You know how baby milestones give you a range? Like, babies should be able to sit up between 4 – 7 months. Well, Aisha has consistently hit her milestones in the later months of every range. It’s just her thing, I guess.

Hitting milestones later

Baby girl learned how to roll over at 4 months, sat up on her own at 8 months, and shook her head to say ‘no’ at 10 months.

Aisha started crawling at 9 months, close to 10 months, and didn’t seem too interested in walking. A lot of the time she lay on her tummy and would scoot forward like a tiny chubby soldier. I would stand her up in front of me and sit back so she could walk towards me. She would either Michael-Jackson-lean forward with her arms outstretched or sit down and side-eye me.

Ayub and Sulaiman’s milestones

With the exception of Ayub’s speech, the boys hit their milestones much earlier.

Ayub started walking during his 1st birthday party. Prior to that day, he would only stand if there was something to hold on to. He never took a single step unassisted. I would walk him up and down and everywhere, bending over while holding his two hands. Then during his party he was so excited to see his cousins and all the sounds and laughter, he stood up by the dining chair and just started walking.

Walking walking walking. As if it was no big deal. All the adults were like o.O and he just kept walking. Never fell or lost his balance once.

Sulaiman is ridiculous. He hit all his milestones way earlier. He stood up on his own at the age of 6 months. Scared the crap out of me. Then he started walking at 9 months. Lots of tumbles and falls, but never any crying. I remember at the beginning he didn’t know how to turn, walk backwards, or go from standing position to sitting position. He could only go forward. Like one of those pull-back toy cars.

He walked forward in a straight line and got stuck at a wall. Just stood there calling for help until someone came and turned him so he could continue walking.

Look at 6 month old Sulaiman in a walker. Omg.

The day Aisha started walking

Ayub was playing with his cousins in the garden and his glasses fell on the ground. Someone stepped on them and they snapped. I bound them back together again with tape.

The next day I brought all three kids to the mall to get Ayub a new pair of glasses. While he was trying on different styles, the little girl insisted on wearing glasses too:

After I snapped her pictures, I asked her to take the glasses off and give them back. She shook her head no. So I reached towards her to try and take them off. Aisha turned around and walked out the store.

WALKED OUT THE STORE.

I don’t know if I should be worried that Aisha’s first steps were an attempt at shoplifting.

After she realised she could actually walk, the rest of that trip in the mall was kind of a nightmare. She just wandered off everywhere, refused to hold hands, and refused to be carried. It wouldn’t be so bad if she walked with us. But no. She walked wherever she wanted to walk. Which was always in the opposite direction, and usually towards the escalators.

I was paying for something in the bookstore and she struggled away from me and walked out the store. The boys had to chase her and round her up like sheepdogs.

Silly baby. She was 14, soon to be 15, months old.