Cans and Can'ts

As a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom), I have lots of time to play with and observe my child.

My adorable 4-month-old loves to play on his back, loves music, loves looking at himself in a mirror, loves screaming (not in anger, just in general), loves smiling at me...

And I adore all of those things.

But then I read blog posts and status updates about other 4 month old (or younger) babies like:

"___ just loves to laugh."

"This little man can roll."

"Just rolled onto tummy..."

"...she knows that it's bath time when I put her on the counter now, because she acts really excited."

 and the voice of panic starts to creep in.

"My child is 4 months old and he's not laughing, he's not rolling, he doesn't enjoy bath time, what's wrong!?"

I find myself googling "What should a 4-month-old be able to do?" and "4 month old milestones" and "Developmental Delays."

Seriously.

I completely forget that 1. My child was a preemie (a month early), 2. My child has some other things out of his control holding him back - like his feet being in a brace 24/7, and 3. My child is an individual! 

I get so wrapped up focusing on what he can't do and wondering why he's not just like everyone else that I forget to see all of the positive things.

He has more than doubled his birth-weight.  He is smiling and grasping.  He responds to voices and sounds.  He tries to mimic.  He recognizes mom and dad.  He sleeps through the night.  He kicks his legs a ton - even individually - despite his brace.  He loves to talk and have people talk back.  He can hold himself up and lift his legs at the same time while on his tummy.

Rolling?  We'll get there - only another month of full time brace wearing.

Bath time?  Who care's if he doesn't enjoy it.  Aren't boys supposed to be dirty anyway?

Laughing?  We'll get there - how could he not laugh in this house, right?

In the meantime, I need to log my butt off the computer, love on my son and not get so alarmed/worked up about the little things.  I need to focus on what he can do, not what he can't.

Shouldn't that be what we all focus on anyway?  What people (including ourselves) can do?