Tackling Bad Habits at 7 months

Hello!  This month might start to be a bit difficult.  I only say that because at 7 months your baby might be starting to pick up different things you do.  They might start to notice how you treat people, what you eat, how you treat your body, what you say, what you watch, and most importantly how you treat their family.  If there are some habits you have been meaning to change, now might be the time to do it. With that being said if you want to comment below and share what you want to change I will hold you accountable, if you want me to.  :)
Here is the good news: your baby is also picking up on those good habits you have too!  I have personally tried to work out while my baby is awake so he sees it as a normal thing mommy does. My husband and I have also been trying to not bring electronics to the dinner table and for about a half an hour after dinner so we can have family time before the baby goes to bed. At first it was awkward to eat without the TV but our nights go a lot more smoothly and we enjoy the time we have together more than we used to.

Roller Derby
Whether or not your baby is crawling they are working on those skills.  You can help them and keep them entertained at the same time!  Get a bottle or something that rolls well and put things inside it like rice, bells, brightly colored puff balls, or really anything your baby finds enticing.  You can also put things on the outside that your baby likes.  Or if you are really lucky, your baby might find that the plain old water bottle is exciting how it is! Show your baby how to roll it and push it along to help them chase after it.  If they aren't interested you will need to spice things up with colors, sounds, and textures.  When they are motivated by their new toy they will try that much harder to scoot, crawl, and roll to their heart's content.

Lullabye
Its no secret that I love the Beatles and I love Rockabye Baby.  I love this song because of the bubble sounds. They remind me of playing Mario when he is in the water. :)

Octopus' Garden

"Octopus's Garden"

I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus's garden in the shade
He'd let us in, knows where we've been
In his octopus's garden in the shade

I'd ask my friends to come and see
An octopus's garden with me
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus's garden in the shade

We would be warm below the storm
In our little hideaway beneath the waves
Resting our head on the sea bed
In an octopus's garden near a cave

We would sing and dance around
Because we know we can't be found
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus's garden in the shade

We would shout and swim about
The coral that lies beneath the waves
(Lies beneath the ocean waves)
Oh what joy for every girl and boy
Knowing they're happy and they're safe
(Happy and they're safe)

6 Ways to Learn with a 6 month old

Can you believe its been 6 months already?! There is a lot of physical milestones your baby might achieve this month, let's see what we can do to help them learn.

Selfie App
While I'm not a fan of taking selfies I have noticed that the bright light from any technical device just calls to my baby.  He loves my phone, and always wants to touch it.  My husband found this app called Baby Selfie that allows your baby to not only look at themselves (like a mirror) but also take a picture whenever their little hand touches any part of the screen. Its quite funny and you end up with a couple good pictures of your baby.

Clapping
Have you tried clapping with your baby yet? I'll be honest, I haven't. Now that I know its something they can learn at 6 months I'm going to start trying it out.  I found this cute song you can use to help them clap their hands, among other things.  Its to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat".

Clap, clap, clap your hands
Clap your tiny hands
Clap, clap, clap your hands
Clap your tiny hands 

Additional verses:
Stomp, stomp, stomp your feet… (and so on).
Pat, pat, pat your head... (and so on).
Rub, rub, rub your tummy... (and so on). 

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1011563/6-month-old-baby-games-first-week#ixzz3KNGFYfSY

Sign Language
Its never too late to start teaching sign language (if you want to) to your child.  I only do a few signs such as eat, more, drink, all done, and I love you. I will add more as he learns and grows so he can communicate better with me.
If you aren't convinced or don't know where to start click here and watch a short video about teaching sign language and the benefits (along with watching a toddler sign--so adorable!!).

Brushing Teeth
Oral hygiene is very important and when is a better time to teach it than when your child starts getting teeth?! It is recommended to brush twice a day with a little toothpaste approved by your pediatrician.  A lot of babies and children in general like to be the only ones allowed to touch their mouth so to help with the stress you can have a timer, countdown like a rocket (10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1..BLAST OFF!) or a song that you sing every time.  This way the child knows the teeth brushing will come to an end and will most likely decrease the stress around this task.

Smell the Spice Rack
It always seems that babies need you most when you are cooking.  If you are able to take a quick break from cooking you can take them to the spice rack and let them smell different spices and herbs.  This will help them learn different smells and help you learn what spices they might like. This will also help you when you start feeding them solids as they might recognize different spices and herbs in their food and enjoy it more. That might be wishful thinking, but its worth a try!

