Johnson's baby powder smells and feels good. The touch of the powder against one's skin leaves a pleasant feeling and it is easy to get carried away and apply the same on your baby at regular intervals assuming it will make the baby feel good too. For years, grannies in India have taught new mothers how to keep their babies clean and looking good, an important part of which is to white wash the baby with powder.
For four weeks after Lil General's birth I applied Johnson's baby powder after his bath, diaper changes and every time I changed his dress. Thankfully, there were no side effects that were immediately evident. I refrained from using the same thereafter on Doctor's advice. He said it was enough to keep the baby dry without sweat getting accumulated under the fold, armpits etc. This worked. I would just pat him dry with a clean cloth. The weather was not too hot then to get very sweaty. He did not have any diaper rashes either as I mostly used cloth nappies and cotton shorts only.
Your baby's skin is smooth naturally and doesn't need any makeup, at least not yet!
Is baby powder really needed for your baby?
Crawling before sitting
LG is on a mission. He is on his fours unravelling the mystery of what is there in every room, why some rooms are always closed, waiting for an opportunity to push his way through when the doors are open. He has learnt to climb over the diwan, pull himself up, crawl over us and sleep on The Seniol's tummy.
I was told that kids generally sit first and then they learn how to crawl. That phase did not happen in his case. He started by crawling and is still struggling to sit without support.
Nestum Rice- Stage 1 has been a key component of Lil General's diet since he was six months old. He enjoys eating it mixed with mashed vegetables, curd or formula milk. As usual I opened a new carton of Nestum Rice yesterday afternoon and fed him. In the night I emptied the contents into LG's labeled Nestum container that had been washed and dried that morning. To my horror, I saw tiny black mustard like things in the contents of the pack - almost the size of mustard seeds, maybe a little bigger. on closer examination, I realized they were actually bug. Who would have imagined in their wildest dreams for kid's cereal to have bugs. The Seniol went immediately to get it replaced and wrote a letter of complaint as well to Nestle Foods. If this is the state of branded products, then I wonder where we are going?
It also explains LG's smelly dysentery episode since Sunday night. I had spotted 2 or 3 such black things earlier but dismissed them as ingredients of Nestum when I very well knew it is crystal white with no additives. I should have inspected the earlier carton better. The dysentery is slightly under control now but not totally - smelly potty 5-6 times a day containing questionable stuff in it and the texture no better. The discomfort he was at every night as he had those bowel movements are still a nightmare. He has been waking up precisely at 1:30 a.m. every night and would continue with his potty activity until 2:00 a.m. Sometimes, home made stuff is better than these packaged foods.
No respite from daily drudgery
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.
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!
