I asked myself this question a million times when I was pregnant. Didn't you? I constantly worried about the baby I couldn't see. Was he developing normally? Did he have all his parts?

A few hours after he was born and I was able to take inventory of 10 toes, two eyes, one mouth and a winkie (in addition to all the other parts), I deemed Lincoln 'OK.' As he grew and was hitting all his milestones (some ahead of schedule), I declared him the smartest baby in the world!

Well, now I have to go back to worrying about something I can't see (or fix at the moment). During his one-year-checkup last week, the doctor said she was slightly concerned about his head size. Apparently, it grew by an abnormal amount since our last visit and now registers off the charts at just above19 1/2 inches in circumference. The 95th percentile measurement is about 19 inches for his age. Both the nurse and the doctor measured it three times to make sure.

The doctor said this could mean two things. He either has inherited his dad's inability to fit in hats off the rack or he has a serious problem, like excess fluid around his brain, which could result in slow mental development. The doctor asked us about his development, if he was saying the normal one to three words a one year old is supposed to, if he reacted to things appropriately, etc. He is doing all that he should, but what does that really mean? Does that mean nothing is wrong? What's, literally, going on inside his head?

I haven't done any research. I don't want to scare myself, and the doctor said she was only slightly concerned. I asked a few questions and figured it was best to wait until our follow up appointment on Feb. 4 before I completely freak out. Of course, if more happens with this, I'll be armed with all the information I can absorb.

Whatever the case, I love him. I love his big head, and I'll always love the boy and man he grows into. Every child is a special miracle and deserves the most love possible.

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Erin Hill is a first-time mom to Lincoln, who was born in January 2010. She's learning as she goes and is experiencing
everything a new mom goes through while seeing the humor, irony, and enjoyment in her adventures.

Erin is a full-time technical writer and features freelance writer in her "spare time." She lives in Plum with Lincoln, her husband, Adam, their dog, Roxie, and five (yes, five) cats, Nirvana, Gary Roberts, Elvis, Talbot and Forrest.