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Archive for the ‘Growth & Development’ Category

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Yesterday, after weeks of scooching around with one leg in front, rocking on his hands and knees but going back to sitting up, and generally not being all that motivated, the baby started crawling. With a vengeance, if that’s possible.

As with the clapping, he busted out this new skill while I was in the kitchen, paying just enough attention to make sure he wasn’t going to bash his head on the floor. A favored toy had rolled away, and nothing else was within easy reach. He sat there for a moment, looking from toy to toy. He looked at me. I said “Hi,” I think.

Then he took off on all fours, both legs behind him, cruised over to what he wanted, and sat down Iike it was no big deal. I cheered.

Today, of course, he is everywhere, going after everything. The heating vent, the door to the deck, that lovely but very pointy table in the photo above. When he went down for his first nap, I moved things and mopped and began mentally bracing myself for the beginning of a new era in which our primary goal is to keep him safe. While letting him explore. And only using the pack-n-play to contain him when it’s really necessary.

At times like this, when I feel fear and doubt taking over, I like to think of my friends who have triplets. And my cousin who has twins. Surely, if they made it through this, so will we.

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If anything is going to stand in the way of me being the best parent I can be, it’s that I’m a Virgo. Granted, there are advantages to this sign: Attention to detail, very logical, excellent at creating order from chaos, yadda-yadda. But the flip side of liking order and a certain level of cleanliness in the kitchen means I live in fear of teaching the baby to feed himself. Embarrassing, but true.

I’ve been letting him play with the spoon, and putting bits of food on it to reward him for getting the right end in his mouth. And I sit there cringing every single time, damp rag clutched in one hand, the other hand poised to shield my face from flying sweet potato. Imagine the state I’ll be in once I let him really go at it.

It’s kind of sad, actually. This should be a fun time, a happy time. But how to achieve that?

Maybe I should drape the kitchen in old sheets for a few months. Or hire a professional cleaning crew after he gets really good at it. Or just redo the kitchen.

Ah. See? Virgos really are logical!

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Socks: Not just for feet anymore.

About a month ago I wrote about how hilarious it was that the baby was going on little voyages of discovery during diaper changes. Since then, he’s gradually increased the frequency, and now he’s doing it at every diaper change. He’ll grab, I’ll wipe his hand off, he’ll complain at me about that, and then immediately make another grab. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

It’s still adorable and funny, but it became problematic because he got faster. Also: A&D is hard to wipe out of all the bitty little crevices of a baby’s hand while holding the diaper closed to prevent spritzing. Furthermore: He uses his left hand to eat Cheerios (primarily), but The Grab has always been executed with the right. Which is also his preferred thumb-sucking hand. And finally (hope you’re not eating): Poop sometimes travels North.

The other night, after I put the wee one to bed following a full day of (fun but tiring) baby care, I decided I had to do something. As I was falling asleep, I came up with a plan I felt would work.

Friends, I have foiled the little man’s fiendish grabbing with a sock. (Don’t be weird, I put it over his right hand!) And now he explores that (little nubby rubber bits, wow!) instead of his nether regions, and he doesn’t crab about it. He actually seems to think it’s cool. And he can’t drop it. I haven’t felt so smug in weeks.

And if he starts using his left hand to go South? Socks on both hands.

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I am not a visual artist by training, but I am a bit of a design freak in that a well thought-out object can make me go “ooh!” This shape sorter, which my online shopping maven of a husband found, does that — for the baby as well as for me.

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It’s made by a British company called Tolo Toys, and the sucker is sturdy. Like, I could probably sit on it without damaging it, and I am not a dainty person. The six shapes have beads inside them, and each one makes a slightly different shaker sound, which the baby loves to bits. He’ll spend quite a bit of time banging them together and squealing, which is entertaining unless I have a headache. They’re also nice and smooth, so they double as teething toys.

Here’s my favorite design feature, though:

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See that lid? To an eight-month-old, it’s a separate toy, and so is the bucket that’s created when you take it off. My kid spent a good 20 minutes investigating those two things last night. He was all like, “Two new toys! EEEEeeeee!” And the kid was tired. As an official Old Mom, I’m telling you: A toy that can do that is worth a few extra ducats.

The only problem with this toy is that it makes me want everything else the company makes.

