Garrett's Way.

Some of you know my OCD side (especially those of you that I used to teach with). I like things done a certain way. I follow a schedule. Organizing things makes me excited.

Garrett however, is different. Garrett has been a very easy baby. He is happy, a wonderful sleeper, laid back....just an easy baby. Since Garrett and Jackson are so close in age, I just went through all the different stages and developments with Jackson. They were pretty much fresh on my mind. Jackson did everything exactly when my parenting books told me he would. Rolled over around 4 or 5 months, the colic went away at 3 months, sat up at 6 months, crawled at 7 and a half months, walked at 12 months, got his first tooth at 8 months (that's late).....everything went on schedule like my book suggested they may.

Then there is Garrett.....although he is my happy baby, he does things as he wants to.

-Did he roll over when he was supposed to? Yes. His first time to roll over was actually at 3 months. Did he do it often after that? Nope. He didn't like to. He would if he had to, but normally chose not to.

-My book says babies normally get their first tooth between 4 to 7 months. Garrett is 8 months....no tooth. (I didn't get my first tooth until my first birthday and Jackson got his first tooth at 8 months....so Garrett has an excuse for that!)

-Now the crawling issue. He started off scooting backwards which didn't work out so well for him. Now, he can get himself across the room....but without crawling. He just scoots around on his butt in a sitting position. Is he "Army Crawling" like most babies do before they start crawling? No. He tried that. He didn't think it was for him. He will get into the crawling position and start rocking like most babies do before they start crawling, but then he decides to just get back in the sitting position and scoot across the room.

-He did sit up when he was supposed to. Yea for Garrett!

-He is starting to pull up on things. Is he going to skip crawling all together like some babies do? Ha....really? Should I even pay attention to what the books say might happen? Strong crawlers, walk later....babies that don't crawl well, walk sooner. Maybe Garrett will be an early walker, but then again I can see him figuring out another way to get around without walking. He will probably just get on their play car and roll around on it.

If he would have been my first child, I would be in panic mode right now. He is not following the "baby list" like he should be. After I read things about "What your baby may be doing..." at the end there is always a little paragraph that says something about all babies develop at different rates, blaw blaw blaw. I used to think they put that to give mothers hope and what they were really saying is "don't worry....your child may not be the brightest crayon in the box." However, now with Garrett....I see why they put this. It is not that he wasn't strong enough to roll over....he did roll over and then stopped doing it. He is strong enough to crawl now....he gets into the crawling position but then remembers his other options.....he likes scooting around on his bottom better. He just has his own way of doing things.

I am fine with this. I actually find it funny. However, he is messing up my check list! You must roll before you sit, you must sit before you crawl, you must crawl before you pull up, you must pull up before you walk....Garrett doesn't agree with this though. And to think - this all started in the womb when Garrett was perfectly happy with his head being up. He would put it down when he was ready to....he had his own way. Little stinker! :)