Roth News

Audrey this week:

What’s Up, Doc?

Well-child checkups slow now to just once a year, after the seemingly incessant appointments of the baby and toddler years. But preschoolers tend to pick up lots of bugs at childcare and on playdates, so you may be seeing the doctor sooner than you think. Unfortunately, fear of the doctor often crops up among 2-year-olds, even those who once adored their docs. Explaining what will happen and packing a “fun kit” of toys can appease the wary.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-2-year-old-timeline-whats-up-doc_3651282.bc?responsys_count=0&scid=mbtw_post25m:424&pe=eqjqfq

Justin this week: 2months, week 4

“Your baby is becoming very handy. Although she’s already aware of her hands, she’s now inspecting them like Sherlock Holmes. She turns them around, the better to look at her fingers from all sides. She opens and shuts her fists, watching each finger as it moves up and down. To help your baby develop her blossoming hand-eye coordination, try dangling a toy just out of reach so she has to grab for it.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-2-month-olds-development-week-4_1477200.bc

Audrey this week

“Talking the Talk

Your child may be using only the most basic words, or he may be stringing together sentences already. Both are normal at this age. First sentences tend to be brief, but they get the point across and are exciting to hear. Help your child internalize sentence structure by repeating his words in full sentences. When he says, “Mommy! Shoes! Me!” you can echo back, “Oh, you want me to help you put your shoes on? Okay, come here!”"

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-2-year-old-timeline-talking-the-talk_3651196.bc?responsys_count=0&scid=mbtw_post24m_3w:408&pe=eqjqfq

Justin this week, 2months:week3

“Your baby is an excellent listener. He recognizes your voice, and he’ll show you his pleasure by smiling at the sound of your greetings. He’s also excitedly using all five senses to learn about the world. You can actually see how hard he’s working to assimilate the new information he’s exposed to every day. If something grabs his attention, notice how hard he focuses on it and stares. He’s taking it in on many levels.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-2-month-olds-development-week-3_1477197.bc

On sun (7th), we started Audrey in her big girl “princess” bed. She stays in it at night, but gets out & runs around her room.

Audrey this week:

“Understanding What’s Where

Every day your little preschooler’s brain is discovering new concepts that are soon reflected in his fast-growing vocabulary. Words like “over there,” “on top of,” “over,” and “under” are a big leap forward because they show he understands how things relate to one another in space. You can reinforce this understanding by using simple directionals when you talk to him: “Where do birds live? Up in the sky! Where do bugs live? Under the ground.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-2-year-old-timeline-understanding-whats-where_3651192.bc?responsys_count=0&scid=mbtw_post24m_1w:397&pe=eqjqfq

Justin, 2 months:week 2

“Your baby is growing stronger every day. She may now be able to lift her head, chest, and shoulders off the ground when she’s on her tummy. Your Superbaby will look so proud and happy while she’s “flying” this way. If she’s especially strong, she may be able to push herself up using her arms while lying on her stomach. She won’t crawl until at least 6 months, but these precrawling motions are her way of developing the necessary muscles.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-2-month-olds-development-week-2_1477194.bc

On wed (June 3rd), the kids went in for their Dr appts. Audrey had her 2yr check-up. She is 31&3/4″ tall (6%) & weighs 20lbs,14oz(0.71%). Despite being below on height & weight for her age, she has excelled in her development to make up for it! The Dr says she is doing almost everything she would expect to see a 3yr old do. The only thing different is that she leaves out a few of the shorter words in her sentences sometimes & she is staccato in how she says some things. But, she counts to 10 (she’s back to keeping 7 in there). On sun (May 10th) she started drawing circles. She is only expected to draw lines at this time. The Dr was also impressed w/how she knew her colors! We are working on potty training. She is getting better! She is usually good about telling us when she needs to poop. Lately, she tells us she has to go potty after she has peed in her diaper/pull-up. We got her a toddler bed & are working on transitioning her into it today! We’ll see how that goes So far, she’s excited about it. Lately she likes to say, “I’m so happy” She also likes to say,”I love him” about baby Justin and gives him LOTS of hugs & kisses

Justin had his 2 month check-up. He is 22&3/4″ long(45%) & weighs 11lbs,10oz(50%). The Dr was impressed by how well & how far he could hold his head up! He has also rolled over twice now (tummy to back) He would probably do more if he could, but most of the time he tries on the changing table & it stops him. So, we may have short kids (Justin’s time will come), but at least they are smarter than everybody else!!!

