So, is my baby super advanced?

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

Like all moms, I think my baby is the most awesomest baby to ever awesome, and I know she's rather strong for her age. I'm just wondering how super-awesome she is, or if I'm just being a super-proud mama

My 5 week old can very easily lift her head over 45*, and sometimes can get up to 90*. When she's held upright her head is very steady, and overall she has excellent head/neck control. When we're doing tummy time she waves her arms and legs in the crawling pattern, and often only in that pattern, and she tries to get up on her knees every day, though she can't get on her knees AND hold up her head. The face plant is really cute!

So it looks to me like she's trying to crawl but simply isn't strong enough yet. Is this normal for one so young? Or is my baby just super awesome?

[GoGoGirl]

I have no idea, since this is my first and I don't remember what she could do at 5 weeks. But I'm going to say no doubt about it, your baby is totally for sure super awesome How could she not be, she's your baby!

[Shy0717]

My 6 week old has been doing these things for a while too. I don't know if its normal for this age or not but I personally like to think he's a genius

[eewieew]

sounds pretty super awesome to me!

i was having one of those "my baby is so advanced" discussions with a new mom, and told her (very tongue in cheek) that dd had started walking already and said her first words. i totally had her going until i mentioned that she spoke fluent latin and was doing advanced trigonometry.

[kohlby]

There's a huge variation of normal and being ahead of the curve doesn't really mean a lot - but it is so cool to see them do new things! My second was honestly rolling one way easily at around a month and could easily roll both ways by 2 months. She was crawling well by 5 months. However, she didn't walk until 11 months - while my first who rolled for the first time at 6.5 months walked at 9 months! It's quite possible to be early for one milestone but on the later side for another. But either way, it's fun to watch them develop! And it's nice to have one who is ahead so you don't have to worry about being behind!

[alexsam]

Is is great to see them grow!

My dad (a psychologist) told me once "Development is not linear.", the idea is that they develop in kind of a stop-start way. They work a whole bunch on one area, then you think for sure they are going to take it to the next level and they completely change and leave that entirely and start doing something else entirely. Or, you wonder why they are not doing wat all the other kids their age are doing, then, they catch up all at once- that skills are not always even accross the board. I guess I'm saying that it might be advanced (I don't really know) but that don't be surprised if they surprise you by learning and doing more in a "spiral" kind of way instead of a "linear way".

All that said- you CAN start to see some of the higher levels of giftedness in infancy and toddlerhood (some, it is not so easy to see until school). My older DS is gifted and he was always a few months ahead in infancy and in toddlerhood, it turned into years. He was also very intense, didn't sleep much, and had a very long attention span. These are all common for gifted kids (but, it is an "in retrospect" thing... Not all babies who do these things are gifted, but most people who are gifted did these things as babies). And, giftedness isn't really "identifiable" in a more concrete way until after toddlerhood when skills start to even out, there is testing, whatever... And, just a word on the topic- giftedness can be really hard. I know it is exciting to think about, but really, it has been a very difficult road as it has come with anxiety, extreme intensity which has caused issues with speech, potty stuff and seperation anxiety to name a few, feeling apart from other kids and parents and has made finding an appropriate school situation difficult. So- be careful what you wish for .

[holothuroidea]

All babies will alternate their arms and legs in a walking/crawling motion from birth, it's instinctual.

The head control, though, that is super special!

eta: How strong are her legs? Does she bear weight on them? If so, you probably have an early walker on your hands. Babyproof NOW! ()

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

Alexsam: both DH and I are "gifted." I was labeled as such in kindergarten, and while DH was never labeled he was multiplying in his head by 3, went to a magnet school, etc. I know firsthand just how difficult it can be to be gifted. Luckily we'll be homeschooling, so Evie won't have to deal with a lot of it.

holothuroidea: Yup, she supports her weight on her legs

[larzanna]

Just reading through these responses....so bearing weight on legs early means early walker???
Huh i guess i HAD better start the baby proofing
My 3 month old has bore weight on his legs since literally 3 weeks old. And like alot of weight, thats ALL he wants to do is stand.
but has no desire to roll over whatsoever.

arn't all our babies super advanced?? And of course THE cutest in the world.

[teachma]

Hmmm...no. I would say that not all our babies are super advanced. "Advanced" implies a deviation from the average. If all our babies are advanced, then aren't they all actually average? My 3.5 month old is not advanced.

