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Babies

A Brief Overview of a Baby’s First-Year Milestones

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The smile is the first major thing a baby accomplishes during the first year of life. At first, it seems like gas, but rest assured, it’s a smile for you! Here’s a brief overview of a baby’s first-year milestones.

The Widest Smile You’ll Ever See

Let’s not forget about the smile! About 2 months into their life, a baby will take notice of your presence, face, and voice. When babies bond with a parent, sibling, or whoever else is around, they smile most at them since they feel closer to those individuals. Your voice, presence, and face make them smile!

Sleeping Through the Night

During the first three months, babies struggle to sleep through the night and adapt to a routine. As they’re adjusting to a new world, they may still struggle to sleep past 4 and 6 months. If this happens and they exhibit one of the signs they’re not getting enough sleep, try finding the reason.

Sometimes it’s the crib—the crib might not have the right mattress type, or your furniture’s severely outdated, meaning you’ll need to upgrade the crib to one made from natural, toxin-free materials, like wood.

That First Little Giggle

When babies cry, they could fill an entire amphitheater with noise. Don’t fret, though! Once your baby’s 4 months old, they start to laugh. The slight noise escaping their lips is nothing but the sweet sound of giggles! Whether you’re tickling them, playing peek-a-boo, or making silly faces, they won’t stop.

Say Their First Word

The first word is the best milestone! From first saying “mama” or “dada” to saying different animal names, the first-word stage is the most memorable. On average, babies start talking between 12 and 18 months but can start as early as 9 months.

Standing and Walking for the First Time

Where is your little explorer wandering off to? If they’re on their legs and slowly making their way toward you, then it’s definitely you they’re after! Between 9 and 12 months, babies begin to stand and walk on their own.

It’s completely normal for babies to walk later, at 18 months. As your little one discovers how fast they can run and finds any excuse to get up and follow you around, make sure you block off the stairs, kitchen, and bathrooms.

So, parent, now that you know what milestones babies accomplish in their first year, what one are you most excited about? It will be a breathtaking journey for you and your baby, and the first year is the most exciting.

Amazing Baby Must-Haves You Probably Overlooked

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Having a baby is exciting—and exhausting. There are so many things to remember and so many lists to check off, and it’s hard to keep track of which friends and family you’ve asked for which gifts. We know that bringing home a new little one is a hectic time, so we’ve compiled a list of must-have baby items you probably overlooked.

Diaper Bag

Contrary to the name, a diaper bag isn’t just for diapers. Depending on how well you organize it, diaper bags are useful for carrying ointment, spare outfits and bibs, blankets, and just about anything else you might need while you’re away from home with your baby. Some families even leave a backup diaper bag in the car trunk in case someone forgets the primary bag.

Car Seat Arm Pad

When you leave the house on errands or outings with your new baby, you’re going to end up carrying that car seat quite a bit. In order to make things less stressful, invest in an arm pad to give you extra comfort while lugging the car seat around.

Newborn Socks

Everyone loves buying onesies for babies, and who wouldn’t? They’re adorable. However, people may forget to gift you socks, which you’re going to need to keep your baby’s feet warm. Baby socks are important for many other reasons as well, like protecting fragile newborn skin from UV rays and preventing injuries.

Stroller Mittens

If you live somewhere that gets cold, you’re going to want your hands covered while pushing the stroller around. However, most regular gloves make it harder to use your cellphone and do other tasks. So what’s the solution? Stroller mittens! They’re like muffs that attach to the stroller handle, letting you slip them on and off with ease.

Parent Organizer

The last baby must-have that you probably overlooked is an organizer for your stroller. These organizers hang from the top handle, letting you store your phone, wallet, wipes, and other handy items all without needing to carry a bag.

It’s important to make sure you have everything you need when bringing home a new baby. Hopefully, this list will help you remember those items you forgot!

Daddy/Baby Bonding – Why It’s Important and What You Can Do

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Each time you cuddle with your baby, you’re forming a bond with him as the oxytocin, which is a vital relationship-building chemical, is released. It’s one of the reasons doctors place the newborns on their mothers’ bare chest. In this way, the baby and the mother will have skin on skin contact allowing the initial connection to arise naturally.

Daddy baby bonding is necessary today. Generations ago, fathers were seen as breadwinners. They’re the ones who went to work and didn’t bond with their kids. In the past decades, however, it has changed. Daddy’s role has evolved. They’re now more nurturing and very involved. They bond with their babies more than they were before, which is crucial to the development of their babies.

Critical Period of Child’s Development

Baby’s brain is growing faster, from the beginning of pregnancy to three years of age. It’s considered as a crucial period of development of the baby as it creates a foundation for long-term positive outcomes.

During this time, baby’s neural pathways are forming, and their brain’s development is determined by daily experiences with parents and the world. If they have positive experiences at this early stage, it supports healthy brain development and promotes healthy learning. Thus, it’s vital that daddies should also bond with their babies.

Fathers who bonded with their kids from birth would ensure that their babies are would grow up to be emotionally secure. They also tend to be confident when they explore their surroundings.

As they grow older, they can have better social connections with their peers and they are less likely to get in trouble at home or school. Furthermore, they are less likely to use illegal drugs and abuse alcohol.

Studies also showed that children who bonded with their fathers when they were still babies have higher IQs than those kids who don’t have a nurturing and involved father.

What Can Fathers Do to Bond with their Babies?

1. Keep Your Baby Close When Holding

When mothers breastfeed their babies, they cuddle them up close their chest. Fathers, too, must cuddle their baby and keep them close to their chest in a way that baby can gaze up at them so they can connect and bond naturally.

2. Become the Rescuer of the Night

Daddies are not around during the day to comfort their babies. To bond with their little ones, they can share the night time shift with their partners by becoming the rescuer of the evening. It will give daddies a chance to have a precious alone time with their babies while their partners have an opportunity to get a long overdue sleep.

3. Soothe Them

It’s tempting to just hand crying babies to their mothers. But you, as a father, can be brave and soothe your baby’s tears. You can sing to him or walk around with him in your arms. Baltic wonder amber necklaces can also be a soothing source.

4. Be There with Your Partner

Another way to bond with your baby is to be there for your spouse. By being more involved with child-rearing, you’re likely to bond with your child, thereby, giving him the best start in life.