Things that impress

At every stage of life there are things you have in common with people in a similar stage that are foreign to those who aren't. Like when you have a long term boyfriend/partner/spouse and you bore your single friends to death with your rants and raves about partnerdom. Or when you are pregnant and you lose all ability to converse on any other topic and suddenly it becomes okay to discuss perineum exercises and the state of your cervix in front of all and sundry.

So naturally when you have children you tend to speak about them to anyone who will listen (even if we don't realize it). But what never ceases to amaze me is the type of things we in the world of parenthood find amazing and wonderful and wonder why others look at us strangely with a sarcastic 'o-k, that's gr-e-a-t!' expression. For example the first time baby rolls over or lifts its head. Or the first time baby can burp on its own or makes his first single syllable gurgle. And how happy we are that baby's poo is the right colour, quantity, smell and consistency! Then they start growing into their little-personness and then we really can't help bragging about the fact that they can say 'ta' or 'dada' or have 4 teeth!

But I guess babies being cute and all, some non-parents often do share in the cuteness of these little milestones. I find I now have a growing child and the things that I am proud of can seem very insignificant to the non-parent. For example Bilaal has recently mastered the art of tying his own shoe laces. It didn't take long and I remember how he came running to me so excited and said, 'look mommy I tied my own laces' and I was bursting with pride. Or how impressed I am when he can write simple words. I can only imagine the state I will be in the first time he dons his grade 1 uniform!