Chapter 23 - Trying Rice Cereal for the first time!

Well when I added the chapter about 4 months Carly wasn't quite for months yet so I didn't have any pictures of her for her 4 months or of her trying rice Cereal out for the first time either, so here it is...

Getting ready to try rice cearal but not sure what Mommy is up to

The first bite so far so good...

Not quite sure what this new stuff is but knows its different

Getting very messy, just remember they have to learn how to eat from a spoon.

All done Super messy baby but the first time eating "food" went well!

Carly wasn't to fond of the rice cereal so the 2nd time she ate it I mixed it with banana's and she did eat more and do a little better, but even then she still didn't like the cearal so the next time she ate I gave her green beans with just a little cereal and she did great.

She had Carrot's without rice cereal and absolutly love them, she sucked them down (of course we are using a cearal bottle now for food, because well to be honest spoon feeding a 4 month old is super messy!)

Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!

Catrina

Chapter 22 - Discipline - Spanking vs Non-Spanking.

Spanking Vs Non Spanking Parents

(Image courtesy of Google Images)

The Subject that I am about to discuss is a bit of a controversial subject. I am not looking for an argument of what is right and wrong I am just expressing my opinion. Also I am in no way condoning violence or abuse against children.

So you've made it to the point were your baby is working his/her way into toddler hood which means.... Little one is getting into everything! So its time to start thinking discipline, while at this age most of the time taking kiddo away from whatever he/she is getting into or distracting them from the forbidden object works, you will soon be wondering what form of discipline you will be using on your little one. You may have made the decision when you first found out you were pregnant or when little one was born or even before you started having kids. Either way its time to figure out what type of disciplinarian you are.

This is were the controversy usually comes in there are two sides to the argument, you have the parents who believe that spanking is completely wrong and you have the parents who believe a little spanking never hurt anyone. But then again what works for one parent may not work for another. I've always believed that spanking is okay, it was the way I was raised, but I also know that some situations don't call for a spanking. I've been on both sides of the fence as far as using each form of discipline, I've only used spanking and I've only used the opposite. For me using one or the other does not work for me its best to use both forms of discipline. Now my biggest problem is that people think that there is something terribly wrong with you if you use spanking as a form of discipline, but I refuse to allow my children to walk all over me which is what some parents do when they use other forms of discipline. I'm not here to argue what is better or who is right and wrong because seriously no one is ever right or wrong when it comes to discipline (unless you are abusing your child). But what works for one parent may not work for another parent. Your best bet if you are not sure what form of discipline to use is to do some research on different approaches. For me I've come to the point were I use spanking as a last resort. I use time outs, talking, distraction, and loss of privileges. A lot of people who don't believe in spanking say that spanking a child causes them to be violent and out of control as they get older. But I have seen children who's parents never used spankings who were violent and out of control as they got older so there is really no right or wrong (again unless you are abusing or neglecting your child, that is completely wrong). I think my biggest complaint as far as the discipline argument goes is that the people who don't believe in spanking don't think that any person should use spanking at all. I just wonder why do people think that just because they don't believe in something that everyone should follow their rules and do what they say. I'm here to raise my kid, I'm not here to tell you how to raise yours so let me raise my kids the way I want and you can raise yours the way you want.

Sorry I got a bit heated at the end there but I do get irritated with it. Like I said everyone disciplines their kiddos differently its up to you to find what way is right for you.

Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!

Catrina

Chapter 21 - Your Mean! I Hate You!

Before I start this post I just want to first say that these are some of my experiences and while I am not a therapist or a doctor, I am expressing my interpretations of the situation in this discussion. Everyone will experience and interpret these experiences differently.

If you got older kiddo's then you probably have heard it at least once before.... "Mommy you mean!" Or some variation of that. I hear that a lot lately coming out of the mouth of my 2 year old. Obviously if she doesn't get her way, whoever told her now is mean. When your told by you child that your mean, some parents may get upset, they don't want to be a mean parent. I'll admit the first time I was told I was mean by one of my kids it stung a little, but the one thing that hurt was when my child said "I hate you!" Right now you may be thinking my child will never tell me that, but let me clue you in... Eventually one day your kids will say this to you and trust me depending on the situation its gonna hurt. See for us when they say your mean we turn it into a joke, "yeah I know I am the meanest Mommy in the world! I am just horrible" I really like saying that when I am out in public, after one of the kids tell me I am mean for not getting them what they want because I LOVE the bad looks I get from other people. They can't believe that you are saying this about yourself, they must not realize its my way of A) making a joke of what my kid just said to me and B) getting my kids to laugh so they forget that I just told them no. But its hard to make light of being told your hated by your child. This is were I try to sit down and talk to them about what it is that made them say this. They are young of course they are serious about hating you (at least not when they are younger) its their way of getting their frustrations out on you. I've been told by one of my daughters that she hated me, It hurt very badly (there was more said) but she was upset for getting in trouble and upset that she was very upset and frustrated with me. When your kiddo gets to that stage were he/she has become more independent and smarter then everyone else (and believe me eventually they will think this way). When they have this new attitude they will probably be getting themselves into trouble a lot and of course that's when they think you don't care about them so they say they hate you (because they think you hate them), at least that has been my experience so far. Depending on how you are as a disciplinarian parent, make sure that you have both calmed down before you go to talk to your child. No matter how angry you might be about the situation at hand reassure them that although they may "hate" you right now, you do still love them no matter what! To me that is the main thing that you need to make sure your child knows in their frustrations it that you still love them now matter how much trouble they are getting into, no matter how angry you are at them or they are at you, they have to know that you still love them unconditionally!
I hope this will help you to be able to deal with this situation when and if you have to deal with it.

