Thursday, September 9, 2010
L got his first tooth!!!
We didnt even know that he was teething! He got his first little tooth a couple of days ago. Its a little sliver poking through, but its there. Hes in alot of pain so we're hopinh we can help him get through this with as little pain as possible. Poor little guy, hes too young to be dealing with all this.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
L rolled over for the first time today!
Today was a big day for L. He rolled over for the first time! He is a little early, they are supposed to do that at 4 months.
He has been rolling onto his side and almost getting all the way over, but today was finally the big day. I laid him on his jungle mat and turned around to check my email, and when I looked back a few seconds later he was on his belly. :-)
Way to go baby boy!!
He has been rolling onto his side and almost getting all the way over, but today was finally the big day. I laid him on his jungle mat and turned around to check my email, and when I looked back a few seconds later he was on his belly. :-)
Way to go baby boy!!
Attachment parenting
I started to read about attachment parenting when L was around 7 weeks old. I found in my reading that we were already practicing attachment parenting but werent really aware that it had a name. We were just handling him with our instincts and doing what felt right.
Before L was born I bought a Sleepy Wrap to hold and carry him in. I read at that time that babies that are "worn" develop better and faster than babies that are not. They learn to speak sooner, they are more independent, and they learn more about their world because they are spending so much time at their parents level rather than being pushed around, lying down, in a pram where they have no contact and cant see much.
I have been wearing L since the very beginning. We both love it, and it makes us both calm and happy. He does not like being in his stroller when we go out and so I dont make him. Im much happier with him on my chest, anyway, and he can see so much more.
After meeting Jack Newman who suggested cosleeping with L to help with our breast feeding relationship, and bathing with him, I started reading more and more about these things and just gradually became aware of this style of parenting called attachment parenting that Dr Sears talks alot about.
A woman that I spoke to during my breast feeding troubles at Breastfeeding Buddies suggested his "The Baby Book" and that was when we really realised that our style of parenting has a name.
A few big aspects of attachment parenting are breast feeding, baby wearing, cosleeping/bathing...etc. We only just started cosleeping/bathing when L was 7 weeks because we were afraid that cosleeping was dangerous. After looking into it and doing our own research we found that it is not dangerous at all when done properly and that the manufacturers of baby cribs are the main ones that talk about the dangers of cosleeping. (Conflict of interest?) In reality, far more babies die from SIDS in their own crib and a tiny fraction die in bed with their parents. Those who do- the parents are either obese, have been drinking or doing drugs, are overly exhausted, or are not doing it properly (must have a firm mattress, no pillows, no blankets).
Another big aspect of attachment parenting is not allowing your baby to cry it out. (CIO)
We have never let L cry for any reason. Crying is the only form of communication that a baby has and they depend on their parents or caregivers to respond to their needs. Babies are not controlling or manipulating you at this stage with their cries. We have always responded to L immediately and sensitively and the result is he trusts us and is a happy baby.
I could never put him in a crib by himself and leave him crying until he exhausts himself to sleep. It just feels too heartless to me. I cant imagine, myself, being frightened and alone and crying my heart out only to have the one person who I depend on ignore me and leave me alone. I cant imagine how horrible that would be and we have never and will never do that to our child.
We have read that those babies eventually stop crying when put down and their parents think they are such good babies and good sleepers when in reality they have simply learned that they cant trust their parents and that no one will come to them if they cry anyway, so why bother.
I also read (and its very disturbing to think about) that babies dont have a concept of mommy is in another room and not in this room. They cant understand that if they dont see you, that you are just in another room. They cant understand the concept that you exist somewhere outside of where they can see you. When you walk out of the room, you are simply gone to them. Imagine being put in a crib and being frightened, and mommy is just gone. They dont understand that you are just in the next room and that you can hear them, and they are safe.
The way we have been parenting is working beautifully for us, and we're very happy with it. Everyone has to find what works for them. All this being said- I understand that not everyone has the luxury of being a stay at home mom and that this kind of parenting might not work for you if you werent. Alot of it could be, but maybe not all of it.
