Forest of the Plains

During my pregnancy I wished for a happy, healthy, and normal baby. To this day people laugh when hearing my disappointment at getting only two of the three characteristics. “Well, what did you expect?” is a common response.

By the end of three months our baby was able to grasp a toy with two hands and bring it to his mouth, sing along with the choir at church, figure out a motion-activated toy on the first try and either activate it or lay completely still depending on his mood, smile and laugh. Within the first minute of trying out a new playpen, he figured out how to make the bed part sway (it wasn’t supposed to), laughing and squealing in delight. He also began teething.

I know enough to be glad that my baby is happy and healthy. But, having an intelligent child is quite the responsibility. He could either apply himself to do great things, or end up with antisocial behaviors. People often don’t believe Jacob’s age because he is so alert and bright-eyed, playing like an older baby.

Already we have parenting challenges. Jacob’s emotional development has not yet caught up to his intellectual development, so he can’t process all the information he wants to consume. If we are not careful, he ends up being overwhelmed and overstimulated simply by doing things that he wants to do.

I like to think that I have a lot of experience that will help me make good parenting choices. After all, I majored in Child Development and Family Studies. I took classes in Child Development, Child Psychology, Nutrition. I had practicums in a NAEYC-certified child care center. I worked with seriously mentally ill children and their families and at daycare centers.

In addition to all the formal training I’ve had with children, I have a lot of resources available to me. Each week I take Jacob to a weight check clinic with a lactation consultant where I can ask questions about his nutrition. (He’s been gaining weight perfectly!) I am part of Parents As Teachers. We have a family doctor who is happy to discuss issues with us. John and I have numerous books written from a variety of perspectives that are great references. Jacob’s grandma is a pediatric nurse practitioner.

Even with all the experiences and support, I have a feeling there will be some major challenges down the road. At least John has some first-hand experience being a child very similar to Jacob!