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My Birth
I was born on Thursday, December 18th, 1997 at 8:52am. I weighed six pounds and ten ounces and I was twenty inches long. With my due date being January 9th, 1998, I was a bit premature. -
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Infancy
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Infancy: Physical
Physical: My gross motor skills formed a little later than the average child in several areas, however, I was within the age range in which 90% of infants achieve the skill for most, if not all, skills. In addition, I was born with weak muscles in my lower lip which became more and more apparent as I began to grow physically. Also, I spoke with my mom and it seems as though she used the idea of classical conditioning without trying to. She had this whole process of getting me to sleep with it. -
Infancy: Social and Emotional
According to Erikson's Psychosocial level, the infant's relationship with the parents during the first year is critical for it brings either trust or mistrust. I was the third child that my mom had and once she had me she decided to quit her job to take care of us. Her intentionality brought a secure attachment between me and my sisters (Bowlby's ethological theory) and ultimately trust in this stage of life. I also slept all of the time and comfortable enough to sleep anywhere. -
Infancy: Cognitive
There is so much growth within the first year of development, including cognition. At 7.5 months I said my first word "Da-da" and became more and more vocal ever since. I was in the sensorimotor level of Piaget's Cognitive Developmental theory. I was interacting with the world in a very hands-on way wanting to explore. Once I began to crawl, there was no stopping me because I was so curious. -
Sat Up Unsupported
I was right on time with the average child when it comes to being able to sit up alone. -
Held My Own Bottle
According to my baby book, I was able to hold my own bottle for the entirety of drinking the formula at this time. By this time, I should be able to transfer objects from one hand to the other and maybe even using the pincer grasp as well. -
Began Crawling
It took me a little longer than the average child to begin crawling but still within the timeframe of 90% of infants. -
Pulling To Stand Up
I was able to start using objects and furniture as crutches to pull myself up and stand on my own legs -
First Steps With Help
I started to take my first steps with help around nine and a half months and by ten months I was using anything and everything to help me cruise around. -
Stand Up Unsupported
After being able to stand with help for two months, I am now able to stand without any assistance. -
Entering Toddlerhood
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Toddlerhood
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Toddlerhood: Social and Emotional
Transitioning into toddlerhood, I am becoming increasingly expressive and beginning to have self-recognition. Talking with my mother, she said this was around the time when she realized I would be one of her easier children. With this said, I would consider myself an "easy child" in terms of temperament. I was able to adapt easily, I liked to explore and I was overall a cheerful baby. Entering Erikson's second stage, I definitely leaned towards autonomy rather than shame and doubt. -
Toddlerhood: Cognitive
Still in this time of exploration and wanting to see the world but the type of play moved from simply functional play to more make-believe play. I also became much more fluent as my vocabulary grew immensely. My dad jokes about how once I was able to put my thoughts into words, there was no shutting me up. By the end of my toddlerhood, I really understood object permanence because my older sisters would play a game where they would hide my toys under a blanket and I would know where it was. -
Toddlerhood: Physical
From the age of one to two, I began to walk and mirror everything that my older sisters did. If they ran, I ran. If they were playing a card game, I would hold cards in my hands. This was a time of learning to physically do what my older siblings and parents could do to the best of my ability. -
First Steps Alone
This is the first time I took steps without any assistance. The average child does this at the end of their first year and I followed soon after, in the very beginning of my toddlerhood. -
Walking Alone
After trying for a few months I finally did it! Since I was too young to remember, I have to base this physical speed of growth on what my mom says and what she put down in my baby book. According to the textbook, I was on the tail end of the average range for the majority of babies to start walking. -
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Childhood
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Childhood: Cognitive
Massive gains occurred in my cognitive development during my childhood years. I began school and learned how to read as well as learned basic principles of math. I also transitioned from the pre-operational stage to the concrete operational stage of learning for I began to use logic and reasoning. I understood conservation; my sisters would try to trick me by making me think I had more juice than them since they would pour their eight ounce juice box into a wide cup but I realized I didn't. -
Childhood: Social and Emotional
Entering Erikson's stages of initiative v. guilt, I would say I definitely took initiative. I had ideas and I just went with them, often not thinking about the consequences. I was also not very shy. I would go up to others and ask them to play even if I didn't know them. Later in childhood was industry v. doubt and I was willing to take on my role within school and proud of my own capabilities so I dove into the idea of industry. I believe that I built a positive self-esteem through this time. -
Childhood: Physical
I was always getting bumps and bruises as a kid but thankfully I never had any injury too serious other than accidentally shoving a screw up my nose and having to go the the emergency room to get it removed. During my childhood years I went to physical therapy specifically to strengthen the muscles in my lower lip and it improved. In general, I am growing like any other kid. I began to run fast and become stronger than several of my peers but I was not the best in P.E. by any means. -
Mother's Day Out
I first entered preschool when I was three and it was called Mother's Day out. This is where I made great gains in terms of academics and social skills. -
Playtime with my cousin
I was always very creative and enjoyed playing with my cousin. We would partake in cooperative play and had fun with sociodramatic play. As I grew older and my little brother got old enough, I even engaged in rough and tumble play with him. My cousin, my siblings and I created a whole storyline of us being superheroes and titled our team, "Cousin Four" where we saved the world as a family. -
Baptism
