Watch me Grow

This blog is unlike most I have written.  I would like to dedicate this to some special friends who even though very far away I have grown to admire and cherish.  They have recently been blessed with a beautiful gift from God. An angel that has been entrusted to them to love, and teach to be as great as they are.   

This is intended to be a general description of growth and development with some personal tips and observations I have learned over time.  As we all know babies grow and develop at different paces, moving along by their “own clock” as it were. These are only guidelines. So let’s get started.

Birth to three months      Newborn babies are amazing, because every day brings new changes and developments. There’s a lot going on in those first three months. While every baby develops differently and at their own pace, your baby should be stretching and kicking, grasping at things like your finger, and responding to loud noises. They begin to smile and follow things with their eyes.  They love bright colors and get special joy at looking at faces. As if to study who you are. They well gurgle and coo and be surprised at the noise they make. They begin to discover their feet and hands. While on their tummy they can lift their head up some, a little wobbly with the head, but with determination holds it steady. I find they cry over anything wanting to be held and cuddled.  Not to worry no one can spoil a new baby. Just join in with their amazement.

4 to 6 months  Now that your baby has been home a few months you will notice she is becoming more social and purposeful with her movements.  She has not only found those feet and hands but has learned that they can do thing, like grab hair, or hold a toy. She will probably sleep longer, laugh more, squealing when she is happy or excited, blowing bubbles and is more social.   She will smile and laugh, and imitate sounds she hears.She’s learning about her body, exploring her hands and feet. As if she is thinking “ I think they are a part of me!”

She can sit up when you prop her up, like sitting on the couch or an easy chair. She can grasp things without using her thumb and especially loves to put things her mouth, so keep small objects away from  reach.Your baby’s arms and legs probably wiggle and kick more purposefully now. Soon you might notice your baby rocking on her stomach and eventually rolling over. As your baby gains muscle strength, she will have better head control. Most babies this age raise their heads when lying facedown. They might even try to push themselves up or bear weight on their legs. Around age 6 months, many babies begin sitting alone after being positioned upright.

6 months  Now she will become active in many ways. She will  learn to roll over again and again and discover she can get somewhere.  This is beginning of a fun but intensive period–

Ending when your baby moves out of your house in 20 years or so!  She may sit by herself and start using her hands better, Sometimes babies at this age will get their first tooth. Drooling and chewing on hands at this time is normal.  But the belief that a fever, diarrhea are a result of teeth coming in are false. Those are signs of sick baby. Your baby will love toys that make noise, singing, picking up items easier. Enjoy her wonder and playful antics on her journey to one year old

7 months to 9 months  She smiles, laughs, and has babbling “conversations” with you. And she’s on the move – by 7 months she can probably roll to her tummy and back again, sit without your help, and support her weight with her legs well enough to bounce when you hold her. She uses a raking grasp to pull objects closer and can hold toys and move them from one hand to another. She is  more sensitive to your tone of voice and may heed your warning when you tell her “no.” She also knows her name now and turns to look at you when you call her.She is more sensitive to your tone of voice and may heed your warning when you tell her “no.” She also knows her name now and turns to look at you when you call her. Peekaboo is a favorite game and she enjoys finding partially hidden objects. She views the world in full color now and can see farther. If you move a toy in front of her, she’ll follow it closely with her eyes. Watching herself in a mirror is sure to delight her.

9 months to 12 months  By the end of the first year your little one will have gone from a helpless newborn to an independent toddler.  Your baby has come along way since she first came into your lives. She will learn to walk around 12 months of age although some may start as early as 9 months while others take a few months longer.  By the end of the first year most babies have tripled their birth weight; grown on average 9-10 inches; and have brains that are 60% of their adult size. You will experience her learning to say some words. Most likely MaMa or DaDa.Most babies this age can feed themselves finger foods, grasping items between the thumb and forefinger. Your baby might delight in banging blocks together, placing objects in a container and taking them out, as well as poking things with his or her index finger. Your baby thrives on the interactions she has with you, so integrate play into everything you do with her. Shower her with smiles and cuddles, and reply when she babbles to encourage her communication skills. Read together every day, naming the objects you see in books and around you.  It is important to keep the environment around her safe, as she will constantly be exploring.

This blog as I stated in the beginning is different than others I have written. It is in honor of some very wonderful people and their daughter.  They live very far away and I am sure I will never see them or their precious daughter. But in some way they may know how much I loved them.