Audrey this week:

“Long and Lean

A 2-year-old still retains plump vestiges of toddler body proportions. But this year your child will grow taller and longer-limbed. To fuel this growth, you’ll want to keep an eye on good nutrition. Three meals and two snacks per day is a good guideline, but don’t worry too much if your 2-year-old seems to subsist on crackers and air. Provide healthy choices and let her experiment without forcing.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-2-year-old-timeline-long-and-lean_3651194.bc?responsys_count=0&scid=mbtw_post24m_2w:403&pe=eqjqfq#articlesection1

Justin this week, 2 months:week 1

“Coos are your baby’s way of expressing delight, as well as exercising his vocal cords. You can carry on a “conversation” with your baby now. When he gurgles or coos, say something brief or coo back at him. Then wait for him to “say” something back to you. This kind of conversational turn-taking may not sound like much to you now, but it’s actually the beginning of learning how to talk.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-2-month-olds-development-week-1_1477191.bc

On wed (20th), Audrey started calling me, sweetheart. Once in a while she’d say dear, but all day & yesterday, she’d hand me something & say, “here you go, sweet-heart”. On sun (17th), we went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate her birthday with some friends/family. Today(22nd), we all (4) went to lunch at Red Robin for her birthday. Tomorrow we are going to try to go to the Lark toy store, sun (24th) we are planing on going to the Saints game & on mon (25th) we are going to try to get to the zoo!

Audrey this week: 24 months,week 1

“Handling Big Emotion

Two-year-olds give the biggest hugs, flash the biggest smiles, and yes, throw the loudest, most spectacular tantrums. Because they live in the moment, their feelings are especially transparent. It’s tempting to want to keep things happy for your child at all times. But it’s also important for her to experience emotions like sadness, frustration, and anger without always being “rescued” by Mom or Dad, so she can learn to cope better with small setbacks.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-2-year-old-timeline-handling-big-emotion_3651190.bc?responsys_count=0&scid=mbtw_post24m:77&pe=eqjqfq#articlesection1

Justin this week: 7 weeks

“Your baby’s hands should be mostly open now and ready to reach out to the world. Although your baby can’t grab objects just yet, she can grasp things placed in her hands. And once she wraps her hands around something, she might not let go so easily. She’ll also try to bat at objects, so keep potentially dangerous items far from her reach. This means not holding hot liquids or sharp objects while you’re holding her.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-7-week-olds-development_1477188.bc

Audrey this week: 23 months,week 4

“Your toddler may wield a spoon and fork like a pro and drink from a cup without spilling, but that doesn’t mean mealtimes are smooth sailing just yet. He may be more interested in conducting little science experiments on his tray table — like pouring his orange juice into his cereal bowl — than eating. Or he may insist on sitting on your lap and eating what’s on your plate. While it’s a good idea to start setting limits during meals, don’t force your child to eat or expect full compliance with your rules.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-23-month-olds-behavior-high-spirits_1273372.bc?scid=mbtw_post23m_3w:375&pe=eqjqfq

Justin this week: week 6

“Has your baby smiled at you yet? If not, he will soon. At 6 weeks, about half of all babies can recognize their parents, and many of those babies are so delighted that they welcome Mom or Dad with an excited, gurgly grin. This is one of the first signs that your baby is developing an ability to socialize. In fact, it’s called a “social smile,” and it’s one of the more emotionally gratifying milestones you’ll see your baby reach.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-6-week-olds-development_1477185.bc

Audrey’s new favorite phrase this week is, “Come back here, I need you”. She still also says, “I come too”, b/c she doesn’t want to miss a thing! She knows a lot of the alphabet & is able to repeat long songs. We have a book & she was able to sing the song back to Kevin tonight(6th), “here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail, hippity, hopping, Easter’s on it’s way.” She also knows “the Itsy Bitsy Spider” song.