From a very young age, my beliefs in God meant a lot to me. I knew that God loved me and cared about me. I knew that His Son Jesus died on the cross for me and conquered death. This spirituality has been the cornerstone of growing up with faith, hope and positivity. -
Hangouts with my friends
I had a close group of friends while I was in school and I would always want to play with them (well most of them). We were all very active and never stopped. -
My Second AND Fourth Grade Teacher
I have been greatly blessed with having not only parents who care about me, but teachers as well. This is a picture of Mrs. Kleinsteuber and myself. She was one of several adults willing to be a secure positive relationship as I grew up. -
Third Grade Honor Roll
I excelled in school and was confident in my skills and talents. I was often praised by peers for my intelligence which helped me lean towards industry rather than inferiority. I also tested for gifted in elementary school and received an IQ score of over 130 which got me into the program that my friends and I thought was so elite. I was also quite egocentric at this time in my life as you can tell. -
Chick-fil-A
While I love Chick-fil-A and thought it was cool that my mom was working there at first, it was a time in my life that was really difficult. My family wasn't doing well financially and my mom needed to work to pay the bills. This, along with other factors, required me to help my younger siblings with school and take care of them in the afternoons with minimal help at times. This created anxiety for me and made me feel as though I needed to be perfect so no one would have to worry about me. -
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Adolescence
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Adolescence: Physical
This was a time of physical changes that partnered with self-esteem and lots of emotions. Adolescence brings puberty which encompasses a change of my height, weight, sexual organs and voice. Other changes happened as well but these were my focuses. In addition, it was early in my adolescent years that I got glasses to aid my vision. -
Adolescence: Cognitive
In adolescence I definitely had an increased reactivity to stress and to pleasurable and social stimuli. I remember having stronger responses to excitatory neurotransmitters especially in high school. I was always looking for a rush whether it was staying out late with friends at parks, parking garages or abandoned buildings or laying in the middle of a busy street at midnight. I also pulled pranks like taking magnets from cars and collecting them to put on a friend's car. -
Adolescence: Social and Emotional
This was a time where people are trying to find their identity and while some find strength in who they are, I had a difficult time. When I was in middle school, I did not fit in with the older guys in the youth group and I was in chorus and theatre at school so most of my friends were girls. Sometimes my group of friends from school would have "girl only" hangouts so I felt left out. With this I found it hard to find my identity in my friend groups. -
Keeping close bonds
Entering middle school and really getting into my adolescent years I learned how to have deeper social ties to friends and continue previous relationships despite not being in close proximity. This picture is of me and my two best friends from kindergarten. The guy moved away in the second grade but we would visit each other. We were in sixth grade in this picture, all hanging out at our old elementary school. -
My Hardest Musical
I did theatre from the 2nd grade all the way to college, but the spring show my 8th grade year was by far the hardest. The show was called Honk and it was about the ugly duckling. At this time, puberty was hitting hard on my voice and it was evident. My voice would always crack so I did not want a big role... To my surprise, my teacher gave ME the role of the Ugly Duckling. The performances were riddled with my voice cracks and although I was able to play it off, it hit my self-esteem hard. -
No need to fear, Richie Rich is here
In 2014, my church hired a new Family and Youth pastor. Richard has since become a mentor to me and has had a huge influence in my life. I was able to barrage him with questions about life and Jesus and he answered them with wisdom and patience. Through this he challenged me to make my beliefs my own and from his guidance, I was able to turn toward Jesus and give him everything in my life, including my anxiety. I feel like this was the first real strides from Identity Moratorium to Achievement. -
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Early Adulthood
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Early Adulthood: Social and Emotional
My early adulthood experience started with my graduation from high school and transition to college. I chose to go to the University of Florida because I desired to find my identity outside of anyone else. I wanted to feel like I chose my community and now I know that I was able to do exactly that. At first, I felt alone and I isolated myself but I chose to reach out and became part of a few communities around me, feeling like I belonged. I could really feel this battle of intimacy v. isolation. -
Early Adulthood: Cognitive
With the human brain continuing to develop, I continue to push the limits. I have learned how to process information more effectively and while being in college, I am learning more about specific subject matters that peak my interest. Over time, I switched majors twice. I began college as a Theatre Productions major but I quickly switched to Industrial Engineering then switched a final time into Family, Youth and Community Sciences, where I intend on staying. -
Early Adulthood: Physical
I am continuing to grow but it is not as apparent as it has been in previous stages of my life. I am continuing to improve my running speed and duration and my muscles are more defined (still not much but I'm trying). Other aspects have become constant and are no longer changing: my shoe size has been the same since junior year of high school and my eye sight has stabilized. -
Early Adulthood: Social and Emotional (future thoughts)
I plan on having children and I understand doing so will create a huge shift in my life. I will continue to be social and have ties to my community but I may not engage in as many activities or at least the same ones that I currently participate in. While the number of friends I have might decrease, I am confident that numerous relationships will continue throughout the rest of my life. -
Speedster
Looking for that exciting stimuli, I decided that it was a good idea to drive at very high speeds. After maxing out the speed of three cars and three tickets to follow, I can say that I have learned my lesson and these years are now behind me. Snapchatting on top of driving this fast? I really was a thrill-seeker. -
Graduation
I graduated Boone High School on May 31st, 2016. Receiving my high school diploma and being the Salutatorian was an accomplishment in academics and revealed my cognitive achievements. -
IT'S GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR!!!