Have an Oh So Wonderul Day!
Catrina

Chapter 20 - 12 Month Milestones

Weeks 45-48



Oh "No". As soon as your baby grasps the concept of "no," he/she'll love teasing it out of you every chance he/she gets. To elicit a big N-O from you or your partner, he/she might bang his/her sippy cup on the table, yank on your hair, or go for things he/she knows are off-limits, such as the television remote or the phone cord. He/she might even look at you with a mischievous grin as he/she does it. To him/her, it's less about rebelling or even getting his/her hands on the forbidden item than it is about getting your attention and getting a rise out of you. Consider this a primitive form of schoolyard teasing, and respond by redirecting, not scolding. Take her sippy cup away and calmly say, "All done. Just like the kids in the schoolyard, when she can't get a rise out of you, he/she'll lose interest in testing your limits. Offering some extra positive attention - hugs and kisses, snuggle time with a book - might help him/her see thiere are better ways of getting your attention than acting out.

It won't be long, however, until your baby starts saying "no" herself. He/she might have already figured out how to shake his/her head, but once he/she spits out the word itself - an easy-to-say single syllable.

Speedy Learner. By this week your baby's balance has likely improved enough that he/she can stand for a short while without any support. He/she might not take any steps, and he/she'll look a little wobbly, but once he/she's confindent in his/her newfound ablility, he/she'll attempt a few steps of hands-free cruising, then grab on to the nearest piece of furniture as he feels him/herself lose his/her balance. Soon he/she'll start to venture away from the walls and furniture, a step you can encourage by standing int he center of the room with a smiling face and open arms (or a favorite toy). Some babies progress from these first shaky steps to true walking nearly overnight, while others continue practicing for a month or more. That's fine. The average age range for walking is 12-15 months, but anywhere from ages 9 to 18 months is considered normal.

Your child understands more of what you say every day and can respond in a number of nonverbal ways. When you mention a toy, he/she might look in its direction or point to it; if you ask where the airplane is, he/she might point to the sky. To help him/her nail down a few key vocabualry words and avoid confusion, focus this week on using a single word to describe and object or person in his/her life. For example, call your cat "kitty" or by its actual name - but not both.

Your baby's new obsessions. As your baby gains greater control of his/her boday and more dexterity, he/she might begin "helping" you dress his/her by extending his/her arms into his/her onesies, sticking his/her feet into his/her shoes, and pulling his/her sicks off - an all-time baby favorite. Watch for a potentional streaker on your hands. Many babies who figure out how to wriggle out of their clothes love to peel off every stitch, including their diapers, and make a break for it.

Beyond clothing, there's plenty to interest your baby these days. Some children are obsessed with banging on things - the louder the better. Offer an appropriate musical outlet by stocking a low kitchen cabinet with nonbreakable pots, lids, plastic containers, and wooden spoons, so he/she can drum to her heart's content. His/her kitchen play buys you cooking time, and having his/her own special cabinet might keep his/her out of others he/she shouldn't be exploring.

Talking up a Storm. By this stage your almost-toddler is likely chatting up a storm. That's not to say he/she's necessarily uttering actual words, but you'll hear a distinctly conversation like pattern to the way he/she talks, as if his/her nonsensical ramblings were an actual dialogue. For instance, the infelction of his/her voice will go up and down to indicate sentences and questions, and he/she might chatter for minutes at a time, as if he/she's eanestly trying to tell you something. Even if you don't understand one word, you can encourage your baby's first-word efforts by responding as if you understood everything he/she said: "Really,honey? Wow, that's so interesting! And then what happened?" Once in a while you might even hear a real word or two thrown in there.

Happy 1st Birthday Baby you made it through your first year!!

For More informations on these Milestones, Please visit parents.com
Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!
Catrina

