Yes your baby has it! Even if he doesn’t show it yet, your baby will have his own unique personality that will start appearing within the first few months of life. Once your baby is past the first few weeks when all he is doing is eating and sleeping it seems, his personality will start to peak through. By watching his early signs, you will be able to get a sneak peak at the personality that will develop.

The biggest part of a person’s personality is whether they are introverted or extroverted. A baby will often show a strong sense of this aspect of their personality from very early on. Does your baby seem to like the attention he gets from the outside world and people outside of your immediate family? Does he light up when people try to talk to him, or does he try to hide his head and start to cry when out of your arms or someone other than those living in the house try to hold him?

Some babies will take the opportunity to smile and laugh with every stranger that looks their way, while others are content to just look at mom and dad, while ignoring everyone else around them. If your baby is an extrovert he will thrive on attention from all sources, and if he is an introvert he will be happy just being left alone.

Some babies are high maintenance, wanting to constantly be held, played with, and given attention. As soon as their diaper is wet or full, they HAVE to be changed or they scream. Others are content to sit by themselves and wait for you to come to them, or patient enough to give you time to discover on your own that they need a diaper change and change it. This part of their personality probably won’t change much as they get older and will give you an insight of how your child will be as he grows.

Is your baby a ham? Does he grin his biggest whenever you pull out the camera or is getting a smile like pulling a tooth? Some babies love being the center of attention and laugh on cue. Your baby may try to make you laugh, especially as he gets older. He may put pots and pans on his head or start trying to pose for pictures, even before he is a year old. If this is the case your baby may very well turn out to be the class clown in school!

Some babies will not need a lot of interaction, or will quickly become over stimulated when given too much interaction. If this happens your baby may become fussy quickly, becoming happy again once he is left to himself, or given his favorite toy to play with. If this sounds like your baby be sure to give him his alone time when he seems to need it and be around to play when he is ready. 

It doesn’t matter if your baby is quiet and sits around waiting for you to notice him, or is active and rambunctious making sure EVERYONE notices him. Your baby will continue to develop his personality during the first few years and during his adolescence. It is important that you support and encourage him, no matter what personality traits he begins to display, as the reaction your baby gets is what will help him form into the person he will become.

The easiest time for parents during the first year of life has to be when their baby is laughing and smiling, able to respond to them, sit up, roll over, but not go anywhere yet. Once your baby is on the go and can crawl, life becomes much more “difficult” in many ways.

Your baby is so excited. Now they can go get that toy across the room on their own, instead of waiting for you to bring it them. They can also get the little piece of food on the floor, the shoe by the door, or the cords to the computer too if you do not have the house properly baby proofed. Once your baby starts to crawl you need to double check daily that there is nothing around that can harm your baby.

Crawling is a natural step for your baby that comes after your baby can sit up and after they discover that tummy time isn’t such a bad thing. It will either start by your baby moving from a sitting position to being on his hands and knees, or pulling his legs up underneath him while on his tummy pushing himself up with his hands. Your baby may get in the crawling position several times before he ever starts to crawl.

Before your baby starts to crawl he will probably sit there and rock back and forth. Some babies may not realize that they can move at first, while others may be scared of the instability of having one hand off the floor. Eventually though they will learn that by moving one hand and one knee, they can get some where!

Some babies start off with a modified version of crawling call the “army crawl”. This is where they learn to crawl on their elbows before they ever bring their knees up beneath them. While we think this could hurt, for some reason babies don’t get rub burns on their elbows and they are able to get around this way very easily. Some babies are content to crawl like this for months, before ever bring their knees up. This is a case of, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”.

For some reason some babies find crawling backwards easier than crawling forwards. If this is your baby, don’t be surprised if he never crawls forward before he learns to pull himself up and walk. He is crawling and getting himself where he needs to be, so what is the point in learning it differently!

There is no definite time that your baby will start crawling. It may happen before he is six months old; it may not happen till he is closer to a year. All babies are different and learn things at different rates. If you are afraid your baby is behind, talk to your pediatrician about it at your baby’s next well check.

Learning begins at birth, and brain development during the first years of life is critical to the lifelong success of every child. During these early months, when baby’s brain is developing rapidly, adult participation in even simple activities with young children makes a lasting impression.

