He's no Fred Astaire yet, but your little one's movements are getting a bit more coordinated. You'll notice that the jerky arm and leg movements of his newborn days have given way to smoother, more circular motions, especially when he's watching people. Give your baby enough space to stretch and move his arms and legs. Lay a blanket on the floor and let him move as he pleases. These movements can help your baby strengthen and tone his developing muscles. On his tummy, he'll start to push off with his legs — the first step in getting on the move.
Whether you envision your little one sleeping independently in a crib at an early age or sharing a family bed in the coming years, a soothing and predictable bedtime routine will help your child nod off and get the rest he needs. And it's not too early to start. Your routine can include rocking, singing, a bath, a bedtime story, cuddling with a transitional object (such as a soft blanket or stuffed animal), being carried around the house and saying goodnight to each room — whatever makes sense for your family. The ritual will evolve as your child gets older.
At this age, your baby should be open to making friends with babies and adults alike. You may notice that he smiles when he sees anyone come in the room or holds out his arms when someone wants to hold him. Now's a good time to introduce your baby to sitters or other people who might be looking after him later on. Have potential caregivers come over and spend time with you and your baby. Later on, he may be consumed by stranger anxiety, making a simple introduction seem impossible. Do remember that babies have different temperaments and some are less open to new people than others. If your baby doesn't welcome someone new with open arms, be patient, hold him close, and reintroduce him. It may just take some time. Familiar surroundings will help introductions go more smoothly.
Noah is still sleeping through the night almost every night (which I LOVE!). He continues to smile and talk to us throughout the day. He has started holding and/ or rubbing his hands together most of the time. His grip is also getting quite firm as he tightly grasps whatever he can get his hands on. He still loves to suck on things, and when we don't give him a pacifier he tends to stick his hand in his mouth and suck on any fingers that he can get in there. Within the past few days when he is lying on his back he has also started kicking and holding his legs straight up in the air... maybe he's trying to work out his abs already. Jeremy has started playing guitar for him, and a couple times within the last week he has propped Noah up right in front of him for a personal concert. Both Noah and I LOVE that Jeremy does this. He has started drooling a lot, and we are keeping a bib on him at most times. He has also been spitting up quite a bit recently and I've been doing some research on reflux and will probably try some of the tips that I've found to see if they help him. I think he has been feeling a little under the weather for the past few days (he might still be recovering from the cold we had a month ago). He has a lot of congestion in his chest which I can hear when he breathes, and his spit up often has a slimy consistency, which I'm assuming is the drainage coming up that has him all clogged up. Because of all this I think he has been a little more fussy than normal, but this can usually be fixed by some quality time holding and snuggling him.
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I'm catching up and love what you are doing with this blog!
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