Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Tummy Time

Back to sleep, front to play.


That is the new baby advice for parents of my generation, where the babies sleep on their backs and you then put them on their tummies to play.


I read that because they spend a lot more time sleeping than playing that our generation of babies will reach their milestones a little bit later than we did when we were kids. So not to worry if your baby crawls or walks a bit later than you did.


They call this front to play time, Tummy Time.


Well, Tummy Time usually consists of a face plant on the play mat and Isabel crying because well...it sucks face planting!



I talked to a lot of mothers and they said that their babies hated Tummy Time too and didn't do it and their kids turned out just fine.
So I am not too worried about x number of hours a day for Tummy Time but still try to encourage Isabel to spend some time on her tummy.




Isabel hated Tummy Time so much though, so I looked for ideas out there on how to get your child interested in Tummy Time without tramatizing them too much in the process or turning them into a pug nosed dog because of too much face planting.

One suggestion was to lay down on your back and put the baby on your tummy, tummy to tummy and talk to your baby as this was going on.

Isabel didn't freak out as much when I started putting her on my tummy and it was a lot more fun for me as she didn't cry and we could talk and we could look at each other. So this video clip shows the intitial stages of tummy-to-tummy time.




Little by little she is starting to get used to the idea of being on her tummy and seems to actually like it.




Daddy wanted to get in on the action too.


With a little encouragement of praise and smiles she started enjoying more and more Tummy Time.





She is almost a seasoned pro at this Tummy Time







I know as soon as she starts crawling I will be in trouble but watching her get better and better on her stomach really is cute.

Huggable


Isabel is very huggable, which is a good thing because she loves to be held.... or is it mommy likes to hold Isabel??


Either way it is a win-win situation as I enjoy snuggling her throughout the day. She usually likes to see the world and prefers the snuggling in the outward position as you can see below.

















If you are wondering what that funny pink thing is that is on her head, it's supposed to be an ear warmer....but it keeps moving up on her head. Oh well...



















Now don't try to kiss her or she will squirm and push you away.























Isabel might not like kisses but she loves attention and if you don't give her any, she gets a little peeved. I crack up when I see that lower lip pout out.
In this video clip she is working on looking pitiful and wants someone to respond. I try to let her fuss some but eventually pick her up....but not before I give her tons of kisses. She might squirm but she is getting kisses!



And if I don't respond quick enough....


Well, we all know what happens
Actually we don't see the face above too often. She is actually a really sweet baby and here are some video clips of her laying around on her mommy. I sure am enjoying these special times, and soaking up every last snuggle.





Monday, September 28, 2009

Fun Time with Isabel





Isabel loves to bounce on daddy's knee like she's riding a bucking bronco (I knew she was a Texas gal at heart), although this is pretty tame as daddy is a little afraid after a previous time that ended badly.



Greg was bouncing Isabel on his knee and she was giggling and squeeling with delight. I decided to get it on camera and by the time I got back she was upset. Thing is, Greg and I weren't sure if she was happy or not until it was too late.


Poor Greg...he thought she was still having loads of fun.





Here mommy is having fun with Isabel. (sorry if it looks a little weird as i had to rotate the video using some application because it was sideways...not sure how that happened but i was able to right it) Greg and I stayed up late one night watching "1 hit wonders of the 80's" and the next morning I still had the songs in my head and thought it would be fun to dance with Isabel to 'Walking on Sunshine', by Katrina And The Waves.


Look at those fat cheeks, don't you want to kiss them!



Who Could Resist?


Daddy loves to come home and love on Isabel and do some computer time. He tries to get some computer time in or do both at the same time but Isabel usually wins out and dad has to leave the computer alone. After all, who could resist such a cute little girl.




Here we are in our hotel room in Stuttgart, Germany. I went to the spa to enjoy the hot tub while Greg watched Isabel. When I got back I found her captivated by the TV. It's a good thing that Sex and the City is over with as it looks like I have to monitor the programs that I am watching.

Here Isabel is dressed up in an outfit that Tamera got her. A cute poodle shirt with matching socks. I just love her little smile and wiggle she works up in this video.




In this one she is covered up with the cute blanket that my cousin Denea sent over. Isabel is just too too with her matching clothes and pink blanet.



Finally at the end of filming Isabel was letting me know that enough was enough and she was hungry!