Chapter 19 - 11 Month Milestones

Weeks 41-44



Gaining Strength. By this week, pulling up might be a piece of cake for your baby - and if you hold both of his/her hands for balance, he/she'll probably go for a stroll with you. He/she's able to sit down from a standing position with some grace, rather than just plopping painfully down on his/her bottom. Even more adorable, kids this age love to sway, bop, and hum to music, creating their own funny way of dancing along. Dancing helps strengthen your baby's leg muscles and perfect his/her sense of balance, so put some tunes on, stand him/her up, and let him/her boogie.
As your baby plays, it's obvious how curious she's become. It might seem like she's getting into everything these days - opening drawers and dumping out all their contents or reaching her hand down to see how steep the step from your kitchen to your living room is. Don't be surprised if you leave the room for two seconds and come back to find that your little tike has opened the entertainment center doors and pulled out every DVD you own. She might also like to experiment with climbing in and out of kiddie-size chairs, and because she's not great at judging sizes, you might catch her trying to hop onto a dollhouse-size chair. At this age, get ready to do a lot of chasing around and redirecting when she inevitably does something she shouldn't.
Brain Booster. Your baby's getting smarter every day! At 10 months, he/she's starting to grasp concepts such as time, distance, depth, and cause and effect, and he'll incorporate them into his/her play. Your baby continues to learn about the properties of objects by crumpling, ripping, tasting, and throwing anything he/she can get his/her increasingly dexterous hands on.
And what a personality he/she's getting! Kids this age begin to show a huge range of emotions - from fear and sadness to twinkle-eye glee - and everything in between. Baby might look sheepish when you catch him/her doing something forbidden; expectant when you put him/her in his/her high chair; and excited when he/she sees someone he/she loves. They might smack their lips and murmur, "Mmm!" when they taste something yummy, stomp their feet in time to music, or even daydream, staring off into space as though they have a lot on their minds. Encourage your baby to express him/herself - and help him/her learn the actual words to describe how he/she's feeling - by saying things like "You look so excited, honey!" or "Isn't this delicious?"
Social Butterfly. Got a little copycat on your hands? Around this age you might notice that your baby imitates everything you do. He/she might try to feed you a spoonful of the applesauce he/she's eating, rub you with his/her washcloth while you're bathing him/her, or bang on the computer keyboard if you hold him/her on your lap while dashing off an e-mail.
Babies learn a ton through this monkey-see, monkey-do approach, but it's not just your positive behaviors he/she'll pick up on. If you yell at your children, chances are they might take to shouting. Get stressed out or frustrated pretty easily? He/She"ll likely copy that too. No one says you have to be a saint, but if you find yourself getting angry or nearing wits' end, give yourself a quick time-out before you blow up in front of baby.
He/She's beginning to understand that him/her belongings are distinct from others; he/she might be able to find his/her own toys in the playroom, for example, and prefer them to his/her brother's. He/she's also learning that his/her voice, face, and body parts are different from everyone else's. You can reinforce this by picking up his/her favorite stuffed animal and naming each of its body parts - then IDing the same parts on your body. After several repetitions, try asking your baby where his/her head, eyes, ears, and toes are. You might be amazed to find his/her pointing to them soon.
Increasing Vocabulary. By this age your baby might be able to say one or two words, usually to indicate the things that he/she loves or pays a lot of attention to in his/her daily life. You might be waiting to hear "Mama," but "Dada" is actually more likely to pop out first - not because your little one loves his/ her father more, but because those hard D sounds are easier to make.
This is also the stage when your baby learns to point. That's his/her way of asking you what he/she's looking at so he/she can further expand his/her vocabualry. Let him/her know that yes, that is a duck, or that the thing he/she sees in the sky is an airplane. You might find yourself in a nonstop game of point-and-say, but remind yourself that you'll see the results when he/she starts to say some of those new words him/herself. If your baby's not pointing yet, hand over your cell phone. The irresistable urge to push the buttons will strengthen his/her little fingers.

For more information on these Milestones, Please visit Parents.com
Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!
Catrina

Chapter 18 - 10 Month Milestones

Weeks 37 - 40



Almost Walking. Can't keep up with your baby these days? If he/she's been crawling for a while, chances are he/she's jetting all over the place now - going foward and backward, turning, even attempting to scale the stairs. If your baby's not crawling (which is also totally normal), he/she's probably getting mobile in other ways - scooting, creeping, or pulling him/herself up to a stand. All of this is prep for him/her first solo steps, which could come as early as a couple of weeks from now, or as late as 15 months or beyond.
Talking more? Your baby's vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. Even if he/she hasn't started talking yet, he/she undoubtedly understands far more words than he/she says. You can get a clearer picture of what he/she knows by asking him/her to point to something familiar, such as a ball or a favorite toy, or by giving him a sample, one-step direction such as, "bring me you shoe." your baby's comprehension will continue to outstrip his/her speaking abilities for months and even years to come because the physical development of his/her mouth, tongue, and larynx will be slow, and his/her growing cognitive ability to combine words such as nouns and verbs into the proper order takes lots of time. He/she might, however, find other ways to indicate his/her needs, by pointing, bringing things to you, or even using baby sign language. As long as he/she's getting his/her message across, it's okay. I can say for myself that actually around this age we taught Kara some sign language, you may want to start earlier so that you know sooner but I didn't think about it until she was around 10 months old, you can look online and find websites that show you signs for baby's such as for milk, hungry, all done, more and other such words. Its really worked for us as Kara caught on quickly on how to sign for milk so when she was thisty she would let me know without whining.
Increasing Physical Skills. The first time your baby pulls him/herself up is a thrill for both of you - and perhaps a bit of a surprise, too, since one minute your baby was grabbing the edge of the table, then next he/she's at eye level with it. But it won't take him/her long to figure out that now that he/she's standing up, the most interesting thing he/she can do is to cruise, or sidle along the edge of the furniture while holding on to it for support. Of course, some babies go straight from crawling to walking, while other pull themselves up, then want to grab onto you hand as a built-in support. No matter how your baby gets to walking, you can increase his/her confidence by cheering him/her on - and laughing when he/she falls down, so it won't upset him/her too much.
Playing with you baby. Another great way to help baby learn physical coordination - along with memory and other important skills - is by playing a few classic baby games. Some good ones to start now: So Big: Ask you baby, "how big is (Sophia)?" then hold up your arms for him/her to imitate and answer "Sooo big." It's a big hit with most babies. This little piggy: The funny toe-tickling game teaches baby about his/her body. Pattycake: Help him/her cycle through the motions of the baker baking a cake; the game will help him/her see the difference between your hands and his/hers.
Milestone Watch. At 10 months old your baby might be able to stand on his/her own for a short time. If he/she's comfortable cruising, he/she might add a new twist to his/her physical repertoire by bending down and picking up a toy from the floor while holding onto the couch or table. And if you hold onto his/her hands, he/she might take a few shaky steps forward! So offer him/her lots of chance to practice. When will baby start actually walking? For early steppers, it could be anytime, but as with most milestones, there's a huge range in what experts consider "normal." It's not uncommon for kids to hold off on walking until 15 months, or even 18 months in some cases!
At the same time, you baby's language development continues at a quick pace. He/she might respond when you ask him/her to do something, such as wave bye-bye or pick up his/her sippy cup. He/she might say a few actual words such as "Mama" or "Dada," or imitate animal sounds, by barking like a dog, for instance. You might notice that he/she shakes his/her head when he/she hears the word "No," or puts his/her finger over his/her mouth when you say "shh." Cutest of all, he/she uses exclamations, such as saying "Uh-oh!" when the juice spills or he/her drops his/her toy keys.