Bubbles-fun for the whole family and the dog
Who doesn't love bubbles?? Go outside, or inside where you don't mind getting bubbles everywhere and start blowing bubbles!  Your baby can track them with their eyes, try and get them by rolling, scooting, or reaching out to them.  This is also a great tummy time activity, as long as the bubbles aren't popped by the time they get to the ground ;).
Click here for some homemade bubble recipes.

The Momster and Babester at 5 months old

Chasing Game/General Play
Momster and Babester is my son and my favorite game to play. The best part is anyone in the family can join in and they will continue to play this game basically the rest of their life.
Momster and Babester is a regular chasing game and I like to switch out who the monster (chaser) is.  That is why there is the Momster and the Babester. Whether your baby is on their tummy or back you can always get on your hands and knees, growl, and say, "I'm gonna get you!" Your baby will be able to continue to focus on where sounds are and also get a sense of play. If they can roll around they might try to use that as a way of running away from the Momster.
I also like to switch the roles and have the baby become the Babester.  I playfully scream, "Oh no! He's got me!" as I put my baby on my chest and act dead for a second or two. It's playful, it's silly, and your children will hopefully have a fun time with it.
Play is crucial for children's development.  It helps them develop:
Socially; they learn how to interact with others and not poke other's eyes all the time.
Emotionally; they learn to feel different emotions like happiness, sadness, frustration, excitement, etc. as the interact with others.
Physically; they work on their milestones of rolling, sitting, and soon to be scooting and crawling.
Cognitively; they learn how to look at different playing situations to find a solution. For example, if you are chasing them they quickly learn where they can go to escape the big, bad Momster.
General play helps you as well because as quoted from babycenter.com "The more he laughs, the less he cries" and we all know what the infectious laughter of an baby does to us. :)

Tummy Time
If your baby is struggling with tummy time you can strengthen their muscles and make them more comfortable. All you need is a towel or blanket.  Place the baby on their tummy on the blanket or towel.  Gently lift the top and middle of the towel with one hand on each side so the baby's tummy and head are slightly above the floor. Gently roll the baby back and forth from one side to the next.  Your baby should stay on their tummy the whole time, just rolling on their tummy.  You can also add a funny sound that they like.  An, "Oops!!" or "Uh-Oh!"could make it more fun for them as they roll from side to side.

Lullabye
This month is also not a lullabye but also another song that keeps my child entertained while I'm changing his clothes or diaper.

Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam
Jesus wants me for a sun-BEAM
to shine for Him each day.
In every way try to please HIM
at home, at school, at play.
A sun-BEAM! A sun-BEAM!
Jesus wants me for a sun-BEAM.
A sun-BEAM! A sun-BEAM!
I'll be a sun-BEAM for Him.

*Each time you sing a capitalized word you jump with them (if holding them), or get really close to their face (if changing them).

Click here for the tune.

Exploring at 4 months old

I'm back! After a long break to move my family to England I have started the blog back up. Let's get to it shall we? 

Here are some activities and helpful hints in understanding your 4 month old.

Floor time

Spend time with your baby on the floor. They will learn all about the floor and its contents over the next couple months and I'm sure they will love when you get down at their level, especially to play. This will also help them feel comfortable as they learn to roll. 

Play

Help your baby explore sounds, colors, and work on hand eye coordination with rattles, crinkled up paper (I don't know what it is about plain white paper but babies love it!), and stuffed animals. 

You can also play a game called "Can you top this?" from babycenter.com. Try on different "hats" whether it be an actual hat, a cooking pot, a pair of leggings, a clean diaper, really anything and ask your baby, "Do you like my hat?" (Does that remind anyone else of the book Go Dogs, Go!?) your baby will think it's pretty funny and your other kiddos can get in on it too! 

Song

This post's song is not a lullaby but a just a regular song to help in stressful times.  My little guy hates getting clothes on and off so in order to help me keep my cool and both of us to stay happy I like to sing "Once There was a Snowman" as I dress and undress him.  I've found that if I have a go to song during stressful times that I can keep us both calm longer.

Once There was a Snowman

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Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman
Once there was a snowman tall, tall, tall (You get taller as you say tall, tall, tall)
In the sun he melted, melted, melted (You start to get smaller as you "melt")
In the sun he melted small, small, small.

For the tune click here.