My niece recently gave birth to her first child — a 9-pound, healthy boy. He was born about two weeks beyond his due date, a time span that felt like two months to poor mom.

I told my niece what my mother-in-law had told me when I was two weeks overdue: It’s hard to wait those extra days or weeks, but infant child development tends to be more advanced in late babies. Those words comforted me about the time I was ready to stop answering the phone and the question, “Haven’t you had that baby yet?!”

Normal Babies Come in All Shapes

My niece and her husband’s new arrival also revived stories of my brother-in-law’s “conehead” when he was born. His father about passed out, thinking his son was deformed. Actually, experts will tell you that a slightly pointed head is pretty normal, along with wrinkly and reddish skin.

Babies also usually have a “soft spot” on the top of their heads where the skull bones have yet to join, and they may have some dark red patches around the eyes, nose or neck. All of this vanishes, but it’s helpful to keep in mind that those perfect-looking “newborns” you see on TV or advertisements are anything but.

Baby Development Stages Vary With Each Child

When I had my first child, it helped me a lot to have a general idea of what they were supposed to be doing at a certain age. Comparing notes with other moms is always helpful, but what if my baby wasn’t doing what their baby was doing?I took a recent look at a book that sums up what kids in general are like each year.

The book reminded me of what I had experienced when my kids were young. I selected a few I think bear repeating:

  • Your 1- to 2-year-old will start showing signs of independence, but still needs lots of assistance. So planning an exact schedule may backfire a little bit. Be more flexible with the daily duties and routines.
  • Your 2- to 3-year-old needs to stay busy. He is much more aware of his environment than he was at 1-year-old, so make sure you have lots of things and activities to occupy him. 
  • Your 3- to 4-year-old is more self-centered but also wants to please adults.

  

Sheryl James is a former EduGuide editor from Brighton, Michigan.