Stimulate Your Baby’s Senses
Babies use their senses to take in information. Create a stimulating atmosphere for your child by:

• Hold baby near your face and say loving things (”I love you,” “You’re so cute,” “What a sweet baby”) and encourage baby to explore your face with her hands.
• Take your baby to a mirror to see herself and you.
• Sing favorite songs to baby and use lots of facial expressions.
• Lay baby on her side. Place a toy to either side and see if baby will be motivated to roll and touch the toy.
• Remember to hug and cuddle – a lot!
• Buy or borrow a nursery rhyme book from the library and sing or say the rhymes repeatedly. Babies love repetition.
• Use wooden spoons and other simple tools to count out rhythmic 1-2, 1-2-3, and 1-2-3-4 patterns. Encourage baby to mimic the beat.
• Use conversation and single words to help baby label things in daily life (dog, ball, bottle)
• Put colorful pictures or photos in places where baby spends time (the change table, the bedroom…). Look at photographs of family members, and talk softly about what she is seeing.
• Babies love to let objects drop and fall. Help baby learn about different sounds and the concept of “down” by providing different objects to drop.
• Sing silly songs and wiggle baby’s toes and fingers to help baby learn about body parts.

Help Your Baby’s Muscles Grow

Babies’ muscles grow strong only when they use them. You can help by:

• Hold baby while sitting or laying on her back and hold toys or rattles within reach. Encourage baby to hit or touch the toy.
• Provide baby with some time on his tummy when awake. Place toys, a mirror, or yourself in front of baby to encourage him to keep his head up. This will strengthen back and neck muscles.

Keep Encouraging

You can create a stimulating atmosphere and encourage learning by playing with your baby, like with these games below:

• Use mirrors to show baby his/her face. Call the baby by name. Exaggerate your facial expressions.
• Play peek-a-boo, hide yourself and objects, then hide and find the baby behind a held-up towel or blanket.
• Fill a container with cereal or other object that will rattle when you close the lid and shake it. Ask baby what’s “inside” and let baby peek and touch as you name the object. Change the objects as you help baby discover different sounds and objects. Be sure there are no sharp edges on the container.
• Wiggle baby’s fingers and toes as you tell stories, count or sing songs about each one.
• Let baby touch toys and other objects as you raise them “up” and let them fall “down.” Then let baby try.
• Turn off the television.
• Read picture books aloud, walk outdoors, and let your child experience various sights, sounds and textures.
• Cuddle, talk in loving tones, and nurture with gentleness.

New babies are wonderful. They bring laughter and happiness to any family. They an also bring sleepless nights and ringing ears. Babies cry. It is a fact. But why do they cry?

When a baby is first born they have no way of communicating. Normally, immediately after birth a baby will start screaming. Doctors say this is how they test out their lungs, some people say that it is their way of protesting being taken from their nice, warm cocoon in their mother’s belly, to the cold air in the real world. In reality it is probably a combination of both.

While mothers and fathers are thrilled to hear this first cry, their babies cry often quickly becomes tiring. Most babies will cry frequently. Since this is their only way of communicating the parents must learn their babies cry and figure out WHY their baby is crying. There are many reasons a baby might be crying. A few include:

• The baby is cold
• The baby is hot
• The baby is wet
• The baby is tired
• The baby is hungry
• The baby is lonely
• The baby is frustrated
• The baby is scared

There are other reasons why a baby might cry, and many babies will have different cries for different reasons. The sooner the parent learns the different cries and what they mean, the quicker they will be able to quiet their baby.

Some babies cry and there is no consoling them. When this happens it is normally caused by the baby having colic. Colic is normally described as a baby crying at approximately the same time everyday, for 3-4 hours straight, and their being no consoling. This can start as early as 6 weeks and can last for several months.

If you think your baby has colic, ask your pediatrician for his opinion. Remember it is ok to hand your baby over to the other parent, or a relative who offers to come over, in order to get a few minutes of relief. If there is no one for you to hand your baby too, there is nothing wrong with putting your baby in his crib while you go out of the room for a few minutes and let the baby cry. You have to remember to do what it takes to remain calm, as colic causes extra stress in not only you, but the household and baby as well.

