Every parent thinks they were better off when their kids were much younger. when your infant is 6 months old, you feel he was much more manageable when he was a newborn for you didn't have to deal with child proofing your home or keeping a watch on him all the time as he rolls over or crawls. At 9 months when he is able to stand you think, crawling was still manageable as he would reach the TV cabinet or empty the contents of your higher shelves in the cupboard. The reality is every stage of a child's development presents its own challenges and you learn to cope with them all ..as kids grow so do you mentally. Think about it for a minute, a newborn gave you sleepless nightmares, so a six month old who sleeps through the night is much better that way even if he keeps you on your toes through the day, isn't it?
When Lil General was a month old and I was not fit physically after delivery, though I did not get any sleep in the night, I had all the support of my family and domestic helps who took care of all the household chores. Now 8 months after LG's birth, I'm physically well and can run around, the demands have also grown proportionally with me running the show alone. Sometimes you are exposed to only so much you can take :)
Off days are numerous when the maids goes on a long leave of absence and I plunge into madness trying to get all the stuff done around home while handling LG. Its a choice I made to stay home. So sometimes I think, either I can bitch about it and stay gloomy spreading the infectious unpleasantness to those around me or I can get done with it all as quickly as I can and be happy doing thing I love to which is losing money on the stock market :) Today is just one of those days when nothing goes well, hence this post. I already feel better after writing this. Now I can get back to work. The daily drudgery is for here to stay. I will have to work ways around it to keep me and my family cheerful.
No respite from daily drudgery
Aggressiveness and possessiveness in a 7 month old child
According to BabyCenter's newsletter for a 7 month, 2 week old baby ,
You've always known that you and your baby are two separate creatures, but she hasn't. To her, the two of you are one — she has no identity of her own yet. When you put her in front of a mirror, she doesn't even realise that the baby she sees is herself. But this month she'll make a huge mental leap and finally understand that she's an individual, with her own body, thoughts, and feelings. This jump in understanding opens the door to her growing emotional and physical independence, which will take years to fully develop.
This is so true. He is beginning to get an identity of his own. Lil General is always on a exploratory mode, trying to see how everything in the world tastes from the mirror to Netgear to carpet to music system to atta. Children have the maximum nerve endings in their mouth and they perceive the world through their taste of things apparently, that kinda explains why he is always eyeing one thing or the other to put in his mouth.
We are amazed at the development and changes in a week. Every week, every day is a new beginning and he doesn't cease to astonish us with the things he does. Climbing over 2 pillows like rock climbing to fall on back on his head, head banging his way through upright pillows as though he is making his way through the great wall of china is not out of normal now. What is abnormal is his change in behavior, looking at me after every move of his for appreciation,, acknowledgement etc and when he knows he is up to something mischievous not looking me in the eye and giving that sheepish smile and looking from the corner of his eye.
He sure knows how to get his way. He has perfected the art of cause and effect. Crying and screaming can get things done, the boy has realised. It took us a while to understand he was just throwing tantrums and nothing was actually bothering him.
Last night, I cried out for help in pain. Lil General was all over me. He crawled and climbed over me and attacked my face and caught a fistful of hair in both his hands and refused to let go. I just couldn't get him off me and I asked The Seniol to help me out. This was definitely not a 7 month old kid. All of this because I playfully teased him by taking away his favorite pillows and placed them over me. We just wanted to see if he understands what is his stuff and what is not. He sure does!
My baby's diet - 8th month
LG is growing every week. So are his activities and his appetite. Ever since he started crawling, I've notice a change in his feeding routine and the quantity of food he consumes. Until a day or two back, I did not realise that he is hungry when he would start beating me after the feeds or food time which meant he was not satisfied and wanted more. On an experimental basis I increased the quantity little by little and now he sleeps happily and looks contented too. An active crawling baby obviously would need more intake than the one who used to lie on his back all day.
8:00 a.m. - 200 ml of porridge - made from 4 scoops of formula and 4 spoons of ragi.
11:00 a.m. - 1 Mashed carrot and tomato
1:30 p.m. - Dal rice or 6 scoops of Nestum Rice/Rice-ragimixed with curd. Or 4 scoops of Easum mixed with curd.
3:00 p.m. - Mother's feed
4:30 p.m. - 120 ml/ 150 ml of formula
6:30 p.m. - Mashed banana or apple or Marie biscuit.
8:30 p.m. - 6 scoops of Nestum.
This month I have also tried Idli in curd and potato. He understands the taste in difference but was ok having it.
The best of Beethoven dies a natural death
LG likes listening to Beethoven and Mozart everyday. The homegrown Tansen had probably been hearing too much of the same stuff everyday, so he took it upon himself to give him a break. He pulled the cassette out while it was playing so the strip was dangling out by the time I reached to figure out why music stopped. The damage had been done. The mischievous grin on his face said, "Momma, who listens to cassettes these days. Grow up, get me an iPod or play the damn Bose outside, till them I will live with the CDs here."
The lean mean crawling machine is on a destruction mission and I'm on a damage-control spree. Restricting him only makes him want to do that more and more. So I've let him loose and he happily crawls the spacious house back and forth between the drawing room and the bedroom stopping over briefly at the kitchen to check if the atta bag is still intact, until he gets tired. The floors are generally kept dust-free so I'm not worried letting him do what he wants while I watch from behind what he is up to. Playing peek-a-boo is fun too.
The Seniol calls it the Domino effect. Saturday night, Lil General went to bed a little early and woke up around 9:50 p.m. with a high pitched cry that slowly gave into howling ..we got scared. Nothing soothed him and he kept crying for a good 25 mins. Hugging, comforting on the shoulders, feeding, nothing at all. Helpless I just kept rocking him not knowing what was bothering him. I did a quick mental run of what he was fed that day and if some new food was causing a tummy ache. We knew it had to be ant bite but just couldn't find that damn small red ant. When he finally stopped crying, I noticed his lips swell. An ant had bit him there and on the temple :(
The incessant crying gave way to cold and cough the next morning and crankiness crept in a day later with restless sleep the following nights. Finally after the visit to the Paed, he is doing better.
