The Wonder Weeks: Leap through baby’s first 20 months

My baby, actually, my “toddler” just turned 18 months a couple of days ago.  I can still recall her first few months and how difficult I thought they were.  She was a bit of a finicky baby, to put it gently.  Now, here we are, a year later and it just fascinates me how she has grown physically and has advanced mentally.  It also fascinates me how different she is from my first born, who is now 5 years old.

You probably think that I’m dealing with the “terrible two’s” stage right now but you couldn’t be further from the truth.  I picked up my copy of the Wonder Weeks around Wonder Week 64, or at my toddler’s 15-16 month mark, and my eyes were opened for the very first time to my toddler’s amazing world.

I am the type of person who likes to put her feet in others shoes, so to speak.  When I found myself getting frustrated with a 15 month old, whom my 5 year old has so lovingly deemed, “The Destroyinator”, it was like a breath of fresh air to step out of my size 7-1/2′s and into her toddler size 4s.  It’s been over 33 years since I’ve experienced the things that she’s just experiencing now, for the first time.  So, you can understand how easy it is to “forget” what it’s like to see the falling snowflakes or say the alphabet completely for the very first time.  Honestly, after I took a leap or two back, I was able to deal more effectively with my “terrible two”.  I now watch her more intently and can see the wheels turning as her world expands around her.  I am a little better prepared to deal with her “developmental leaps”.

We’re now at Wonder Week 79 and things around here have been quite enjoyable since I’ve incorporated some of the suggestions that I’ve found in The Wonder Weeks.

If you’re about to become or just became a parent, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the Wonder Weeks.  It’s a fascinating guide with testimonials from other parents who are experiencing the same things that you are.  Instead of wondering if or why your baby should be doing this or that, you can gauge where he’s at in his developmental stage and work together to make both of you more comfortable in your new worlds.

*I was sent a copy of The Wonder Weeks to read and talk about.  All of the opinions expressed above are my very own.