By Katharina Bishop

Teething is one of the significant milestones of your baby’s development. Memories of your baby’s first big toothy grin will stay cherished forever. Some babies hardly appear to have any trouble at all and are boasting their first teeth before you know it, but for others it can be a more uncomfortable time, causing distress to both you and your baby.

Just like adults, all babies deal with pain differently. As a result, some will have an easier time with teething than others. However, most babies will have grouchy and irritable periods!

The first signs of teething usually begin a few months before the first tooth appears, so you will need to look for particular symptoms to ensure that the symptoms you notice are truly teething-related. While most parents generally agree that some or all of the symptoms below occurred around the time of teething, it is still recommended that you check with your pediatrician to rule out other possible causes for the symptoms, especially if you’re baby is running a fever (temperature above 39C [102F]) and/ or appears lethargic and unwell.

1. Irritability: As the new tooth rises closer to the surface your baby’s gums may become increasingly more sore and painful, leading to fussiness and crying.

2. Drooling: From three to four months of age you may see your baby start drooling more often than normal. Teething stimulates drooling, which may be worse with some babies than others.

3. Coughing: The increase in saliva can cause your baby to occasionally cough or gag. As long as your baby shows no signs of a cold or flu and does not run a high fever, this is noting to worry about.

4. Chin rash: If your baby is a heavy drooler, the constant contact with saliva may cause the skin around the chin and mouth to become irritated. Gently wipe your baby’s mouth and chin periodically throughout the day to help prevent chapped skin and rashes.

5. Biting & gnawing: A teething baby will gnaw and gum down on anything. The counter pressure from biting helps relieve the pressure from under the gums and temporarily numbs the pain. Teething aids designed specifically for babies are safe and effective.

6. Cheek rubbing and ear pulling: Pain in the gums may spread to the ears and cheeks particularly when the back molars begin coming in. This is why you may see your baby rubbing their cheeks or pulling at their ears. However, keep in mind that pulling at an ear can also be a sign of an ear infection, especially when accompanied by a fever.

7. Diarrhea: Most parents usually notice slightly looser bowel movements when a baby is teething. A recent study done by the Children’s Hospital in Australia found this to be the most common symptom of teething, yet many doctors still disagree and discount diarrhea as a symptom of teething. The most likely cause of diarrhea during teething is the extra saliva swallowed, which then loosens the stool. Report any diarrhea that lasts for more than three bowel movements to your doctor.

8. Low-grade fever: A fever is another symptom that doctors are sometimes hesitant to directly link with teething. Many parents however find their baby gets a low-grade fever while teething. Notify your doctor if the temperature rises above 39C (102F) or if the temperature remains elevated for more than 2 days.

9. Not sleeping well: You may find your child wakes more often at night. Most parents agree that night waking occurs more frequently when the molars are coming in.

10. Cold like symptoms (runny nose, etc.): Some parents find that their baby displays cold-like symptoms when teething. Runny noses, coughing and general cold symptoms are believed to be a result of frequent hand-to-mouth movements in an attempt to alleviate the pain. Notify your doctor if cold-like symptoms occur for more than 3 days and do not improve on their own.

The process of teething frequently follows hereditary patterns, so if the mother and father teethed early or late, your baby may follow the same pattern. On average the first tooth comes in during the seventh month, although it can arrive as early as three months, as late as a year, or in rare cases even earlier or later.

In total there are twenty primary (first) teeth. The full, adult set of teeth comprises of thirty-two permanent teeth. Most children have a full set of primary teeth by the time they are around two or three years old. These primary teeth usually last until about the age of six, when the teeth that were first to appear become loose and fall out as the second teeth begin to push through the gums. The primary teeth continue falling out until roughly the age of twelve. Again, these ages mentioned above are only averages and your child may follow an earlier or later pattern.

About the Author
Katharina Bishop is a freelance writer. She is the owner of Wondrous Gems, a business specializing in amber and gemstone jewelry, with the aim of promoting the healing properties of crystals and gemstones. http://www.wondrousgems.com.

By Lily Carter

Growth charts are tools your pediatrician can use to keep track of your child’s physical growth. During each checkup, the doctor will measure your baby’s length, weight, and head circumference. The doctor can then compare the measurements for your baby to a chart of national averages for infants of the same age and sex.

