Casey,
Doesn't it drive you nuts when people try to use baby development as a competition?
I mean, their kid's 4 months old. It's still a
little early to be predicting advance admission to Harvard Law for him right now, Gymboree class or not.
This gal sounds like a former close friend of mine...who would constantly tell everyone in earshot how she modeled until she was 7 months pregnant, never got sick, never had to have an epidural, pushed for 15 minutes...blech. After awhile, I was like "yeah, we KNOW!" Then once I got her off her perfect pregnancies, it was right on to her perfect family: how everyone, even strangers on the street, always commented on how beautiful her kids were, how they looked exactly like her, how they should be models, how smart her oldest daughter was...you know what? WE KNOW!!!!
My advice is to smile politely and offer one of these responses:
"Isn't that interesting?" (especially to comments about how her son did this or that at X months)
or
"We're very happy with how Hanna's doing. And so is her doctor."
or
"Hmmm." I use this one A LOT.
Change the subject immediately. Insert more "Hmms" as needed if she won't redirect. Pretend to be losing hearing in one or both ears. Continue to speak about the weather or what have you despite anything she says.
Her: "Did you know little DS is already showing the brain wave activity of an 18 year old genius? It's because we're feeding him on a schedule!"
You: "Isn't that interesting. You know, my roses are really feeling the summer heat this year."
Her: "I can't believe you feed Hanna on demand. She's going to be spolied to death."
You: "Hmm. And the lawn! My goodness, it's terrible. Brown spots everywhere."
Her: "Did you hear me before about Hanna?"
You: "I'm sorry, what? I'm just so distracted about the darn gardening right now..."
See where I'm going with this?
OK, so maybe you can't be quite that extreme...but trust me. This can WORK.