For more Information of these Milestones, Please visit Parents.com

Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!
Catrina

Chapter 17 - 9 Month Milestones

33- 36 Weeks





Baby not sleeping through the night anymore? Whats going on is after one to two hours of deep sleep, she/he will enter a stage of lighter sleep and might partially wake up before easing back into sound slumber again. Don't go running in as soon as you start hearing those peeps though wait a might and see if baby drifts back to sleep on his/her own. If baby is still crying out for you go ahead and comfort him/her but don't turn the light on or pick baby up.

Chatting it up. Instead of crying or whimpering when she wants something, he might now point to the desired object. This gives you a great opportunity to prod his language development along: " Oh, would you like your bottle?" experts agree that the more language your baby hears, the sooner he'll learn to form his own words and sentences. But it's not enough to simply overhear adult conversations; similarly, watching a crtoon or television program has hardly any effect on baby's verbal abilities. What works best is when you're speaking directly to your little one about things that he's interested in. So when you see your baby gazing at a far-away toy, pick it up and talk about it: "its a red ball. Do you want the red ball?" Also, don't shy away from using the sing-songy voice known as parent-ese. Babies pay better attention when you talk like this, perhaps because they enjoy the vocal variation or sense that it's a departure from the norm. While talking to your baby is vital, don't feel like you have to keep up a running monologue. Let you baby get a word in, or simply take a talking break and be silent for a while. A little downtime will let your baby absorb all that he's seen and heard.
Baby's pincer grasp has likely improbed to the point that he/she's able to easily pluck small pieces of dry cereal or fruit off her high-chair tray. He/she might even be able to rake an object toward him/her with his/her fingers then grab it with his/her palm. Around this time your baby will also start collecting and sorting things. he/she's learning the basics of quantity, with games in which he/she places one object after another in a cup or sorting blocks into piles.
I wanna go! Even if baby used to love entertaining him/herself in the high chair or play yard, don't be surprised if he/she begins to absolutely loathe it now. He/she's so mobile that he/she just wants to move - all day, every day. Let him/her explore as much as possible, but don't feel bad if you need to confine him/her for a short period of time while you cook or clean. Just make sure he/she has plenty of toys to entertain him/herself.

First Words! Around this time, you baby might make his/her first real attempt at saying a word, though it's not always clear what he/she's saying. For instance, you might notice that he/she uses the same sounds to indicate a familiar object, such as "bah" for bottle, or to communicate when he/she wants something, like "uh" for up (as in, "Pick me up, please!"). The difference between babbling and actual words is sometimes hard to detect, even for an attentive mom, but experts suggest that one way to tell them apart is intention. Is your baby just making sounds? or is he/she talking about something in particular. Some children will use their own made-up versions of a word, such as "bankee" for "blanket," for years simply because it's easier to say. So don't hold your breath for a clear-as-a-bell, find-it-in-the-dictionary first word, which might not come out for a few more months - or even well into toddlerhood. Instead, go ahead and chalk it up as a first word if you know exactly what your baby is talking about- and so does your baby.

First Steps! In physical developments, you baby might be able to stand on his/her own with just a little support now. He/she might even have started cruising around furniture, practicing walking by holding onto the coffee table or an ottoman. Don't worry if he/she hasn't gotten there yet. That milestone could still be several weeks away, and that's normal.

For More on these Milestones please visit Parents.com

Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!

Catrina

Chapter 16 - 8 Month Milestones

29 - 32 Weeks.

Standing on his/her feet. You baby's not ready to pull him/herself up or start cruising around just yet but he/she will love getting in an upright postion while you support him/her. If you pull him/her up on thier feet and let go, they may be able to balance for a few seconds, but the more you do this causing them to bear weight on thier legs will help build the muscles that he/she needs to pull up on his/her own.
You'll notice baby has the memory and cognitive ability to figure out what's going to happen next. If he/she hears the keys jingling in the lock at 6pm, he/she kicks his/her legs in the anticipation of your arrival home from work. Your baby relies on sensory input- sounds, smells, sights - to figure out what's going on, in part because he/she's such a keen observer of his/her surroundings, and in part because he/she loves repetition and routine so much that he/she's quick to pick up on it. Be prepared for a meltdown if baby gets it wrong though.
Baby's fine motor skills are getting more sophisticated. He/she's comfortable banging, shaking, dropping, and throwing his/her toys. Baby may even be getting better at feeding him/herself by using his/her thumb and fingers to pick up food, instead of using his/her whole palm.
You baby's personality is starting to peek through a bit more now. His new activities are hilarious to him/her. Drop something and he/she will crack up. Even better he/she will show signs of having his/her own sense of humor, teasing you by proffering a toy, then taking it back again and giggling at your open mouthed dismay.
He/she is becoming more social now too. He/she can recognize all family members and loved ones and tried to entice you into playing with him by flashing a smile or even lifting his/her arms at your appearance.
Baby is learning new ways to discovering his/her enviroment, with skills to perfect and a whole house to explore.
Naps may shorten or disappear all together around now as well.

