What No One Told You About a Big Baby

Megan is a big baby. At 15 months she weighs 30 pounds, just four pounds less than her sister. She has never been on the charts since birth, always registering in the +97 percentile. She is on track growth wise and following her own growth curve, so no one is worried. I have found, however, that there are some unique challenges to caring for a big baby. I thought I would write them down before she turns into a preschooler and I forget.

1. Big babies outgrow everything before they should - the infant carrier, exersaucer, infant backpacks/slings, booster seat/high chair, etc. Before she was big enough to sit in the cart at the store, she had outgrown her infant carrier/carseat thingy.

2. Big babies cannot wear baby clothes - they have to wear toddler clothes even before they are 1. Good luck finding a "baby's first Christmas" onsie in size 24 months or 2t.

3. Big babies have a death wish - Megan can pull over things on herself that a normal sized toddler would not have the strength to do. For example, when she was cruising she would regularly pull up on a dining room chair and pull it over on herself. Same thing with the piano bench.

4. Big babies can reach the kitchen counter, and therefore the knives, hot pans, and other dangers you think you have safely stored away.

5. Big babies can reach door handles.

6. Big babies think they can sit on the dog, only the dog is not so happy about that and snips at them. Let me just say that dog better never make a move to bite or she is out of here, big baby sitting on her or not.

7. Big babies may outgrow diapers (then what???) We are about to move into size six, the biggest size they make. I'm guessing we will potty train closer to two than three.

8. Finding baby shoes for big babies is impossible. They only had one cruising shoe in her size at the most expensive shoe store. All other shoes would cut into her feet because they still had the baby chub, even though she was in size five and a half.

9. Big babies are hungry. All. of. the. time. Hopefully she outgrows that before she's a teenager!

10. Big babies may not sleep well because they are hungry all of the time!

Of course, there are the positives too.

1, I worry less about her getting hurt.

2. She barely feels her shots because of her chubby thighs.

3. She has a better immune system than her sister did at her age.

4. Big babies will give you incredibly strong arms (not to mention large biceps)

5. Best of all - Big babies give BIG baby cuddles!

Having a big baby has been interesting. There have been unexpected challenges, like the fact that she is going to outgrow her sister in shoe sizes soon and already can wear her sister's shirts. If she remains on the big side through her growth I will be dealing with the insecurity of being the tallest person in her junior high class, something I dealt with and didn't want for my kids, but regardless, I love this big baby and wouldn't trade her for all of the lightweights in the world. Now someone tell that to my sore biceps!