The result is that the doctor will be able to tell you what percentile your baby is in when compared to average baby growth around the nation. For example, if your doctor tells you your 4-month-old is in the 86th percentile for weight, that means 86 percent of the two-month-olds in your country weigh less, and that 14 percent weigh more. A baby that is at the 50th percentile in either height or weight is right at the national average.

Typically, parents seem to worry quite a bit about these percentages, and that worrying is usually needlessly blown out of proportion. There are many factors that come into play when determining where your baby’s statistics will fall in the percentile chart.

It is very important to remember that no two babies are the same and that every child, due to body chemistry, heredity, diet, and many other factors will grow at their own pace.

Some babies will have growth spurts right from the start and others will take a bit longer to begin major growth periods. These measurements, charts, and percentile points are merely guides for a doctor to help in assessing your baby’s growth.

In addition to the measurements that your pediatrician will take during regularly scheduled doctor visits, you may also want to track your baby’s growth at home.

Keep in mind that the measurements you take at home may or may not be as accurate as the measurements your doctor takes, but they can provide a certain degree of insight into the growth of your baby and many new parents have found it to be a fascinating way to participate in the parenting process.

Here are some tips that can help you, as inquisitive parents, track your baby’s growth at home using commercially available scales and other measuring devices.

If baby is too small to stand upright on the scale, you can try using this procedure:

By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of No Cry Sleep Solution

Does it takes forever for your baby to fall asleep? Does he or she only fall asleep if you breastfeed, give a bottle or pacifier, rock, carry, swing, take a ride in the car, or perform other elaborate rituals? Does your baby wake up frequently throughout the night? Are your sleep issues further complicated because your baby won’t nap easily, or takes very short naps?

Do you ever feel like Leesa, mother of 9-month-old Kyra who said, “I am truly distressed, as the lack of sleep is starting to affect all aspects of my life. I feel as though I can’t carry on an intelligent conversation. I am extremely unorganized and don’t have the energy to even attempt reorganization. I love this child more than anything in the world, and I don’t want to make her cry, but I’m near tears myself thinking about going to bed every night. Sometimes I think, ‘What’s the point? I’ll just be up in an hour anyway.’”

As your sleep issues cast lengthening shadows over your life, you may begin to live purely for the moment. Your sleep-deprived, foggy brain may focus so intently on sleep that you can’t think beyond the next few hours of rest. You may have one – or many – people telling you that you should just let your baby cry to sleep. You are probably frustrated and confused. What you lack is perspective. To gain that perspective, ask yourself these questions:

1. Where will I be five years from now? How will I look back on this time?
2. Will I be proud of how I handled my baby’s sleep routines, or will I regret my actions?
3. How will the things I do with my baby today affect the person he will become in the future?

Once you have some perspective about your baby’s current sleep issues, it is important to be realistic in determining your goals and to be honest in assessing the situation’s effect on your life. Some people can handle two night wakings easily, while others find that the effect of even one night waking is just too much to handle. The key is to evaluate whether your baby’s sleep schedule is a problem in your eyes, or just in those of the people around you.

Begin today by contemplating these questions:

1. Am I content with the way things are, or am I becoming resentful, angry, or frustrated?
2. Is my baby’s nighttime routine negatively affecting my marriage, my job, or my relationships with my other children?
3. Is my baby happy, healthy, and seemingly well rested?
4. Am I happy, healthy, and well rested?
5. What is a reasonable expectation for my baby at his/her age?
6. What naptime and bedtime situation would I consider “acceptable”?
7. What naptime and bedtime situation would I consider “pure bliss”?
8. Why do I want to change my baby’s sleep patterns? Is it truly what’s best for me and my baby, or am I doing this to meet someone else’s expectations?
9. Am I willing to be patient and make a gradual, gentle change for my baby if that means no crying?

Once you answer these questions, you will have a better understanding of not only what is happening with regard to your baby’s sleep, but what approach you will feel most comfortable using to help your baby sleep better.