My first child, like alexsam's, was quite remarkably advanced in meeting all baby/toddler milestones. My second child was not. This third one is still too young to tell, but he isn't rolling, sitting, attempting so much to crawl...all things my first did by 4 months old. My oldest, who was always ahead of the curve, is labeled gifted by the school. My middle, who met early milestones pretty much on time, went on to teach herself to read at age 3, comprehends literature and conversation, idioms and sarcasm well beyond her 5 years of age, and will undoubtedly also be labeled when she starts school.

To the OP: You should continue to marvel in your child's development. Your child may be advanced now, may be advanced later, may be gifted in one area or many, or may not be. Regardless, each time she learns something new you will (and should) find it wonderful.

[holothuroidea]

Originally Posted by larzanna

Just reading through these responses....so bearing weight on legs early means early walker???
Huh i guess i HAD better start the baby proofing
My 3 month old has bore weight on his legs since literally 3 weeks old. And like alot of weight, thats ALL he wants to do is stand.
but has no desire to roll over whatsoever.

arn't all our babies super advanced?? And of course THE cutest in the world.

Ev was born bearing weight on her legs, she would walk with her weight supported (me holding her hands) before she sat up, at around 3 months. She also rolled over at 1 month. Not that I'm bragging. I don't really consider this a good thing.

She's been so fast with physical development that her emotional and verbal skills really need to catch up. For example, she learned how to walk waaayyy before she was capable of learning to listen to "DANGER" etc. She also didn't have a good enough memory to not pull the nightstand on top of her after already having done it before.

Because she's so coordinated and active and physically is more like a toddler, I often find myself expecting a level of behavior from her that is beyond her capability.

At 12 months old she still has no words (not even a mama or dada). Some kids grow faster in some areas than others.

I wonder if this means she's going to be athletic. I know she's musical, she can clap to a beat and dances on cue. Maybe she'll be a dancer!!!

eta: She doesn't say mama or dada or hi or anything but she DOES sing "lalalalalala" to music!!!

[Crunchiemomma]

My son was actually holding his head up from birth.
Now tummy time, he'd have nothing to do with!

But yes-- You've got a genius on your hands!!!

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

Well Evie had a WBC and the nurse practitioner was VERY impressed with her ability to lift her head. She was of course showing off and did one of those "mini-pushups" that gets most of the chest off the ground, while smiling at me. Of course my little girl would be a showoff

/silly proud mom bragging about her baby

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by holothuroidea

eta: How strong are her legs? Does she bear weight on them? If so, you probably have an early walker on your hands. Babyproof NOW! ()

Or not. Lina was supporting her weight very early on and demanding to be held standing by a month or so, pulled to stand before 6 months and didn't take any steps alone until after 10 months.

[alexsam]

Originally Posted by teachma

To the OP: You should continue to marvel in your child's development. Your child may be advanced now, may be advanced later, may be gifted in one area or many, or may not be. Regardless, each time she learns something new you will (and should) find it wonderful.

Yes, yes yes!

And... if you truly think you are dealing with giftedness (as an actual learning issue) you might want to think about jotting a quick journal. A few major mile stones in a babybook are nice, but a more thorough journal can be helpful if you find yourself addressing learning issues before school age.

[milkybean]

With a 42 week baby it doesn't surprise me. DS was pretty far ahead physically after being forced out (by coercion and trickery; not my choice) at 42 weeks 3 days. Hubby was a 44 week baby and was holding up his head from birth on.

DS was then pulling to stand, on empty boxes, at 6 months old.

Hubby was climbing out of his crib, silently, and HIDING, at 9 months old. Ah, that made his mom soooooo happy.

[LiLStar]

so er.. another "is my baby advanced or normal" question.. is it normal for a 2 month old to be able to propel himself forward like 2-3 feet while on his tummy? He just kicks off with his feet and GOES!

[simplykate]

My DD was two weeks late (at least) and could hold her head up a few days after she was born. Now she's seven weeks and has complete head control and supports her entire weight on her legs and practically balances!
I remember my midwife saying that "post-term" babies are lot's of time advanced because every day they're in there there is so much important stuff happening.

[GoestoShow]

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Edited by GoestoShow - 12/7/10 at 6:37am

[Jasminelove]

Originally Posted by Crunchiemomma

My son was actually holding his head up from birth.
Now tummy time, he'd have nothing to do with!

But yes-- You've got a genius on your hands!!!

Same with my boy. We new he was a genius from the start. He held his head up very well from birth. He didn't like being on his tummy either until around 4 months. He crawled early and just started walking a wk b4 he turned 10 months. He's held his wait on his legs from very early on and has been cruising along the walls and toys that move for months.

I think you have a super genius on your hands!