"Smart wittle baby"

I find most days I watch my son like a hawk watching it's prey, afraid I'm going to miss something.

Anything he does out of the norm, even if it's the first time I notice him play with his ears, or tickle his own toes, I stare at him in awe.

I think being a first-time mother is overwhelming at times, especially when you're as sensitive as a person as I am. I wonder how his body knows exactly what to do, how he learns every day something new and something he has never seen.

With the "absence" (also known as rarely around) father, I assumed the words "da da" wouldn't be uttered out of his mouth for quite some time. Even though I let the "D word" slip when it comes to my significant other who by all standards exceeds the expectations, biological child or not, in the back of my head it just wasn't going to be said too often.

Mama was his first word, yes.. for about a week. Now? DA..DA..DADA..DAAAAAADAAAAA.. constantly! "Mama? Try Mom! Mother? MOOOMMMYY?" "DADDDDDAAAAA!" "Brat.."

My mother has informed me most kids say Da.. anyways because it's the easiest sound to make.

I've accepted it! But nobody can tell me that sweet little child of mine can stare me directly in the eye, smirk and say "DADA" and wait for my reaction (which makes him crack up) without knowing it makes his mother pout.

This morning at 2:00AM he was still awake (as he had a long nap a few hours prior, slap on the hand!) and he was playing with my water bottle. After dropping it on the hardwood floor six to eight times , each greeted with a loud BANG, I shook my head and put his floor mats on the floor underneath him before I returned the bottle to his little chunky fingers. He smiled and tossed it behind him this time, avoiding the floor mats and creating that same loud BANG with a grin on his face. My son loves it when I'm dramatic so I opened my eyes wide and (quietly) yelled "Did you just do that on purpose?!" and he grabbed my hand and laughed.

It's terrifying to me that he's only hitting eight months old in a few weeks.

Sometimes I feel like he's two years old, and other days I feel like he's a month old.

Being a mom is the most heart-wrenching job ever. How do you stop them from growing?

Smarter than Mommy.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a health care nurse who wanted to make sure all was well. Being registered as a single mom, she asked if it would be okay to make a home visit to ensure I was healthy, and to examine the baby and make sure everything was "going to code".

To her immediate surprise, Kaiden was awake drinking his bottle, hands around both sides, trying to hold it himself. She smiled, and started commenting on how that was unusual for a newborn, but then started handing me pamphlets on activities to do with him in the area, discussing formula feeding, ect.

She then asked me to lay him on his stomach so she can monitor his head control.
Since day one, everyone who has held him has commented that the control he has in his neck is outstanding for an infant, but I never thought much of it. "My boy is strong, okay?! I fed him right!"
He immediately planted both his hands and lifted his head up as high as he could - and she kind of stared in awe. She handed me medical charts and growth charts and started drawing lines and pointing out already existing lines. "This is where he should be, down here" she indicated at the bottom, and then she traced the line to 6 to 9 weeks and stopped her finger "He's up here. I'd say 98th percentile.. he's at least a month or more advanced."

Now, I'm not sure if she saw the alarmed look on my face, but she insisted everything was fantastic and that it may have to do with how well I carried him (health means everything!). Apparently it's common in babies whom were born late, and had mothers who were very health conscious when pregnant. Thanks for not eating so much meat, little man.

Fact of the matter is, as time has gone by I have increasingly noticed how bored he seems by common, mudane newborn activities. No, he doesn't want to just sleep. He wants to stare at his mobile and grab for the toys dangling infront of his face. He wants to be in his swing at the fastest speed it can go, staring at everything as he swings by.

Needless to say, he keeps me on my toes a lot more than the ordinary baby. My smart little baby boy. You better become a doctor, kid.