Archive for April, 2013

Hold On

Friday, April 5th, 2013

From Friday Mom – Erin:
“Rory grasped his first toy this past weekend. His dad was actually the first to see it. My husband was waving a new bunny rattle in front of Rory’s face. Rory reached out, grabbed the bunny by the ear, and pulled the rattle towards his mouth. A few seconds later, he rolled himself onto his side and laughed with excitement. My husband grinned from ear to ear and called me over to witness these milestones.

From a purely academic standpoint, I realize that infant motor development is an incremental process. Rory is right on pace for his age. But I keep waiting for Rory start grasping at every toy within reach. I find myself waving numerous toys in front of him in hopes that he will repeat his grasping actions with increased frequency. He has done it again a few times—including grabbing his bottle during a feeding last night—yet his actions remain a bit inconsistent. He’s pretty good at batting at toys on his toy bars and play mat, but he is still in the early stages of pulling things toward himself.

I know that Rory’s developmental pace is perfectly normal, but I can’t help but feel impatient sometimes. I am excited by his daily growth and development, and am anxious to see what motor skills he hones next. In the meantime, I will try to temper my impatience by enjoying these final days of not having to worry about how recently I sanitized the toy he is about to put in his mouth.

Baseball

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Major League baseball is in full swing.  My favorite team, the Boston Red Sox, won their opener over their arch-rival, NY Yankees.  We’ll see how long the Red Sox can maintain the winning trend.  It is also Jack’s baseball season to play Baseball.  Ironically, Jack’s team – for the second consecutive year – is the Yankees.  He has team practices and is gearing up for their first game next week.

My husband and I are impressed how much Jack’s hand-eye coordination has improved. We practice with Jack, but the increase in physical size and strength has made the real difference in his skills.  He hits just about every pitch and catches nearly every hit that comes his way.  He is also playing with new found confidence.

We look forward to watching Jack continue to improve this season.  He is getting ready for the “big league” next year.  There is no count this year, no outs and no umpire.  Every player gets a chance up to bat three times.  Next year, Jack learns what the strike zone is as well as balls, strikes and outs.  Jack has a lot to work on between now and then, but I’m happy to see him improve and excited to play.

 

 

Another Doctor’s Visit

Monday, April 1st, 2013

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Haley recently had her two-year check-up. I can hardly believe it! It had been a while since we visited the doctor. With no major illnesses in the last six months (thank goodness!), we had no reason to go. I was anxious to find out where Haley was growth-wise, and pretty nervous to hear about how she was doing in general. During her first year of life, she went to the doctor regularly—over a dozen times—so one appointment never seemed like a bigger than any other. This time, I had butterflies!

Luckily it went very well. I was concerned that Haley might have “fallen off the growth chart” but she didn’t. She’s long and lean like she’s always been. The doctor even said we should wean her off whole milk over the next few months. Developmentally, she’s also doing great. The doctor was pleased by the way Haley was talking and everything she is able to do physically. She passed eye and ear tests with flying colors.

The doctor also gave us some helpful advice. I mentioned how hard it’s been to get Haley asleep, and the doctor basically said that we needed to nip that in the bud. She instructed us to explain to Haley what we were about to do for her bedtime routine, go through the routine, and leave the room. Although we’ve gone the cry-it-out route before, I’m nervous this time given how clingy she has been lately. Then again, I know that Haley needs to learn how to fall asleep on her own. Once we tackle sleeping, it’s potty time. The doctor expects Haley to be potty trained by our next appointment!

It’s always nice to get a clean bill of health from your physician, especially when it’s for your kid. Life and growth moves so fast with a youngster. Checking in with an expert is both a necessity and a comfort.