For more information on these milestones please visit parents.com

Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!
Catrina

Chapter 15 - 7 Month Milestones

Weeks 25 - 28

Sleepy Time. By now baby should be sleeping a total of 14 hours a day (give or take), the majority should be at night, the rest should be broken up in 2-3 naps a day. If little one isn't sleeping well at night try elimating one of the naps and see if that helps. It is possible thought for a baby that has been sleeping through the night to relapse and start sleeing less. There are a few reasons for this. but a big one is separation anxiety (which can hit hard right around 6 months)
More tummy time. Between 6 and 12 months baby is getting more physical focusing on the skills he/she needs for crawling, cruising, walking and tossing a ball. To help motivate your kiddo place him/her on thier belly (more tummy time) and place thier favorite toy just out of thier reach and cheer him/her on.
"Transitional object." You little one may soon choose his/her first real lovey, such as a blanket, teddy bear, or some other toy that he/she will be dragging around all the time. Having one might help him/her sleep better, reassure her/him when you're not around, and offer comfort when she/he is afraid. Buying a few may come in handy because when you need to was one you can replace it without little one finding out. Kara has a blanket that she has to sleep with, I didn't know how attached she would get to it so I only bought one. Bad idea, whenever we needed to clean it she would get so upset if she didn't have it to sleep with. I took her to the store thinking I could get another one, but unfortunitly they no longer sold that blanket, but I helped her pick out a knew one so now she has two blankeys. Carly has to have a blanket to sleep with but it seems at this time it doesn't matter what kind as long as it is a blanket so luckily I don't have to buy a ton of blankey's just yet.
Even if baby is sitting up on her/his own without support by now to be on the safe side keep pillows or a boppy close by to cushion him/her if they fall.

For more information on these milestone please check out Parents.com

Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!
Catrina

Chapter 14 - 6 Month Milestones

Happy Half Birthday Baby, You've made it through half of your first year.

Weeks 21-24

Crawl baby Crawl. Baby most likely can roll in either direction by now and may even be creeping or scooting around on his/her tummy. He/she may or may not be on his/her hands and knees crawling yet but don't be to concerned because it may not happen until between 7-10 months. Some babies even skip crawling all together and transition straight to standing up and cruising.
Babbling Baby. Baby is babbling so much more now and Her/his coos are may be more pronounced sounds instead of shieks.
Food. Don't stop the formula or breastmilk just yet, baby still needs that but you will probably be providing more food more often and drinking less. Baby may prefer the sweet food more because they have more sweet tastebuds right now.
Testing your patients. Your not gonna like it but baby is gonna love it when he/she drops and object on the floor and watches you pick it up multiple times. This is going to happen alot so be prepared.
Sitting up. Baby can sit by him/herself for up to 30 minutes. He/she may use thier arms to create extra balance. Baby is better able to entertain his/herself at this point because he/she can check things out better at this position.
"Talking" More. Baby will be vocalizing alot more and can actually link Consonants (such as d, b and m) they may begin saying what sounds like syllables. Ah might become dada or maybe more like dadadadada and mama or more like mamamama. This is around the time parents start to fight over what baby will say first dada or mama, the more you say one or the other baby will likely say that one first.... But I've heard that its easier for babys to say the da sound first so most babes will say dada first (out of my kiddos, Kara is the only one who said dada first so far).

For more information on these milestones please visit Parents.com

Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!
Catrina

Chapter 13 - 5 Month Milestones

Well I would post a picture of Carly but she isn't 5 months yet so, sorry no pictures (and it would be to much work for me to get pictures of my other kiddos at that age and well I am to lazy to do that)

Weeks 17-20.

Language Development. Baby is starting to recognize sounds. In addition to regular coos, he/she will start to speak some vowel sounds. Listen for some Aahs and ohs that may be repeated over and over again. But your babe isn't quite ready to start speaking his/her first words yet. But he/she will be watching you while you speak to try and absorb the different sounds that you are making. He/she may cough or click thier tongue during play too.
What happen to my babys locks? Babies hair might start changing around this time. Just like her/his eyes, they can change in the first 6 months of life.
Move it baby. If baby hasn't started rolling over yet he/she probably will very soon, so don't leave baby on high surfaces alone, because he/she may surprise you and roll off and we both know thats not good. Baby may even start trying to crawl or scoot around now so tummy time will be a little more fun now that baby is more mobile. I know Carly hasn't hit this age yet but the little butt monkey will kick her legs so much when she is on her back that she moves herself, I lay her in the middle of her crib every night and by morning she is at the top of her crib!
Lets Play! Play time should be more fun now because baby is interested in grabbing toys and other such things so start finding new things to entertain baby so he/she doesn't get to bored.
Sitting! Your baby may be able to sit up without any help now! Baby will probably be pretty shakey and will lean on his/her hands for balance.
I wanna be a super hero. While baby is having tummy time he/she may bring both her/his legs and arms off the floor and look like he/she is flying. This is thier way of showing thier new found strength.
Baby is definatly more active now and doing more things. You'll notice that baby's sleeping habits have changed as well. He/She will have more awake time now and be sleeping less often. Baby is grabbing for things alot more and will be putting everything in he/her mouth so make sure what ever is in reach of baby is clean.

For more information on this Milestone please visit Parents.com

Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!
Catrina

Chapter 12 - 4 Month Milestones

Carly Mae 13 weeks old

Ahh we've made it to weeks 13-16, for me this has been the most exciting so far because these week are were Carly has really started to show more personality, She giggles so much now and for a while every time I asked her if she was a silly girl she would giggle hysterically and I just love her little laugh.

Amazing Sense Development. By now baby's senses have almost reached thier adult levels. Vision is improving so much that he/she can track movement as far as 20 feet away!

Hands! Yep baby is noticing thier hands more around this time, opening and closing them and examing thier fingers. They may even start to try and grab for things. I thought it was so cute the day that Carly noticed her hands for the first time because she just stared at them and then shoved them in her mouth. Then just the other day she start to grab for things, you know what the first thing she grabbed for was? My nose! Yep her nails were sharp too! So start putting toys that may spark her interest close to her so that she can play with!

Ohh the Colors! By 14 weeks baby see's in full color. But he/she may still prefer bright primary colors.

