7-9 Months: C's Milestones

7 Months

• Loves the walker!
• Second tooth.  On the bottom.
• Try to read at least one book with her (even though completely distracted) before bed. 
• Waking up happy. 

8 Months

• Finished nursing at end of 8 months.
• Running in walker.  Use with caution next baby because it can encourage improper walking on toes.
• Tons more smiles!
• 'Waving' hand.

9 Months

• Back to being clingy with mommy.
• Loves finger foods.  Still a little slow.
• Standing for several seconds on her own.
• Started shaking her head no without understanding what she is doing.
• Stopped using walker because it was causing her to walk more on her tip toes.
• Third tooth. First on top.

Practical Baby Stuff: Formula

Formula

• Formula Amounts
• When switched to full time formula Baby C had diarrhea for a week.
• Started supplementing at about 7 months.  
• Fully switched by 10 months.
• Biggest challenge was not fearing what others would think.
• Way easier to do things once no longer nursing :)

Practical Baby Stuff: Growth Spurts & Teething

GROWTH SPURTS

• Week 4 & 6: crazy eating all the time, up a lot throughout the night, get nothing done, completely exhausted and feel like going insane
• Also can happen around 3, 6 and 9 months
• Baby Growth Spurts article that was super helpful

TEETHING

• Baby will likely be miserable: unusually fussy and irritable, not sleeping as well, feverish, drooling a lot, loss of appetite (normally due to saliva in the stomach)
• Use baby acetaminophen (especially for naps and bed time)
• Banana smoothies can help as well as bread and crackers
• Frozen teething rings and little ice cubes when baby is old enough are also helpful
• Pump if doesn't seem to be nursing as much to keep supply up
• Make sure baby stays hydrated
• Helpful link about What to Expect regarding teething (especially this diagram)

Practical Baby Stuff: Diaper Rash & Diarrhea

DIAPER RASH

• Don't use baby wipes to clean as the bacteria in them can irritate the skin more.
• Rinse baby's bottom with water and pat dry.  If poopy use a little bit of mild soap to clean it off.  Can use a peri bottle to rinse bottom off.  
• Pat dry and let air dry completely.  A few times had Baby C crawl around for a few minutes on a towel on the wood floor to help with air drying.
• Use aquaphor or coconut oil to protect the skin and help it heal.  
• Note: The coconut oil draws out any bacteria in the skin so it will initially look worse but after a day it should be significantly better.
• Letting baby sit in a warm bath with a couple tablespoons of baking soda.  Do this 3x/day for 10 minutes each time. 

DIARRHEA

• Keep baby hydrated!  
• Liquids with electrolytes (like pediasure, advocare's rehydrate or diluted gatorade) can help with rehydrating.  If doesn't like flavor try mixing with applesauce, freezing into little popsicles (use ice cube tray with little sticks)/  Baby C only liked the rehydrate and frozen little ice cubes.
• Try giving fluids (breastmilk, formula, water when able) every 20-30 minutes to get a few sips in to help keep hydrated.  If baby is refusing liquids can try a large syringe, sippy cups, soft straw out of a cup, try a drink in the tub as a fun alternative.
• If eating solids use foods that tend to bind: bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, crackers, starchy foods and yogurt (must contain live or active cultures, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum)

Practical Baby Stuff: Car Seat Safety

• Installing Your Car Seat
• Fitting baby into seat section is especially important!

Source

• 11 DEADLY mistakes you didn't know you were making!
• 8 more DEADLY Car Seat Mistakes
• Car Seat Sticker (maybe include picture?)

Practical Baby Stuff: Initial Supplies & Baby Care

TAKING CARE OF BABY

• Baby Acne: Breast milk can help.  Have to wait it out.  Make sure baby doesn't get overheated.
• Bathing: Sponge bathe until umbilical cord falls off.  Use elbow to test temperature of water.  Bathe every 2-3 days.  Don't forget to scrub behind ears.
• Checking temperature: Place thermometer under baby's armpit.
• Clogged tear ducts: Use breast milk on baby's eyes when they're all gunky and gross.
• Cradle Cap: Daily scrub baby's head with warm water to keep it at bay.  Can also massage coconut oil afterwards into scalp and then comb baby's head.
• Don't Forget Socks
• First Aid: Baby Acetaminophen (Fever Reducer), Anti-Gas Medicine, Nose Drops, Nasal Aspirator, Aquaphor and/or Coconut Oil for diaper rash.  Coconut oil draws the bacteria to the surface so it will initially look worse.
• Jaundice: Get baby in sunlight to help with it.
• Stuffy Nose: Use Nosefrida carefully.  Use nose drops first.
• Swaddling: Used to comfort and soothe baby.  
• Time in Sun: Have baby out in sun 15 minutes per week for some Vitamin D.  Use the ergo once baby's neck is strong enough to hold up.
• Trimming nails: Use scissor nail clippers.

CRYING CHECKS

• Dirty diaper
• Hair wrapped around finger cutting off circulation
• Hungry
• Over tiredness
• Upset tummy (Is it rock hard from gas? Do baby tummy massage.   Does she need to be burped?)

DIAPER BAG

• Aquaphor
• Changing pad
• Couple of burp cloths
• Diapers
• Diaper bag dispenser
• Extra change of clothes for baby (don't forget socks)
• Hand sanitizer
• Nursing cover
• Plastic or waterproof bag to hold dirty diapers
• Swaddle Blanket (especially important for doctor appointments because the rooms are cold)
• Wipes

First Year Activities

BABY ACTIVITIES

• Reading Books: Start once baby starts seeing better (around five weeks) to encourage love of reading, creativity and learning.