In addition to my two-year-old son Coleton, I have three older children, and they have afforded me the perspective I lacked the first time around. My children have taught me how very quickly babyhood passes. I struggle now to remember the difficulties of those first couple years, so fleeting are they. And I am proud that I didn’t cave in to the pressures of others around us to do what they felt was right; instead I followed my heart as I gently nurtured all of my babies. That time is long gone for us, but those memories remain. And now, all four of them sleep through the night. And so do I.

About the Author: Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.

Many parents want to rush out first thing and get their newborn baby girls ears pierced. There are many questions and much controversy around this though. People wonder how to go about piercing your baby’s ears, will it hurt, when is the best time to do it, and WHY would you want to get it done in the first place? Well the answers vary.

Piercing your baby’s ears is a very personal decision that each parent has to make on their own. For various reasons what is best for your friend’s family may not be best for yours. There are things to think about however.

Why Get Your Baby’s Ears Pierced?
While men often have one or both of their ears pierced these days, it is still a very feminine thing to do. Many people think it is cute to have their daughters ears pierced and they think it makes them stand out. As a baby it definitely makes your baby stand out as a girl no matter what colors she is wearing, or if she is wearing a dress or onesie. Some babies will be born with little or no hair making boys and barrettes impossibility. Some people will choose to get their daughters ears pierced so that they don’t have to hear the question, or at least hear it as often, “Is it a boy or a girl?”

Another reason why people get their daughters ears pierced when they are babies is because their baby won’t remember it. Even if your baby cries when it happens, within minutes afterwards, with lots of love from you they will probably have calmed down and forgotten it. Also, as an infant your baby can not take her earrings out of her ears and the chance of the area getting dirty is less, since she won’t be playing in much dirt for a few more months.

When Is The Best Time To Do It?
Many people get their daughters ears pierced within the first two weeks of life. Others wait until there babies are a few months old. There is really not “best” time as an infant, but in order to help keep your baby’s hands away from her ears you should probably do it while she is still very little. A three month old won’t understand the concept of playing with her ears like a one year old would. Likewise, a two or three year old is more likely to figure out how to take off those pesky adult proof backings leading to her losing one of her earrings. Yes, she will always just lose one, making you have a lot of single earrings laying around for your baby.

Asleep or awake? Chances are if you do it while your baby is asleep she will wake up and wake up angry at that. If you wait until she is awake make sure she is happy, but be prepared to hold her tight, or if allowed keep her strapped into her infant car seat. This will keep her from jumping and moving too much.

Where Do You Get Them Pierced?
You can get your baby’s ears pierced in many jewelry stores in your local mall. There are even piercing stands in the middle of most malls that for the most part only pierce ears and sell earrings. Ask friends who have had their daughters ears pierced about which place they went to and if they liked it. It is important that you find a place where the woman piercing your baby’s ears has experience in piercing baby’s ears. Ask the people who are piercing your baby’s ears how long they have been doing it. Feel them out like you would your pediatrician before you let them pierce your baby’s ears.

Will It Hurt?
In a word, YES. Most of the time it will hurt, after all they are putting two holes into your baby. However it can be compared to your baby getting his immunizations in the leg. Some people might say that it hurts less because ears are pierced through skin in the lobe with a little gun and it is done quickly. Your baby is given his shots with a long needle stuck into a leg muscle and it takes longer.

Concerns
One big negative of having your baby’s ears pierced is that your baby can’t tell you if there is something wrong. If there is an infection in the hole you may not know it for a couple of days. Also, some babies may have allergies to nickel which is found in silver and other types of piercing studs. If your baby has allergies, she won’t be able to tell you that the holes are itching and hurting. It is imperative that you wants for your baby to be pulling on their ear or rubbing it, and look for redness or puss coming from your baby’s ear.

Make Sure You Keep It Clean
Make sure you get the ear cleaner from the piercing booth and read the directions. You want to make sure that you clean around the earring per the instructions as often as it says. This will help avoid an infection from growing inside the hole the earring is in. You will also want to turn the earring a little bit each day to assure that the hole will not attach itself to the earring as it heals.

During this time your baby will learn to do all kinds of new and exciting things. There is no set time when your baby will start as all babies are different and complete tasks at their own rate. At your baby’s next well-check though if you are concerned you can take this list to your pediatrician and see if there is anything that he thinks your baby is behind on.

By 4 months old:

By 10 months old: