After reading "Baby Love", and with a couple of others also suggesting it, we thought we'd have a go at a version of what is termed 'controlled crying'. It was horrendous. The poor little thing was very upset, wouldn't settle, vomited (several times, and hugely), and was red-faced, breathing heavily and his heart was racing. So, that idea has been well and truly abandoned. Since then, I've done a bit of research on the topic, and it is a technique that really has some hugely differing opinions. Our CYH nurse was fervently against it, and I have found several articles (academic, and quoting academic studies) which also show strong reasoning against the idea. I suppose the main thing, though, is to do what seems right for you and your baby. I personally believe that if a baby is crying (and I mean really crying, not just a few grizzles), then he's trying to say something. he is upset - and the role of a parent is to comfort. I know broken sleep is horrific, but isn't baby's welfare more important in the long run?
Anyway, after another couple of nights of multiple waking (where I think he was just checking "you're not going to leave me all alone again, are you?"), we've had two nights where
he's woken only once in 10-12 hours - and even then he's gone right back to sleep after a bottle. I'm not saying we've seen the end of it all, but at least we've had a couple of good nights. I feel vindicated!He's madly crawling everywhere, and pulls himself up at any given opportunity. Thank goodness, he has now learnt (in the last 2 days) how to get down again. Up until now we had to follow him around and help him down when he cried - or risk a big fall on our wood floors! He is also (finally) working out how to get into a sitting position on his own. He sits beautifully, can get into a crawl easily, but not back to sitting - only when we put him into that position. But, it's beginning to happen.
We're beginning to start self-feeding with a spoon. So cute. He's a bit random - tends to hit the table repeatedly so food goes on the table, floor, walls and cat. However, he has got the idea of putting the spoon into the pot/dish, and occasionally it will go into (or around) the mouth. We try this every day (or so) at morning or afternoon tea, with yoghurt or custard - easy to clean up
and scoop. Slowly but surely.There are no clear words, but we do have the beginnings of the 't' and 'm' sounds. 'Mama' and 'Tato' can't be far off... I'm trying to work on a few 'instructions' - "come to mama" is the first (apart from 'don't touch' and 'let go' - mostly in relation to power cords and cats) and he is doing really well. This morning Mark got Max up, and had to leave for work at about 6.30 - I was still in bed. So I called to Max, and he made his way out of the lounge and into my bedroom. Very cute. (He didn't want to snuggle in bed, though, so we were straight up again.)
Food is interesting at the moment. He still eats most things, but seems to get bored in the middle of a meal. I have a suspicion that he wants to 'do it himself' - but that's not really an option all the time. He has loads of finger foods - here's a current list: Cheerios, rice cakes (spread with things like ricotta, vege puree, vegemite, melted cheese, cream cheese, hoummos), sandwiches (with same kind of things as the rice cakes), mini pikelets (with spreads), crumpets (with spreads), cheese sticks, bread crusts, Arrowroot biscuits, baby biscuits I found in the supermarket, rockmelon. I am trying the odd (lightly steamed) piece of apple, pear or carrot, but they just tend to get squished in his hands, or are too hard for him to pick up. Mark gave him some cucumber (deseeded & peeled) yesterday, and I think some got eaten!
Oh - and he can clap!
Photos: first ice-cream (he only had a lick - was fascinated with the cold, I think), playing house with Caitlin.
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