Rock and Roll. We've talked about this before but for those that haven't started to roll yet now may be the time where your little one will begin rolling from belly to back (between 4-6 months remember). Back to Belly rolling may not accur until closer to 6 months. Shh here's a little secret that we did that I think helped Carly to roll from belly to back. We lay her on a blanket on her belly on the kitchen table, I'm not sure how but it seemed to motivate her a little more to roll over, just remember to keep your hand close to her/his head because if they still don't have total head control they may bonk thier head or face on the table.

I want Food. Between 4 and 6 months you can start baby on solids, wow can you believe you made it to this point? A suggestion for first foods is an iron fortified rice cereal, which you can make by mixing a small amount of powdered cereal with formula or breast milk to form a thin paste. But just remember this is thier first time so try a dab first before shoving a spoon full of food into the mouth of a baby that has never eating solids before. And it will be messy... I just realized that Carly is 16 weeks this weekend so we get to dive into this adventure now!

For more information on these milestone please visit parents.com

Have a Great Day!

Catrina

Chapter 11 - 3 Month Milestones

Carly Mae 3 months

Wow time sure is flying, here is what milestones your little one will possibly hit between 8-12 weeks.

SLEEP! By this time baby should be sleeping through the night maybe even 6 or more hours at a time, but don't get to excited because some babies still aren't sleeping through the night by now in fact it could still be a few more weeks or even months before baby starts sleeping through the night.

Rolling over. Some baby's start rolling over around now, they may go from back to side although they may not fulling roll over until between 4-6 months. Some baby's may roll from tummy to back before they ever roll from back to tummy. Carly has mastered rolling from belly to back, so tummy time is very hard to do anymore since she hates tummy time.

More Routine. You may notice that baby's day seems more routine then before, eating, playing and sleeping may become more predictable around now. Carly has gotten into such a routine that she actually has to sleep in her crib for her morning nap and her nap that she takes in the late afternoon, she's not to keen with the noise and commotion that goes on around those times.

Attention Hound. Baby will probably be expecting more attention now that she/he can actually talk to you and move around a little more, they are less likely to just sit there and be quite like they use to be, try to find ways to entertain babe. Like a playmat, or making faces at baby, talking and other such things.

Eating more. When you start noticing that baby is not going as long between feedings it may be time to up the ounces that he/she is getting between feeding, just like baby thier belly is growing to and can hold more food now. Which is an advantage to you because that means longer hours of sleep!

Head Control. By now baby can lift his his/her head up 90 degrees when he/shes on his/her belly.

For more information on these milestones visit Parents.com

Have a Great Day!

Catrina

Chapter 10 - 2 Month Milestones

Carly Mae 2 months old

So you've survived the first month of baby's life. It was pretty stressful wasn't it? But so well worth it... Things are going to start to get more interesting this next month and you gonna be excited when you notice all these new things.

Baby starts hitting more milestones between week's 5-8 that may seem more exciting then the milestones they hit last month.

Baby Develops a Social Smile. Thats right baby's smile turns into a "Real" smile. I don't know about you but I know for me, I knew when it became real. Obviously if baby is looking at you and you smile and he/she smiles back thats probably a real smile, but sometimes baby isn't looking at you when they begin smiling, and its an awesome thing (although the gas smiles are cute as hell too).

Crying less. If baby doesn't have colic then around this time you may notice baby isn't crying as often. I don't really know much about this one because yes around 6 weeks Carly was crying less but that is also about the time she started her acid reflux medicine so I guess maybe I missed this milestone.

Sleeping better. You may notice in the 2nd month that you are getting more sleep in through the night, which if baby didn't sleep well before, you'll be so relieved to get that little extra sleep during the night. I know I was the first time Carly slept through the night, it was shear bliss!

Senses are becoming more sensitive. you may notice that if you are not directly in front of baby and you call his/her name (and sometimes just speak) that baby looks for you. He/she's eye site is becoming sharper to and they may be able to follow an object if you put it in front of thier face and move it from left to right.

Laughing. Baby may start laughing this month, and its more exciting to have baby start giggling at you then it was when he/she started smiling at you. Once they start giggling you will try to find every way to make baby giggle some more.

Talking. You heard me right baby will start "talking" this month, obviously he/she won't be talking full sentences or even words but they will be talking baby talk and its very exciting. I just wish I knew what in the world Carly has been telling me, for all I know she has been saying I am a crazy Jack Wagon or something.

Grabbing objects. If you place a toy or you finger at the tips of his/her fingers, he/she may be able to grab onto it. speaking of grabbing object, you may want to start holding baby's hand up to his/her bottle now, the sooner you do this (on a regular basis while feeding) the sooner baby will learn to hold the bottle on his/her own.

For more information on these milestones visit Parents.com.

Have a Great Day!

Catrina

Chapter 9 - 1 month Milestones

Carly Mae just 3 days old

So you just had a baby and right now baby doesn't do much of anything. Basically your routine consists of baby eating, sleeping, peeing and pooping.

You may notice within the first days that baby lets out a smile every so often, but don't get to excited this isn't a "real" smile, actually its gas.

From weeks 1-4 you may or may not notice the milestones that your baby is hitting.

Baby can only focus 8-12 inches in front of his/her face, so when you "playing" try to stay within that range so baby can see you clearly.

Hearing is fully developed. So you won't needed to yell like your talking to a deaf person because guess what baby can hear you! And because babies hearing is developed they may startle at loud noise, and the noises don't have to be super loud, so be careful getting to loud around baby.

Arm and leg movements become smoother. You may have noticed when baby first came home that he/she was had very fast sporatic movements, but as the next four week progress baby won't look like she/he is flipping out at a rave party.