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If the Cheerios appeared in a manga, they would look like this. Thanks, Manga Camera!

A few weeks ago, there was a development just as exciting as the clapping, but in a different way: The baby learned how to feed himself Cheerios.

Similarly to the clapping, it happened pretty fast. First, I’d put them in his mouth so he knew they were food. Then I encouraged him when he picked them up and dropped them, or got them stuck on his face, or lost one inside his wee chubby fist. (This only ever happened with his right hand. Seems we might have another Southpaw in the house!)

At first, he’d hang on to them and suck them into goo instead of releasing them into his drooly maw. Very funny, and probably a necessary step in understanding the mechanics of self-feeding, so I let him be. Over the space of a few days, his pincer grasp became more precise and he mastered the art of delivering the little oaty Os to his mouth.

Within a few days, he became fully capable of eating them on his own, unless he’s really tired. And then, it’s both amusing and sad to watch him try, and I end up taking what my mom calls the Holy Communion approach. This is very high on the CS (Cute Scale) because he does the baby bird thing.

Anyway. This is all very exciting not only because he’s perfecting his pincer grasp (Big! Developmental! Milestone!), but because he will happily occupy himself with tiny edible rings while I prepare the rest of his food, or prepare our food, or do my nails.

Kidding about the last one, but there may come a day when I’m not. Is it possible for a baby to OD on Cheerios? Oh right, it’s called constipation.

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Baby Mamoush (not his real name) has been fond of noodling with his hands from day one. These days, they’re in more or less constant exploration mode: Fingering the burp cloth during feedings; reaching for lightswitches; and turning toys over for inspection.

The other day, I was changing his diaper. He’d been playing with the washcloth I give him on the changing table to keep him from flipping over, but then his hands went wandering South. And then he came across his Special Purpose (thank you, Steve Martin, for perhaps the best euphemism ever).

I said, very seriously, “Careful with that, you’re going to want it later.” He looked at me and kept exploring. “Gentle…” (It seemed like the optimum time to introduce that word.)

He grabbed a big handful of Special Purpose. He pulled it upwards. He was not being gentle, but I decided to rely on his sense of self-preservation to kick in should he get too rough. He yanked again. A huge smile spread across his face. He giggled. Then he did it again. Grab. Pull. Giggle. Again.

I will admit to being amused, but on top of that, I was relieved. Because I really don’t want to have to call the pediatrician to ask how to treat infantile self-injury of the Special Purpose.

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Okay, friends, you’re about to find out why I have a category called “kvetchitude.”

The baby is teething. For real this time. I can feel his little chompers poking through his gums and everything. It’s an exciting milestone, but there’s a cost: pain and skipped naps, leading to a miserable little boy and a sad mama.

Previously, I’d given him Tylenol for pain but had heard that Ibuprofen was better for teething, so I tried it yesterday, with poor results. I’d heard that you could alternate the two medications if needed, so I called the pediatrician’s office like a responsible parent to find out what they recommend.

Quoth the nurse: “Teething pain is overrated.”

Let’s start with the verbal typo. She didn’t mean that teething pain is less awesome than everyone says it is. She meant that it’s not as bad as you think it is, you silly parent, you.

Right, because the fact that my baby has his hand jammed in his mouth 24/7 and can’t nap for longer than 30 minutes without some kind of analgesic in his system means the pain is purely psychological. Because, you know, seven-month-old babies do that. They get themselves all convinced they’re in pain and then — here’s the crazy part — they actually believe it! They start to behave as if they’re in pain!

Then the nurse, who was in fact trying to be helpful, said that this “not so bad” stance is the official position of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Ah. Good to know. Seriously — I mean, if I know you’re toeing the party line, it’s much easier for me, because I know that you’re merely saying what you’re required to say, not necessarily what is true or most helpful.

She also said that if he needs pain relief around the clock, he should be brought in. Fair enough. And that ibuprofen is hard on little tummies, just like it’s hard on big tummies. All good points. Thank you very much.

So last night, my baby, who sleeps through the night 98% of the time, woke up with phantom pain and tried to convince me that he was experiencing real pain. That clever little manipulator. He put on such a good show, though, what with the fake tears and all, that caved I gave him Tylenol.

And then he went back to sleep.

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