A Look Back

Invitations? Check!

I've sent out the invitations for Matthew's first birthday party. It's about a month away. That's all I have to say about that :oP

Your baby boy, Matthew, is 47 weeks (Approximately 11.0 months) old now.
Now that your baby understands more words and their effects, he or she will anticipate your departure when he or she hears you say "bye-bye." When you've stepped out of the room and he or she begins to cry, the words "Mommy is coming right back" may calm him or her as he or she can now form a mental picture of you. Don't get me wrong, he or she will still be upset when you leave him or her at daycare or with a sitter; mental images are a great step forward in the battle against separation anxiety, but they will never replace Mommy. However, his or her crying will now most likely stop moments after you disappear from view as he or she understands better that you still exist and will come back - and as soon as he or she's distracted by toys, games or other children. Now that your baby understands basic words, you can begin to teach him or her more complex concepts such as hot and cold, in and out, and wet and dry. Teach him or her colors by describing familiar objects for which he or she already knows the word. While he or she won't be able to repeat after you, he or she will be able to understand. Ask your baby questions to encourage him or her to answer you.

Matthew sure knows what "no" means, but he sure doesn't listen! He's had his butt paddled a few times already because of that (not hard, we're not child abusers). It's just so frustrating! We try to keep most things that he shouldn't have out of his reach, but you can't do that with everything. The stereo, VCR, TV, etc. are all within his reach if he pulls up onto the entertainment center. You can tell him "no" till you're blue in the face but it doesn't matter. Know what he does now? He'll go up to something that he KNOWS he's not supposed to touch, put his hand out and just barely touch it, then pull his hand back, look at you and smile. Then he'll do it again, just anticipating that "NO!" He loves that he has that much power! I know it's all normal and he's just learning about and testing his limits. But boy oh boy when your kid looks at you and smiles after you tell him not to do something, and then DOES IT AGAIN....he's just lucky he's so darn cute!! ;o)

46 Weeks Old

Still late, but at least in the right week this time! It's progress :o) Anyway, Matthew is now 46 weeks old - 6 weeks away from being a whole year. I'm starting to have very mixed feelings that I'll try not to go into too much. I'm sure all of the parents out there understand the pride and sadness that both go along with milestones. Better than me if your kids are older. On one hand, it's wonderful to see your children growing and thriving, learning new things. It's a good reflection on both them as human beings and you as a parent. On the other hand, it means that they are getting older, less and less dependent on you, closer to that day when they won't need you at all and they'll be gone. Some may say it's silly for the mother of a not-quite-yet one year old child with plans to have at least one or two more to be worrying about any of that yet. But I say look how fast the first year has gone. Anyway, enough of that. I am enjoying the present and everything that goes along with it. Such as...



Your baby boy, Matthew, is 46 weeks (Approximately 10.8 months) old now.

Your baby's personality is really blossoming now. Her or his opinions are getting stronger and he or she isn't shy about expressing them. He or she can now understand and shake his or her head no when he or she doesn't want to do something. He or she will also become excited and clap for themselves when he or she has mastered a new skill or task. Now that your baby has gotten the hang of finger foods, the next step is learning to use utensils. Give him or her a toddler-sized spoon and some cut or mashed food and show your baby how to feed themselves. Be prepared for some (more) big messes - your kitchen has probably seen quite a bit of this flying-food action in the last few months! He or she will still use his or her fingers to eat for many months, but your baby is slowly becoming table-ready. If your baby isn't walking yet, don't worry - some babies may not start walking until 15 months, and that is as normal as babies who started walking at nine months. However, if you are noticing other developmental delays and think there may be a problem don't hesitate to notify your pediatrician.



"Personality" is an understatement for Matthew. That kid is going to be a handfull! He gets very angry about things, from having something taken away from him to throwing something out of reach himself. He screams like he's hurt but, in reality, he's just ticked off. He throws himself backwards, lashes out, etc. I'm not particularly worried, though, because at this age you can't expect a baby to have mastered self control yet. All you can do is be calm and try to distract him with something else. On the flip side of personality, he is such a ham! He loves to be entertained and to know that he is entertaining someone else. If he gets a laugh he'll repeat the behavior for sure. Sometimes he'll find something particulary funny and just giggle and giggle. I love baby giggles. If he thinks something is funny I'll do it over and over again until he won't laugh anymore. Mommy has no shame :o) Anyway, above is a picture of the cutest baby smile I've ever seen. You can clearly see his bottom 2 teeth that have come through. He also cut his upper front right tooth the other day, but it's still hardly through the gums. I'm sure the upper front left one is not far behind!