Brings hands towards eyes and mouth. You may notice baby rubbing eyes when tired, and chewing on his/her hands. For those that have binkies (pacifiers, what ever you call them) it may get annoying fast because they will be knocking it out of there mouth alot and then getting mad because its gone. So have fun with that (I sure have not!)

Turns head towards familiar sounds and voices. This will be exciting especially when you notice baby is recognizing your voice and turns towards your voice to find you.

You also may have noticed that baby has really week neck muscle and can barely control his/her head (of course you may be lucky and have a kiddo that has very good head movement when born). This is were "tummy time" comes in handy to help develop those neck muscles and to help baby to get better control of his/her head. Not all babies like this so even if you can get a few minutes at a time a few times a day it will help. Another way to get some "tummy time" is lay baby on your chest, it is pretty much the same as baby being on the floor but at least he/she will have you to look at.

The first month is kind of the boring month as far as the milestones go but you may notice that baby starts changing a little as far as his/her features go once the swelling from delivery starts to wear off.

Again I am getting all my information from experience and from Parents.com so if you want to know more check it out. :)

Have a Great Day!

Catrina

Ohh, Ohh I got an Idea!

Okay so I have been thinking about "My Book" and I figured out what my next chapters are going to be. So for you first time parents, I'm going to be writing about the milestones your babies are going to go through (or possible already went through). But I am going to have a little help from my favorite child reference website Parents.com or P.com (which is what I will use when referencing the site.

So keep an eye out for the next chapters, starting at chapter 9 (were I left off before). But for those non first time parents or non parents don't worry I will still be posting about other things as well so you may get lucky and see maybe 2 post a day (maybe more, maybe less).

Have a Great Day!
Catrina

I'm excited what can I say

Sorry folks I hate to say this but I have no more ideas for my book! So chapters 9 & 10 are put on hold for now... Sorry :(

On another note though. I've admitted probably a hundred times here that I am a lazy mom, I admit it I'm not proud of it (I know it may seem like I am because I say it so much but I'm not). I'm not so lazy to the point were I neglect my kids so don't get the wrong idea about that. I take care of my kids they are my life but other then that I am extremely lazy. Especially when it comes to house work, I've been able to get away with it for a while because my mom is a clean freak and will clean up. I do help out but a lot of times I don't help out enough (at least in my eyes its not enough).

But as far as being a lazy mom goes I've got some motivation. The prospect of possibly finding our forever house! You know what a forever house is don't you? Its that house that you can see spending the rest of your life in!

I don't want to get into the details to much (since that would be letting you in way to much) but we found out that my grandma's neighbor is thinking about putting his house on the market so if we can get the owner to agree with our offer we could have our forever house! Its just a matter of speaking with the owner and seeing if he will go for it. I am so praying he does! So that is my motivation, I have been cleaning more and trying to straighten up, I even cooked a meal I have never cooked before last night because well think about it if we end up moving I have to make sure that I clean and cook all the time again. I've been slacking because my mommy has been taking care of everything, well except cooking we all do that in the house. But if we move I will have to do all if not most of the cooking (since David may cook a meal or two). I am just so excited, which I shouldn't be because I am getting my hopes up and will probably be disappointment in the end. But until we know what is for sure going to happen I am excited and motivated! But I am still exhausted and tired! So I think I will need to start going to bed earlier. Maybe if this happens I will not only have the motivation to stop being so lazy but to exercise and other such things that I want for myself but just don't have the motivation or energy for. I know its a matter of pushing yourself to do things but I just don't have the energy to push myself most of the time. I can't wait to see if we've got some good news in our future :) We'll see....Have a Great Day!

Catrina

All Images are courtesy of Google Images

Chapter 8 - Ol' Wives Tales

We've all heard them, nosey freinds, family and even strangers have advice for you even if you didn't ask for it. Some advice just sounds plain stupid, some advice sounds to crazy to even try, but some advice sounds so crazy that you think I need to try this!

So thats what this post is all about... Old Wives Tales. I asked some mommy freinds of mine what they have heard and if they had tried them and whether or not they worked. So here it is all the crazy things that people come up with...

Cats can steal the air from a baby’s mouth. This dates back to a time when cats were considered evil spirits. It’s impossible for cats, or any other animal for that matter, to steal air from a baby’s mouth or to suffocate a baby by covering baby’s mouth with their own. However, any animal should be supervised when close to a baby.

If baby is sleeping all day and up most of the night (days and nights mixed up) then take baby and flip them head over heals, making sure at all times that you are supporting baby's head (so this will take 2 people to do). To be honest this does work! To my knowledge it has worked 5 times for sure, my 4 kids and me :). Yes my mom did this to me when I was a newborn infant and said it worked, and thats were we found out about it was from her.

If a woman other than the baby's mother holds the baby while she is menstruating, the baby will get the stretches. What seriously? I wonder if this actually happens (by the way the stretches mean when baby yawns and stretches alot)

If you cut a baby's hair before his/her first birthday, they will have "bad" hair. I don't really think this is true because Devin has bad hair and we never cut her hair till she was like maybe 18 months or more (since she didn't even have hair till she turned a year)

If your baby has an "outie" push the stub in with an egg and tape a quarter or silver dollar to it and bury the egg. In a week, take the money off and the baby will have an innie. This is just stupid why would you force your baby to have an innie?

If you are trying to dry up breast milk, express some milk into a glass, pour the milk on a rock, and when the milk drys from the rock, your milk will be dried up. This just sounds like the most retarded thing ever!

Don't take a baby outside on a windy day, even if wrapped up. It will give the baby inconsolable gas. Seriously, aww shit I'm screwed because I did this alot, oh wait she doesnt have gas I'm good...

