Month 6 with the baby

Here we are - or we were, as the event as such took place a couple of days ago - in the 6th month going 7th of the baby life. For us, as parents, it was not easy and sometimes I had to went to sleep around 21.00 for getting enough energy for the next day. Which is a very unusual time to sleep for me, usually not in bed before 00.00. But the most important for the baby is to have healthy parents to take care of him so I adjusted even my white nights to cope with the new challenges. For the baby, things are getting much and much better and the changes as as fast that we better take notes and pictures of every moment. The good part is that I am with him all the time and I can be near him every time.

The biggest achievement of the month were the two cute teeth that appeared out of nowhere. Of course, there were some hard days of deep and hard to explain crying. But, as he cannot speak and explain what is the cause of his pain, all I can do in such moments is to take him in my arms and hug him tight. In most cases it works out.

We continued the therapy for improving his mobility and with one session the week for around 30 minutes for 3 months we advanced that much that right now he can easily move in the car seat and keep his neck straight. He can also move back and forth, and keep staying stable for a couple of good minutes.

On the ocassion of his 6th month anniversary we switched from the vintage crib to a huge bed where he can move back and forth, from the back to the belly and back once again. Stay tunned for some tips about how to choose a bed for your kid soon!

We also finished another important stage in our baby life, with the last batch of vaccination until the first anniversary. Soon I will explain why I am such a big supporter of vaccinations!

The food diversification continued and we tested more bottle foods, including some (kosher) meat. I am trying to expose him to as many tastes and flavours as possible and he seems to like almost everything - except some chicken with spinach that he was not too excited about. The food tasting is in process  and we promise even more diversification- we have to try some rice and some fish too. He takes kilos and moves well so no worries from this point of view.  

He got some extra centimeters too so most of his wardrobe is in process of changing. 

Changes is the word of the day ad we are so looking forward for more to come. And more cute small white teeth too.  

Month 3 with the baby

Predictably, after month 2, month 3 arrived. Although I did not have too much time to write - also due to the fact that in the last weeks I split my time between full time work, family meals and short nights. To be honest though, the nights were not that short as the baby offered us most of the time long sleeping hours. 8 hours of sleep! What a wonder, if you are wise enough to go to sleep shortly after he is falling asleep after the hot bath.

The other big development noticed during this time was the hand movement. He is moving frequently, back and forth, although not yet coordinating, the hands. With strength, catching my fingers during the meals, or just playing with various textures and materials. 

During this time we also made the longest trip, using in just a couple of hours both trains and elevators. It was a long awaited trip for the parents, that we wanted to make for many weekends and everything took place without too many problems during the 5 full hours: we had enough diapers and the bottle of milk. The big big issue took place at home, one hour after we were back, as our beautiful baby offered a high tone concert that brought up at the brinks of panic. He calmed down after a couple of hours - during which we also considered to go to the emergency room, without having an answer to the question: what happened to him? One of the answers was that maybe spending too much time in the buggy without direct contact with us is supposedly paying a price. Since then, we faced several such outburst of tears and screams and we decided that we better take him in the hands and make him feel less alone (after all the other options - such as changing the pampers and feeding him - failed). And we are doing this not only in order to protect our sensitive ears but simply because we feel that this little soul that is not yet able to communicate properly with us deserves more attention and a lot of love and letting him cry for long minutes does not make him stronger or more independent. 

This is all for now. Ready to share more tips and adventures with the baby in the next days.

The 3 important things a new mother should do

After the pregnancy ends and the baby is out in the world, the woman's body goes through just another couple of changes and challenges. Get ready for a lot of sleepless nights and daily trials and worries, especially when the baby is the first. Regardless of your previous baby experience the first days after coming back from hospital are difficult and the woman's body is going through hard times. Although time is scarce, once in a while, you should find a way - especially with the support and understading of your life partner - to pay some important visits. As for now, only 3 of them...

1. Generalist doctor for a medical overview

Women doctor is very important and during the pregnancy it was a regular presence into your life. Now it is time to do one more general check of your post-pregnancy situation. Blood tests, eye test, blood pressure, heart and kidneys are only some of the important things to check. It does not take too much time and you can get in time the right advice about the vitamins and life changes eventually you should make in the next weeks and months.

2. The dentist

Pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding...All of them will require a lot of your calcium and vital minerals. If you already have a history of bad dentition, expect unpleasant decays and even to loose some of your teeth. Added to the unavoidable post-pregnancy weight problems, this will bring you a bad and embarassing mood. The solution: try to get as soon as possible an appointment to your dentist for checking and start planning the next preventive and reparatory steps. 

3. Massage - and spa treatments

Don't misunderstand me...Yes, the life with a baby means a lot of sacrifice and putting the kid on the first place. But if you do not feel well and you go through a lot of stress the baby will be for sure influenced. One of the first consequences is the breastfeeding problem as the more stressed you are the higher the danger for your milk. One more hour can be enough to take most - if not all - the weight away. Handled by a professional, it can be the start of your getting your body back, bringing back wellness and reestablishing the proper blood and muscle functioning. 

As a rule, with the help of an efficient time management and the family help and support you can do it! And you do not need to feel guilty, just to realize that your wellbeing is important for the good life of your baby too.