I’m so excited to share my baby girl’s first few milestones with everyone, too bad I keep forgetting to grab my Vado and record the moment.
I’m one of those moms that likes to get email updates from parenting resources like BabyCenter. Every week I get an update letting me know the changes she’s going through and what I should expect next. Well, rolling over from tummy to back wasn’t suppose to be on the menu until next month. I’ve got these quirky kids that tend to develop physical strength very quickly, while saving the verbal milestones for later.
Emmaleigh at just 7 weeks old rolled over yesterday while laying on the living room rug. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She wasn’t there but a minute and rolled over so she could flash some smiles at my dad who was sitting next to her. I think I’m more happy that I was there to see it than the actual accomplishment.
But that’s not all, in the past week she’s been flashing me her pretty little smile. We got a few gas smiles in the beginning but these are the sweet ones with a little baby cooing in response to the silly noises I make at her.
Most surprising of all is her army crawling moves. The night before last my husband and I were folding laundry while Emma was laying in the middle of the living room run for some tummy time. About ten minutes later we started to hear some whimpering…I peek around the corner and much to my surprise she is no where near the spot I left her in. She was about 4 feet away, off the rug, with her cheek up against the cold laminate flooring, thus the fussiness. Clearly this is a big flashing sign that she no longer to be trusted on any high surfaces like our bed.
Which brings me to co-sleeping. I know this is a big controversy between many moms, but you need to get over it. Do what is best for YOUR family. For us, this is co-sleeping. Since the day Emma was born, even in the hospital, she has slept either in the arms of my husband and I, or between us in bed. We did the same for our daughter Kaydence. That’s how our baby likes to sleep and my motto is “happy baby=happy mommy”.
Now that she’s able to wriggle around and roll over, co-sleeping isn’t the safest option and we’ve moved her to the pack n’ play and Moses Basket next to our bed. In a few months she’ll be transitioned to the crib in her own room. I have to admit, this makes me a tad bit sad. As much as I miss the ability to spread eagle on my big mattress, I’m going to miss the closeness we share at night even more.
I guess all of this brings me to the point that babies grow up much too quickly. I’m still having trouble digesting the fact that she’s almost 2 months old!
About Cat Davis
You *think* you’ll move her out, but if you love co-sleeping so much she’ll be back!! We co-sleep with my 2.5 year old and wouldn’t have it any other way. He starts the night in his own bed, and naps in his own bed…but he comes across the hall and climbs in with us in the middle of the night. When he got squirmy and started crawling we just pushed one side of our bed against the wall, and I slept on the outside. He’s never fallen out
I always hate how sad and exciting all at the same time it is as the kids hit major milestones in their lives. When mine were babies though I loved that they developed physically first and verbally later. It frustrated me at first with my oldest, but once he started talking he never stopped, so with the 2nd, it was much easier to be patient.
I co-sleep with my girl and every night besides last night it is the best thing in the world.
Wow! Strong girl – good for her! She’ll be a go-getter in life.
And baby smiles are the best. I live for big, toothless grins right now.
Cat,
With each of my children, the milestones were met sooner. So much for a break along the way. It’s scary, but exciting because like you said, she can’t be “trusted” on high surfaces or open areas.
I just wrote about our recent co-sleeping experience http://tennesseemommy.com/2009/04/09/reclaiming-my-bed/. Every once in a while, one of the older two will ask to sleep in our bed, but my youngest (29 mths) still sleeps with my husband and me. I enjoy sleeping w/him, but am ready for a two person bed again.
Oh, our kids to grow up way too fast, for anyone. It seems like only yesterday that I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, well that beautiful baby girl turned 20 last month. Enjoy every moment you have with them when they are little.
My daughter is just 5 months old, and I have been tearing up almost every time I breast-feed her, trying to treasure these precious baby moments, knowing they are flying by much too fast!! Hopefully your daughters will find their way back into your bed on occasion.
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My only concern about “co-sleeping”, besides the fact that you never really get the chance at deep sleep with a little one in your bed, is the possibility of rolling over onto the baby and smothering her/him. Especially at times of complete exhaustion, this can and has happened. I think it becomes much harder to teach a child to sleep in her/his own bed if they have been sleeping with you in your bed. But, to each her own
maggie@mannwieler.com
I certainly understand your concerns, I actually had them myself at first, especially because I’m a very active sleeper. There were times I would fall asleep at the head of the bed and wake up at the foot. I wish I could explain it right but when the baby is in bed with us, a sense of her being there takes over, and we don’t budge an inch. I actually think I sleep better with her there because it keeps me one place but I definitely miss stretching out at times.
We’ve never had an issue with transitioning the kids to their own crib because we do it while they are still babies. Once the night feedings stop she’ll head to her room.
Wow, she is a fast mover huh? How cool. I love her name too, very cute.