Never let a baby under 1 year old see it's reflection--it will take it's soul. I don't even know how to comment about this...

If a pregant woman looks upon a snake it will "mark" the baby. ????

Tickling a baby too much will make it stutter. We'll see because I have tickled Carly's feet alot..

Never wash the baby's clothes before it is born; it is bad luck to wash them. I wash all my childrens clothes before they are born

Women who ate many salty foods would have mostly girls. Damn thats why I have 4 girls!!

A new baby had to cry a certain amount or it's lungs "wouldn't develop". I don't know about this

Giving a baby a "sugar tittie" was good for it. (a sugar tittie was some sugar and butter mixed and tied up in a clean rag for a baby to suck on). Chicken bones were also great for babies to cut teeth on. Of course the old whisky on the gums was a big one too. Ha heres a story for you.. My mom gave me a little airplane bottle of whiskey to teeth on.. she poked a tiny hole in the lid, well she didn't realize it but I started drinking it! Haha

A baby born in the daylight hours was conceived during the night time and a baby born in the night time hours was conceived during the day. Well mmmm.. I had 3 born in the AM and 1 born in the PM

I asked some of my facebook freinds what they have been told and whether it worked for them or not. & here is what they had to say...

I was told with colby that if he has gas rub his tummy in a clockwise circle to relieve it and if he's constipated go counter clockwise ....never worked.

When they have there days and nights mixed up to hold them upside down. That one didn't work for us This is different from what I posted above, the one I posted is about flipping them not holding them upside down..

gripe water for colic worked for us Works great for hiccups too!

If they have day and night confused, you pick the baby up right then hold by the ankles, and turn upside down three times, it kinda worked with my eldest she was a pain to get to sleep all night, oh just make sure you support the baby's shoulders when doing this or it could be bad again different from flipping them

The one about never wake a sleeping baby...is bad advice if baby needs to eat and you want a full nights rest

Hope these gave you some insight or at least some laughs.

Have a Great Day

Catrina

Images Courtesy of Google Images

"My Book" may be put on hold.

"My Book" I wrote this while my Baby Dangled from a Bathroom Stall Door is temporarily on hold at the moment while I write some more chapters. This weekend was well not super busy but I only had time to write one chapter (chapter 7). I am working on chapter 8 right now and need to come of with some ideas for at least chapter 9 & 10. After I write the rest of those chapters I may or may not continue or I may just write them every so often but it won't be a constant thing like it has been. Honestly I am running out of ideas! I guess thats the way it goes when you get writers block huh? Oh and not to mention I have kiddo's to care for to, they take up most of my time. This weekend Devin attending her first Birthday party with a freind from school (she has been to party's with family and close freinds but never attending one for a kid from school). Needless to say she had a blast! She had so much fun that she didn't want to leave and tried to protest leaving even, but of course I put my foot down, well mainly because she wasn't invited to stay the night and he's a boy. Sorry no boy sleepovers. Speaking of sleepovers, Brooke decided she wanted to stay the night at Grandma Straw's on Saturday night and while she was getting ready to leave Kara said she wanted to stay the night to, so the hubby took them to Grandma's to stay the night and it was Kara's first sleepover away from home! But Grandma said she did well for her first night (I'm relieved). We got lucky Saturday night because Brooke and Kara were at Grandma Straw's and Devin decided to stay the night at Great Grandma's so we only had one kiddo for the night! Its been exactly 3 1/2 months since that has happened. We spent Sunday at the in-laws (grandma straw's) and then we dropped Brookie off with her Aunt Cathy so that she could stay at Great Grandmas house with Devin. So as we speak its just me Kara and Carly, and for some reason Kara is getting ready to go some where. Where? I don't know but she just put her boots on and coat on (and still has her jammies on). So I must find out where she plans on going... I hope to have chapters 8, 9 & 10 written soon for you (by tomorrow). I'll have to wait for the little ones to go to bed to write them though. So...

Have a Great Day!
Catrina

Chapter 7 - The Smells from the great beyond....

Okay here's a scenario for you.... Your sitting there enjoying your new baby. Everything is great your nuzzle his/her neck and then you take a whiff of your baby wanting to take in that sweet baby smell. But the scent you are smelling is not a sweet baby smell, its more like a putrid stench, a nauseating odor. You think to yourself there is no way in hell that this smell is coming from my child. You check the diaper... nothing! Where in the world is that smell coming from? You wonder where is this stench coming from and why in the hell does you child smell! You start searching your child, strip baby down naked and look in every little roll and crevice. You follow the smell... Lift baby's chin and the smell hits you like a ton of bricks, yep it's coming from baby's neck. This is what I like to call stinky neck. Formula, spit up, sweat and what ever else that gets stuck in baby's neck rolls. The skin gets rubbed raw and then that when the smell begins.

It just so happens while I was writing this she was spitting up

In my experience (and I have a lot of experience with stinky neck, having 4 kids were all pukers and spit up a lot) when you have stinky neck it needs to be cleaned at least once a day, if your kiddo spits up or throws up a lot then baby's neck needs to be cleaned up more often. A baby wipe, burp cloth, or wet wash rag will work just fine. There's no need for a complete bath every time you clean baby's neck just as long as you get all the goo and whatever else is growing in there.
Now this here is a shot of Carly's neck which is relatively clean for her. Thankfully she is spitting up less. But believe me when I first noticed Carly's stinky neck (because I forgot all about stinky neck) if was gross with curdled formula and other such nastiness. I am proud to say that Carly is no longer stinky! :)

Have you sniffed your loved ones neck lately?

Have a Great Day!

Catrina