Behind Again

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter! I don't have pictures to post yet of Matthew's very first one, but maybe next week. I know I'm behind on posting...here are the newsletter entries for weeks 44 and 45:

Your baby boy, Matthew, is 44 weeks (Approximately 10.4 months) old now.
You may begin to think your baby has grown into a monkey as he or she starts to crawl, wiggle, and climb out of his or her crib, stroller, and highchair. Diaper changes will also become even more challenging because, honestly, who wants to lay there for a whole minute when there's exploring to do? Just be sure to move heavy, hot or otherwise dangerous objects at least 12 inches away from table and counter edges so they're safely out of reach of your baby's curious hands. This new, adventurous behavior may end in a few accidents, but try not to overreact each time he or she takes a tumble. Wait to see how he or she feels and whether or not he or she's hurt. Sometimes you can say, "Oops, you fell down," give him or her a kiss and he or she may continue playing or attempt to fall again so he or she can get another kiss from you. Just be sure that if he or she is hurt, you provide appropriate medical attention right away. Your baby may start taking short walks while holding onto your hand. he or she now understands what to do when you are dressing him or her and will stick out his or her arms and legs to help you. He or she may also be able to drink from a cup all by themselves - although some babies may not do this for a few more months. It's never too early to begin teaching your baby manners. Remember that he or she learns by mirroring you, so get in the habit (if you're not already) of saying "please" and "thank you." Starting early, being consistent, and using these words yourself will help your baby incorporate them into his or her vocabulary.


Your baby boy, Matthew, is 45 weeks (Approximately 10.6 months) old now.
Does your baby have friends close to his or her age? He or she can benefit from spending time with other toddlers who are close in age right now. Interaction with adults is great, but adults tend to lead a child in play, whereas a playmate allows a child to both lead and follow. However, don't be surprised if your baby and the playmate don't actually play together. Children at this age still engage more in parallel play, or playing next to each other. But your baby will quickly learn to play with others and now is a great time to introduce the idea. Look into playgroups in your area if you have trouble finding another baby your baby's age. Not only does your baby understand more words now, but he or she is probably speaking more words as well. He or she might be able to say several distinct words that clearly mean something to both him or her and you. Listen closely and be sure to praise him or her and respond. Your acknowledgement and attention are a reward and a great way to encourage him or her to continue learning and talking. Your baby may begin to exercise more independence from you right about now. He or she may venture away from you more often to investigate his or her surroundings, but will need to check back often for reassurance and comfort. Your baby may still become frightened if you disappear while he or she isn't looking. Let him or her know where you are so he or she will know that you'll be back in a moment. This builds his or her confidence. Does your baby have a favorite song? Your baby can remember and recognize familiar songs and will probably smile, laugh, and wiggle with you when he or she hears it. Dancing together is a great way for him or her to practice his or her balance and coordination, and for you to relax and have fun. C'mon, cut loose and groove like nobody's looking!

Well, some big changes are underway. First of all, I've stopped waking Matthew up in the morning before I go to work to breastfeed. He has a bottle right after he wakes up now instead, and that has put him on a slightly different eating schedule that allows him to eat dinner at the same time as my husband and I. It's a little bit difficult not seeing Matthew before I go to work - I peek in on him when I get up but, for the most part, on weekdays I don't see Matthew between the hours of 8:30pm and 5:30pm the next day! It hasn't been as hard as I've thought. As bad as it sounds, I've gotten used to only seeing him for a few hours on weekdays. But I did cry a little when I left for work on my birthday and realized that I wouldn't be spending it with my little boy. I definitely have developed a great appreciation for fathers in this country. They usually are the ones who have to work all day and barely see their children. It's frustrating on a number of levels. Another change is that I've stopped nursing to sleep. Well, I've tried to. I want to feed him before his bath and books so that he learns to go to sleep without eating first, and also so that I can brush his teeth before he goes to bed and they stay clean (which he hates, by the way)! He hasn't been doing all that well with the change. He's needed a bottle twice in the past few days before bed. I'm actually going to completely wean him after this weekend. I don't know how I'm going to take it - nursing has been such a bonding experience. It's the end of an era almost! But I don't think Matthew will miss it all that much. He likes his "ba-bas" better.

That's probably enough new information! Hopefully I'll get back on track. These newsletters will stop after Matthew turns one - only 7 left. Then I'll have to come up with my own original thoughts for these posts :o)