Lots of changes these days. David has gone "mobile"...on his stomach for now, but able to move around to all parts of a room and even open/close drawers that are in his reach. He also seems to be experiencing a combination of teething and separation anxiety, which calls for some extra cuddling.
Some special characteristics of this time period:
1) Naptime: only in someone's arms??? Yep, just when I thought we had avoided any potentially hard-to-break habits, David is suddenly very particular about where he sleeps. The moment he is lowered to the mattress, he is wide awake. In the evening he eventually gets tired enough to stay asleep, but during the day it's often 30 minutes or less. I've had to rethink the way I do things. Instead of trying to do everything during naptime, I take those little 5-10 minute spurts when he's fed/cheerful, and wash a dish or two. I don't dare take a shower during naptime lest he wake up in my absence...so I bring him into the bathroom with me in the carseat (which he's wiggling out of).
2) Parallel labor: David now has his own container station where he can "work" while I'm trying to do something in the kitchen. I also sometimes just plop myself down on the floor and peel potatoes or whatever down at his level, so he can watch for a few minutes...and then I have to escape before he starts grabbing! David also works hard at knocking things down. As soon as the tower is up, he's scooting across the room to fell it with one swipe of the fist.
3) Learning "no": Babies and power cords....need I say more?
4) Things that I hear myself saying: (and then make myself laugh as I realize I'm saying them to a wiggly 7-month old...but we have to keep up with the English exposure, after all)
-"That's Mommy's face. We don't eat Mommy's face."
-"How about going back to your toys?"
-"Can you play quietly for a minute?"
-"Can you stay on your back, please?"
-"Are you supposed to be over there?"
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| The only "acceptable" nap set-up |
Some special characteristics of this time period:
1) Naptime: only in someone's arms??? Yep, just when I thought we had avoided any potentially hard-to-break habits, David is suddenly very particular about where he sleeps. The moment he is lowered to the mattress, he is wide awake. In the evening he eventually gets tired enough to stay asleep, but during the day it's often 30 minutes or less. I've had to rethink the way I do things. Instead of trying to do everything during naptime, I take those little 5-10 minute spurts when he's fed/cheerful, and wash a dish or two. I don't dare take a shower during naptime lest he wake up in my absence...so I bring him into the bathroom with me in the carseat (which he's wiggling out of).
2) Parallel labor: David now has his own container station where he can "work" while I'm trying to do something in the kitchen. I also sometimes just plop myself down on the floor and peel potatoes or whatever down at his level, so he can watch for a few minutes...and then I have to escape before he starts grabbing! David also works hard at knocking things down. As soon as the tower is up, he's scooting across the room to fell it with one swipe of the fist.
3) Learning "no": Babies and power cords....need I say more?
4) Things that I hear myself saying: (and then make myself laugh as I realize I'm saying them to a wiggly 7-month old...but we have to keep up with the English exposure, after all)
-"That's Mommy's face. We don't eat Mommy's face."
-"How about going back to your toys?"
-"Can you play quietly for a minute?"
-"Can you stay on your back, please?"
-"Are you supposed to be over there?"
David is getting so big! Sounds like he is a busy boy :)
ReplyDeleteYou're at home full time with him aren't you? How are you finding that?
He's not a lazy one! :)
DeleteYes, I'm home, but my husband is also home some days when he's not teaching university students.
David and I don't really get out at all. I'd certainly rather be home with him than running off to work or somewhere. It's a different pace than I'm used to, very slow-going. But as long as I've adjusted my expectations accordingly, I don't mind.
Perfect. Babies need to be held. I'm obsessive about this now, I realize (though I didn't hold Lydia and Aidan all the time and they turned out OK).... but touch helps brain development!
ReplyDeleteThis is where grandparents come in. :) It is wonderful for babies to be held, but mothers need a break sometimes. But I know what you mean. I often think about the physical touch being therapy or even medicine. We might over-think babies' behavior thinking they need a contraption/routine/whatever, when a simple hug sometimes does the trick! How many times have I struggled to ignore the fussing and get something done, when I could have just taken 10 minutes to hug away that fussiness?
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