the Beauty of Birth... Carter Zachary Byrd

We found out about 7 weeks prior to our baby’s due date that he was not in a good position for natural delivery. Exactly what we found out is that he was in the breech position and the umbilical cord was wrapped around his head at least 2 times and maybe 3. This came as quite a shock as it had been “the plan” to have everything be as natural and free of pain medication as possible as that was the delivery experience we were hoping for.
So, we switched gears, and prepared for a c-section delivery as that was determined to be safest for baby. We were asked to decide on the date, which felt very strange to me to determine what day your baby would be born on, and we chose February 15th. We felt strongly that it wasn’t really our style to purposely have a baby born on Valentine’s Day and that he should have a day for himself, unattached to any other holidays if possible.
The morning of the 15th arrived and we made our way into the hospital. Happiness, anxiety and anticipation mixed with fear are the emotions of that morning as we checking and I was prepared to go into the OR. Finally, they wheeled me off on my own into the OR, set the epidural and brought my husband back in. My doctor talked me through the process and then, he said, “We have a baby.” I waited for a few tumultuous seconds to hear him screaming and finally when I did it was the most precious sound I have ever heard, my baby boy crying. My husband and I both were able to hold him together at once and looking into his blue eyes I was so happy to see what I had been waiting on for 9 months. The love that built in my heart over those 9 months was so climactic at that moment when I first held, touched, looked at, and kissed on my baby. Carter Zachary Byrd was born on February 15, 2011, at 7:53 a.m. and weighed 7lbs 11oz.

An Exercise in Tummy Time

This week, I wrote some narratives for a couple who has a six month old baby. The parents wondered about the importance of tummy time. Because these are common questions - how much and how long should we do tummy time, HOW do we do tummy time - I thought I'd share with my readers.
First, it's important to understand that tummy time is a very important exercise for all babies. It provides for the baby a new outlook on the world (instead of being held or laying on their back). While the infant is stimulated by his new view from the tummy position, he will begin arching his back, moving his arms and legs in a new way, and also raising his head. Some babies will also attempt raising their chest above the ground with the use of their strong arms - but, this takes time to build up to and will only happen after your little one has had many previous tummy time sessions. Remember, this is hard work for ALL babies, especially  in the beginning.
Trying it out. When I introduce tummy time, I will sometimes lay in front of the baby so that our faces are in front of one another in order to encourage the little one to raise his head and look at me, smile and communicate. If it is a very young baby, he may not be able to raise his head much or at all, so laying next to him is a wonderful alternative. Laying together helps the infant feel secure because you are right there and within view. Once he feels comfortable, introduce an object that he likes and allow him to reach for it, grasp it, and bring it to his mouth. When I can tell he is very tired (after 5 or 10 minutes), I will softly massage my whole hand over his back and gently help him roll over onto his side. Laying on his side, the infant continues focusing on the object that is in his hand while gives the back and neck muscles some rest.
When you feel he is ready, try it again! Remember to always supervise the baby during tummy time until he is well able to roll around and has good control of his neck muscles. Several tummy time sessions per day will really help your baby ~ happy parenting everyone!

Personality: Nature vs Nurture

Social and personality development has always been of interest to me both as a manager of private Montessori schools and also having worked with hundreds of children over my career thus far. When prospective teachers would meet me for an interview, I thoughtfully considered whether they would fit into that particular school community. Likewise, when a families visited for a tour, I would meet their child and thoughtfully consider which classroom s/he should be placed based on age, developmental level, and of course personality. For the purpose of my blog, I thought sharing a portion of my afternoon reading on the debate of whether nature (biolical factors) or nurture (environmental factors) determines personality.
Truly, there is no clear black & white answer to this question. However, there's some new research that may shed light on this debate.... "Researchers in many different countries have studies thousands of sets of identical twins who were separated at birth and raised separately. If heredity played little or no part in determining personality, you would expect to find few similarities between the separated twins. But twins raised apart have much in common. For almost every behavioral trait, a significant part of the similarity between them turns out to be associated with genetic factors. One set of twins separated for 39 years and raised 45 miles apart were found to drive the same model and color car. They chain-smoked the same brand of cigarette, owned dogs with the same name, and regularly vacationed within three blocks of each other in a beach community 1,500 miles away. Researchers have found that genetics account for about 50 percent of the personality similarities between twins and more than 30 percent of the similarities in occupational and leisure interests. Interestingly.... the personalities of identical twins raised in different households are more similar to each other than to the personalities of siblings with whom the twins were raised."
For my readers who are expecting, it should be a delightful exercise to consider which parts of your baby's personality will come from you, and which will come from your partener. Happy parenting everyone! 

Water Safety

When I think about young children and water, I immediately get a little nervous. It's so important to be on guard and supervising children every second when water is involved. Because it's summertime, I thought I'd share a great water safety poster ~ just click here to take a look.

Hot Car Safety

Car safety is so very important, particularly in the summertime when the temperatures are high and rise even higher after turning off your car. I hope you have time to review this informative poster - just click here to take a look!

Sleep Safety for Baby ~ Helpful Hints

Always Give Babies Room to Breathe!

On average, almost 400 Texas babies die in their sleep each year - suddenly, unexpectedly, and without a clear explanation or due to accidental suffocation or strangulation. That's why it is so important to always give babies "Room to Breathe."

 

The ABC's of Infant sleep:

• A - Sleep alone
• B - On their backs with no blankets or bedding
• C - In a crib and cool (70 degrees)
• S - In a smoke free environment

Do:

• Do put babies to sleep alone on their backs in a crib or on another firm surface with a tight-fitting bottom sheet. If the baby leaves an impression on the mattress, the surface is too soft.
• Do keep babies away from second hand smoke.
• Do dress the baby, not the bed - dress the child lightly and control the room temperature. 70 degrees is ideal.
• Do breast feed and use pacifiers as both are associated with a lower risk of sudden death.

Don't:

• Don't put a baby to sleep with blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, or bumper pads inside the crib.
• Don't cover a baby's face or allow a baby to cover its face with anything.
• Don't let an infant sleep with older children.
• Don't ever sleep with an infant if you are drunk, under the influence of illegal drugs or medications that make you sleepy, or when extremely tired.
• Don't put a baby to sleep on or sleep with a baby on chairs, sofas, futons, beanbags, or cushions.
• Don't put babies to sleep on soft mattresses such as pillow-tops, waterbeds, or memory foam. If the baby leaves an impression in the mattress, it's too soft.
• Don't expose babies to secondhand smoke.

this article has been taken from the TX Dept. of Family & Protective Services Room to Breathe Campaign