Audrey this week: 23 months,week 3

“Your toddler can probably hum and sing songs such as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and make three-word sentences like “Cup fall down.” She can probably follow a two-part request, like “Come here and turn around so I can comb your hair.” Many kids this age also have fun identifying opposites like tall man, short man, or big block, little block. But if your toddler isn’t doing all these things, don’t worry. Children learn to speak at different rates, and your child may still be working her way up to this stage.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-23-month-olds-language-and-cognitive-development-an-exp_1273368.bc?scid=mbtw_post23m_2w:371&pe=eqjqfq

Justin this week: week 5

“Your baby is learning that she has hands and fingers and feet and toes. She’s also starting to talk more. Not with words, of course, but by cooing — with increasing goos, gurgles, and grunts. This marks the beginning of her language development. Talk to your baby often. You’ll be able to keep her attention by shifting from a low to a high pitch — the singsong style that parents in every culture tend to use when speaking to a baby.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-5-week-olds-development_1477177.bc

Audrey likes to do silly things, like twirl or kick her feet, etc & ask, “what Audrey doing?” She also likes to do something like wave her hands & say, “go like this” or “you do this” & have you copy her!

Audrey: 23 months,week 2

“Does your toddler ignore you? He’s not doing it on purpose; it takes time and practice to learn how to listen well. Here’s how to help: Keep your requests simple and clear, get down on his level when you want his attention, and give him your ear when he wants to talk. It’s worth the effort. Developing good listening skills will help your toddler learn more effectively, follow important instructions, get along better with you and other adults, and make friends.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-23-month-olds-social-and-emotional-development-looking_1273364.bc?scid=mbtw_post23m_1w:363&pe=eqjqfq

Justin: 4weeks

“Your baby can probably focus on and track moving objects now. Try giving his new skills a workout by slowly passing a toy in front of his face or by having a little “staring contest” during which you walk slowly back and forth in front of him. Watch how his eyes lock with yours and follow along with your movement. This skill is a building block for hand-eye coordination, which will come later.”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-4-week-olds-development_1477174.bc

Justin this week:
“Every baby has a unique temperament. Some are placid and agreeable, while others are more sensitive. One thing all babies have in common is that they communicate with you by crying. Sometime in the first month, you’ll begin to hear another kind of sound. That’s when most babies find their voices. When your baby is calm and alert, you may notice she says a little “ooh” or “aah” when she sees you or hears you approaching.”

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-3-week-old_1133.bc?responsys_count=0&scid=mbtw_post3w:363&pe=eqjqfq

Audrey’s new favorite phrase is, “I do it self”. The other thing she says all the time is, “I coming too!” She’s getting good at pulling her pants on & off to go potty & to dress herself.

On fri(17th), Justin had his 2week check-up. He now weighs 8lbs,8oz(42%). He was still about 21in long (62%). Yesterday(4-21), Justin rolled from his tummy to his back. I watched him do it the one time, but he hasn’t done it since. I’m going to try again today & see how it goes! Today I had him do his first art project. I just painted his feet. It worked good while he was sleeping!!!

I decided to challenge myself today & take all 3 kids on a walk to the playground. When we got there, I tied Martini to a bench, fed Justin while Audrey played nearby, then put Justin in the stroller while I followed Audrey around the playground & went down the slide a bunch of times. My next challenge will be to try to go to the store by myself w/the 2 kids!

Audrey this week:23 months
“Your toddler may now be able to throw a ball overhand, though she’ll probably miss her target most of the time. The whole-arm coordination that allows her to throw usually emerges somewhere between 18 months and 3 years.

If your toddler is ball-shy, start with rolling games, which will be easier and also less scary (try rolling the ball slowly toward her feet). Spongy balls or beanbags are great for indoor use — set up a pillow or bucket for target practice. ”

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-23-month-olds-physical-development-dressing-up-dressing_5180.bc?scid=mbtw_post23m:358&pe=eqjqfq

Justin this week:2 weeks
“A whole week has passed, but doesn’t it seem more like a lifetime? As you’re adjusting to feedings and getting by on less sleep, your baby is also adjusting to his new world. He sleeps in short naps, wakes to feed, and spends some time quietly alert before drifting off to sleep again. Babies’ eyes focus best on objects between 8 and 15 inches away — not coincidentally, the distance to your face when held in your arms.”

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-2-week-old_1132.bc?scid=mbtw_post2w:358&pe=eqjqfq