I took Corbin to the pediatrician for his 4 month well-baby visit last week.* I brought Lola with and I swear to God, the pediatrician could barely concentrate on Corbin because Lola was charming the heck out of him. And during her kleenex origami, he actually stopped mid-sentence-about-Corbin to say “She’s going to be a fun one!” Which sort of made me feel good about my little Lola.
Something made me think of it this morning, and I started over analyzing it. Because, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be me. First of all, GOING to be a fun one? She’s pretty fun right now! Yesterday, she made me laugh (and totally made me think of The Musings of a Jewish Stay at Home Father) when she hid under the chair I was sitting on and proclaimed “you can’t find me!” So, I bent down to look under my chair and she said, “I’m not right here! Go look for me somewhere else.” How existential! And it made me laugh and laugh. Especially when she said “Now you hide under here and I’ll try to find you.” Later she insisted that we teach her to juggle. So she could be like a lion. Huh? But again, pretty funny times. She IS a fun one already.
I know he didn’t mean that she’s not fun now. But when I take it at face value, I think “IS she GOING TO BE a fun one?” God I hope so. I know she’s going to be a challenging one. I actually worry about it a lot (because, again, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be me.) I hope that her penchant for being extremely social means that she’ll be friendly and kind to everyone (and not just a popular meangirl.) I hope that her stubborn streak means that she’ll dance confidently to her own drummer and not be easily peer pressured. I hope that someday she’ll be a successful grownup. And Brian and I will look back at those times she snuck out of the house to get into trouble and be able to say “Man, she was a fun one!” instead of “Holy crap, we will never get over the trauma.” But one thing’s for sure- she isn’t going to be boring.
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*regarding that 4month visit: how nerve-wracking! Lola was so ahead on all of her milestones as a baby, and as the Dr asked me all those “does he do this” questions, I found myself saying “no, no, not yet, DH swears he did once.” etc. And then I brought him home and promptly initiated tummy time and spent an hour trying to get him to meet every milestone in one afternoon. I was not successful. He is fine. He is not really BEHIND, I’m just weirded out because Lola was so AHEAD. I’m not alone in this, right?
StephiCakes 
No, you are not alone! Not in anything you are thinking, for sure. : )
Also, Lola as a juggling lion? She is a fun one!
Not alone at all. Soapfi is also one who was way ahead, and continues to stay ahead, of the milestones – to the point where on this last visit (last Friday for her 2 year check) I thought the pediatrician was going to call me a liar and/or lazy because I just went down the check list “yes, yes, yes, yes”. Luckily Soapfi had a rare “not shy around strangers” moment and demo’d her outstanding (well for a 2 year old!) grammar, vocabulary, and motor skills.
Every kid is different, they are both doing great, and you have two fun ones right now, and they will just get more fun as time goes on!
Hey, you know what, if we didn’t worry at least a little, we wouldn’t be parents, right? Yes, I’m with you on all of that. My children are reversed, son 3 yrs older than daughter. he did everything before she did. Still does, just because he can. And he makes sure she knows it too! But they are all different, and that’s the part I love. Like you, I hope my daughter’s stubbornness (I prefer the term determination-not quite such a negative connotation) serves her well and will drive her to do good with her brain powers, not evil! enjoy them, every single second. It seems like yesterday my soon-to-be 12yo was only 3 and loving on his baby sister. Goes by so dang quick!
Not alone at all.
Oh, and, according to my friend’s four-year-old, juggling will come in handy if Lola wants to be a firefighter, as – apparently – one must learn to juggle first.
That’s awesome! I’ll be sure to let her know. Sadly, her juggling didn’t go so well. But perhaps she’ll keep at it. I mean, if she ever wants to be a firefighting lion. 😛
oh that 4 month check up! i think that’s y i like to keep blogging so i have documentation rather than rely on this (now) pea sized brain!!
I have to say, your 4 month old seems ahead of mine. Corbin hasn’t even found his feet yet.
I’m with you, though, I don’t feel as bad if I forget to write stuff in the baby book now.