This is exactly why we waited so long to have L. We knew we wanted to raise him in a certain way, and that we wanted me to be able to stay home with him until he starts school. We needed to be in a situation where we were secure enough with one income to be able to do this.
So, simply put- I wear him often, I breastfeed, we co sleep and co bathe, and we never in a million years use "cry it out." We do waht feels right. If it feels wrong to us, we dont do it. Anyone who suggests that we leave the baby to cry immediately loses our respect and we dont bother listening to their any of their advice. We are all very happy and this is working perfectly for us.
This is a link to Dr Sears' website, with alot of information about attachment parenting.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t130100.asp
Before L was born I bought a Sleepy Wrap to hold and carry him in. I read at that time that babies that are "worn" develop better and faster than babies that are not. They learn to speak sooner, they are more independent, and they learn more about their world because they are spending so much time at their parents level rather than being pushed around, lying down, in a pram where they have no contact and cant see much.
I have been wearing L since the very beginning. We both love it, and it makes us both calm and happy. He does not like being in his stroller when we go out and so I dont make him. Im much happier with him on my chest, anyway, and he can see so much more.
After meeting Jack Newman who suggested cosleeping with L to help with our breast feeding relationship, and bathing with him, I started reading more and more about these things and just gradually became aware of this style of parenting called attachment parenting that Dr Sears talks alot about.
A woman that I spoke to during my breast feeding troubles at Breastfeeding Buddies suggested his "The Baby Book" and that was when we really realised that our style of parenting has a name.
A few big aspects of attachment parenting are breast feeding, baby wearing, cosleeping/bathing...etc. We only just started cosleeping/bathing when L was 7 weeks because we were afraid that cosleeping was dangerous. After looking into it and doing our own research we found that it is not dangerous at all when done properly and that the manufacturers of baby cribs are the main ones that talk about the dangers of cosleeping. (Conflict of interest?) In reality, far more babies die from SIDS in their own crib and a tiny fraction die in bed with their parents. Those who do- the parents are either obese, have been drinking or doing drugs, are overly exhausted, or are not doing it properly (must have a firm mattress, no pillows, no blankets).
Another big aspect of attachment parenting is not allowing your baby to cry it out. (CIO)
We have never let L cry for any reason. Crying is the only form of communication that a baby has and they depend on their parents or caregivers to respond to their needs. Babies are not controlling or manipulating you at this stage with their cries. We have always responded to L immediately and sensitively and the result is he trusts us and is a happy baby.
I could never put him in a crib by himself and leave him crying until he exhausts himself to sleep. It just feels too heartless to me. I cant imagine, myself, being frightened and alone and crying my heart out only to have the one person who I depend on ignore me and leave me alone. I cant imagine how horrible that would be and we have never and will never do that to our child.
We have read that those babies eventually stop crying when put down and their parents think they are such good babies and good sleepers when in reality they have simply learned that they cant trust their parents and that no one will come to them if they cry anyway, so why bother.
I also read (and its very disturbing to think about) that babies dont have a concept of mommy is in another room and not in this room. They cant understand that if they dont see you, that you are just in another room. They cant understand the concept that you exist somewhere outside of where they can see you. When you walk out of the room, you are simply gone to them. Imagine being put in a crib and being frightened, and mommy is just gone. They dont understand that you are just in the next room and that you can hear them, and they are safe.
The way we have been parenting is working beautifully for us, and we're very happy with it. Everyone has to find what works for them. All this being said- I understand that not everyone has the luxury of being a stay at home mom and that this kind of parenting might not work for you if you werent. Alot of it could be, but maybe not all of it.
This is exactly why we waited so long to have L. We knew we wanted to raise him in a certain way, and that we wanted me to be able to stay home with him until he starts school. We needed to be in a situation where we were secure enough with one income to be able to do this.
So, simply put- I wear him often, I breastfeed, we co sleep and co bathe, and we never in a million years use "cry it out." We do waht feels right. If it feels wrong to us, we dont do it. Anyone who suggests that we leave the baby to cry immediately loses our respect and we dont bother listening to their any of their advice. We are all very happy and this is working perfectly for us.
This is a link to Dr Sears' website, with alot of information about attachment parenting.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t130100.asp
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