The Skinny on my Chubby Baby

If one more total stranger comes up to me and comments how chubby my baby is, I am going to bite their head off. While Dave was at work yesterday, I chose to ignore the mounting domestic responsibilities around the house, and packed the kids up in the car and took off for some fun at a festival in downtown Columbus. While CJ was bouncing around an inflatable castle, Andrew and I were waiting outside, and this woman comes up to the stroller with a grin and says, "Wow, you are so chubby!" Now some may think this was just someone noticing a cute baby and all, but this woman continued with another comment, "Oh my goodness, he is so chubby, how old is he?" When I told her 8 months, she gave me the deer in the headlights face. She didn't even say anything like, "Oh isn't he cute" or something like that, which is what most people usually say. Then I instinctly felt like I should defend myself, as to make sure she knew I wasn't stuffing his bottles full of McDonald's french fries or something. "Yes, well, his brother was very big, too and didn't start thinning out until he was about 2 years old..." She nodded her head and we parted ways. She was some way-too-skinny bitch who probably starves herself and her children to "look good". And her sunglasses were way too Nicole Richie for this town, for pete's sake.

But anyway, I thought about it later and got really mad at myself. Why did I feel like I needed to give an explanation to this total stranger about the weight history of my children? And better yet, why did she feel she has the right to comment on his weight at all? Do parents of skinny babies have total strangers coming up to them and stating, "Wow, what a skinny baby you have!"? Before everyone thinks I gave birth to 2 ten pounders, I didn't. CJ was 6 lbs 14 ounces, and Andrew was 7 lbs 3 ounces. Both healthy babies and healthy sizes. The fact that both of them gained weight really quickly as babies was really nothing that either myself or Dave seemed to have control over. It puzzled the doctors how breastfed babies could gain so much, but what can I tell you? It is what it is. And now, CJ is hardly an overweight kid. In fact, we see his ribs when he arches his stomach, and to him eating is an overwhelming inconvenience that just interrupts his playtime. It's close to impossible to get him to sit down for dinner.

At his last check up at 6 months, Andrew was 19.5 pounds. I would assume just by holding him, and the rate at which he gains, that he's hovering around the 22 pound range. This stuff is in their genes -- their dad is no shrimp. Dave is 6'3", and he is the shortest between his father and his brother. My boys are just following suit. It's no surprise. But I think it's rude and condescending for a total stranger to comment how big or little a baby is. Andrew hardly has much control over how much weight he gains, so word to the wise for the next person that walks up to me and comments on my baby. If you don't say he's cute, than say nothing at all.