This is a picture of me at preview. Going to UF was a big deal in my family. While I am less than two hours away, I am the first person to go "off to college." My older sisters stayed in Orlando and attended UCF but I thought this change was necessary for my personal growth as a person. -
Beta Upsilon Chi
Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX) is one of a few communities in Gainesville that I have jumped head first into. I became really involved and I would consider it a home. I have established a brotherhood with these guys that run deep and there is a vulnerability to this. This is a perfect example of the intimacy that Erikson talks about during early adulthood. -
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Middle Adulthood
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Middle Adulthood: Social and Emotional
With the intention of having a family, I know that much of my middle adulthood will be filled with learning how to navigate my relationships with my children and try to foster it over time. Being the person that I am, I highly doubt that I will be staying in the same job or maybe even career my entire life. I would not be surprised if I endure a midlife crisis and feel pulled toward a new career path. I hope this will establish generativity rather than stagnation. -
Middle Adulthood: Physical
While I am unsure about my future, I can take some guesses. I understand that my metabolism will slow down and I will continue to undergo changes. During middle adulthood, I have a good chance of balding and the hair that remains will turn grey or white. I am sure that I will not be able to run as fast or be as fit as I am currently. With minor back issues right now, I am assuming that it will only worsen as I age. (my dad is the best idea of what I will look like, so here is a recent pic) -
Middle Adulthood: Cognitive
I will continue to learn information tied to my career because i will be involved with people and people are always changing. I am nervous that as time progresses, my memory will decrease. I already have trouble remembering names as it is and if I am anything like my dad, it will not be improving. My father is in middle adulthood and he has to write names on his hand just so he can remember them. Overall, studies show that my cognitive capabilities will decrease over time which is saddening. -
Middle Adulthood: Physical (pt.2)
Looking at the genes from previous generations, I may need to be aware of a few diseases or illnesses that have plagued my family. My family has a history of heart disease and heart attacks for my uncle passed away from this previously. In addition, both of my grandfathers have diabetes and my grandmother has arthritis in her wrist. Lastly, I have had family members fight cancer in the past. It is critical to be aware of how genetics may have a role in terms of my physical health. -
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Late Adulthood
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Late Adulthood: Social and Emotional
It is my goal to be full of integrity and not despair in my late adulthood. I want to be proud of what I accomplished and not feel as though I wasted my life. I want to be able to relax and enjoy my time left with my family. I want to spoil my grandkids and still be active in my community. I want to participate in my church, my city, and other organizations that I have established a relationship with. I do not want to sit around because that has never been my source of joy. (that's my grandpa) -
Late Adulthood: Cognitive
There can be a range in cognitive levels and it's kind of a use it or lose it situation. Therefore, I intend to stay active perhaps doing puzzles or playing games like Sudoku.
On another note, discussing cognitive functions and illnesses in class frightened me. Already having a poor memory, dementia is something that brings me sorrow and maybe brings a real fear. While no one in my family has dementia, my friends have family members with dementia and I have seen its effects. (my pappaw and me) -
Late Adulthood: Physical
I expect to have poorer eyesight, have hearing loss, and overall be slower for these changes are normal in late adulthood. I want to be aware of the genetic illnesses mentioned in middle adulthood because I may be more susceptible to them as I age. I know that my body will not be able to heal as it did in my younger years and I would not be surprised if I live long enough to where I am unable to perform activities of daily living. In this case, I would need a caregiver (maybe my children). -
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Reference
Berk, L. E. (2017). Development through the lifespan (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
