Big Baby.

During my....(can't focus, turning off Grey's Anatomy)...Okay! Since becoming a mother, I've read through countless discussions on whether or not a baby's size affects their development. The theory is that larger babies reach developmental milestones later than babies of smaller stature. I've been going back and forth on what I personally think, and finally I've come to the conclusion that size does not, in fact, matter. 

My boy was 8 lbs. 6 oz. at birth, which is 1 oz. heavier than the maximum "average" weight of a baby. So, moderately big, I would say. At first it seemed like he was a little behind on reaching his physical milestones, for example he only just started rolling over regularly a few weeks ago, and almost never rolls from his stomach to his back, which babies are supposed to do first. I could tell he had a harder time with it because of his weight. But that seems to be the only thing he has had trouble with. He started sitting independently at 5 months, scooting backwards 2 weeks later, and now, at 6 months, he holds himself up on his hands and knees and rocks back & forth, which leads me to believe that it won't be long before he begins lunging forward (and I have to redecorate baby-friendly). So as developmental milestones go, he has been ahead of schedule for almost everything.

I think the baby's personality has just as much to do with their physical growth as their size & weight. Atticus seems to be thinking about what he wants to do, and must figure out exactly how to do it in his head before he tries it. He won't even reach for a new toy until he has studied it carefully for several minutes and decided that it's worthwhile to play with. He was even wary of his own feet! I watched him stare at his feet for months before he finally grabbed one of them.
If you are a parent worried about your baby's development because he is bigger (or smaller) than average, I would advise you not to worry! And, even harder, don't let friends and family members discourage you. Sometimes their harmless questioning can instill doubts in your head that weren't there before. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked "Is he crawling yet?" Well, no he's not crawling yet and he doesn't have to be.