• Nap in Pack-N-Play: Start doing once/day around two months so baby is used to it when have to use the pack-n-play at someone else's house for naps.

• Bouncer: Use shortly after baby born to prop baby up to allow simple and safe entertainment.  Great to use while making dinner.  When outgrows bouncer switch solely to the bumbo.

• Bumbo: Around three months start trying to use. Especially use when making dinner.  Encourages neck muscles to be strengthened and is useful for baby to be accustomed to not always being entertained.

• Tummy Time: Do this shortly after baby born starting with 5-10 minute increments and then increasing the time to help baby learn to hold head up and look around.

• Play Time: Under gym in pack-n-play once baby starts seeing better start with 5-10 minutes and increase time from there.  Once baby is moving around can use a small amount of toys instead of the gym.  Do this to train baby to play by herself and encourage creativity and contentment.  Baby C at ten months was capable of playing for 30-60 minutes.  

• Time Outside: 15 minutes per week for some Vitamin D.  Use the ergo once baby's neck is strong enough to hold up.  Use stroller once baby can sit up.

Tips

• Rotate books and toys every 4-6 weeks to minimize clutter.  Put reminder in calendar.  
• Toys are overrated :)
• Practicing napping in the pack-n-play is great to do at grandmama's house.

Resources

• Creative Family Times: Practical Activities for Building Character (compliments of my mom)

0-2 Months: Sleeping & Feeding

SLEEPING

• Only keep up 45 minutes to an hour from start of feeding time at the beginning.  
• Wait until baby has surpassed birth weight before letting her go as long as the can through the night. 
• Baby shouldn't sleep more than 5 hours during the night before 6 weeks old.
• 1st & 2nd Night = basically no sleep.
• Don't rush in as soon as she cries. When she wakes up she might not be hungry just rested.
• A good time to wake baby up is during the lighter sleep when her eyes are moving.
• Watch for cues of being tired: fussing, screaming (overtired), yawning, rubbing eyes, etc.
• Crying it out is hard.  Leave monitor on without sound and go in office so don't hear her crying.  Saw the time decrease even after just a couple days.  Started crying it out just for naps once past the six week growth spurt.  Only do the when confident that baby has been fed, burped and changed.
• Down to crying less than 10 minutes for each nap time. 
• C started sleeping through the night around 6 weeks.

FEEDING

• Don't let go more than 2.5-3 hours from feeding to feeding during the day.
• If baby wakes up earlier than the 2.5 hour mark and is hungry then feed the baby.
• Make sure burp after and between feedings.
• Last feeding would wake up for was around 11pm.  
• Put to bed earlier (around 8 weeks) with A.
• Around 4-6 weeks introduce bottle.
• Microwave water until boiling to put bottle into to defrost breast milk.  

Reflections

• If you establish good sleeping habits during the day the night time falls into place.
• Goal is to establish pattern of: Feed Time, Wake Time, Sleep Time
• It is normal for babies to cry (especially during 4-7pm they tend to be more fussy).
• You are doing your best to help baby adjust to a 12 hour time change since in the womb babies are most active and awake during the middle of the night :)

Round 2

• Did feeding times for A more like every 3-3.5 hours due to having to take care of C.
• A started sleeping 8-10 hour stretches during the night right before 3 months.

Resources

• Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
• On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the GIFT of Nighttime Sleep
• Mom & Pediatrician

First Six Weeks: Mommy Reflections

DYING TO SELF. His mercies are new every morning. 

Exhausting!  Survival Mode.  IT GETS EASIER.

FIRST SIX WEEKS

Mommy Life

Round 1

• Submit to Geoffrey and do what is best for our family.  Everyone will have different opinions on how to care for your baby.  Make decisions WITH Geoffrey not on my own and not with my mom.  
• Favorite Article: To Moms of One or Two Children.  
• Miss husband even though see him everyday.
• It is hard to remember to eat.  Eat when you can.
• Showering is one of the biggest accomplishments.
• Everything is new and scary: breastfeeding in public, getting comfortable with a nursing cover, taking the baby to the store with your husband, being scared out of your mind to go shopping with just you and the baby, going to church, going to small group, etc.  Take baby to store right after feeding time, movement of cart can help lull her to sleep.
• Take prenatal vitamin daily.  Passes vitamins to baby through breast milk.
• Make sure spend some time in the sun some for Vitamin D.

Round 2

• Significantly less stressful because I felt like I knew what I was doing.
• Had A sleep in the bassinet by my bed until six weeks because she started being able to rotate and would get stuck angled weird in it at six weeks.
• C ended up sleeping through A crying during the night just fine.
• Put A down within 45 minutes to 1 hour after waking.
• Stay away from broccoli and spicy foods!

General Thoughts

Round 1

• Have a lot of frozen meals prepared beforehand. Meals during growth spurts (approximately week 4 & 6) is especially helpful.
• Fly through diapers and wipes. 
• Went through over 100 diapers/week during first six weeks.  
• Start using cloth diapers with the next one as soon as meconium poop is gone.  
• Luvs diapers seem to be best bang for your buck. 
• Pull gussets out!
• After six weeks the baby's nervous system will be more developed and calm down.  
• Rubbing head upsets baby.

Round 2

• Make tons of freezer meals.
• Stock up on cleaning supplies and toiletries so don't have to go out for awhile.
• Ask for help!
• Guard baby's need for sleep.