madison gets, the more she separates herself from the rest of the pack. She is unique in so many ways, and her timetable for reaching milestones will be as well. I don’t get so caught up in the charts anymore, because I know that the same rules don’t apply, and knowing that somehow allows me the freedom to enjoy each and every accomplishment so much more. Knowing how much harder we are working for each milestone makes them so much sweeter once they are reached. Although she amazes me on a daily basis, this week Maddie decided to check off a few milestones of her own, and I couldn’t be more proud. In one short week, she said her first words, “Mama and Dada” (in that order! LOL), she started using a sippy cup, and she waved bye-bye for the first time as Chris took her away for her nap. My little lady is leaving behind her baby days and well on her way to being a full-blown toddler…and, no…I’m not ready.






Chris reached a milestone of his own this week…
Happy 33rd Birthday Sweetheart!




Mason was so excited about the singing card he picked out, that he woke Madison up that morning with a little serenade…She loved it.





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And for those who have asked about the treadmill sessions…Maddie is doing really well with it! She did 10 minutes on Monday and 12 minutes on Saturday!




I am so hopeful that this will help her take those first steps…but like every other milestone, I know she will do it in her own time. That’s the thing about milestones…they mark the progress we make throughout our journey- not the speed we kept along the way.