music together with babyNOIR

Today was babyNOIR's first day at Music Togehter, and we loooooove it!!  Compared to the other baby music classes we took, our teacher Maureen is better trained to 1) grab and retain babies' and adults attention, 2) break down and explain, 3) project! - sing really, really well and loud, which helps the point 1).  The material we received is really good, too.  In the CD package they gave us, there are 2 CD's, so we can have one at home and one in the car.  How thoughtful!!

We like the songs.  They feel developmentally appropriate for babies with simple clear lyrics and catchy melody line.  I especially love the exploration of different types of rhythm - okay, I'm a drummer - there's even a song in 9/8 meter!  - These songs are so catchy, baby Kharin already started singing along this afternoon.  That was only the 3rd time she heard these songs - once in the class this morning, once at home while she was playing, then she started singing along when I put the CD on in the car.  I say they know what they're doing. 

We know the benefit of music in our lives.  It helps us develop mathematical skills, and it just makes us happy people.  I am really happy to have found a place where my baby can hang with her peers and really get in to music.

penmanship and thank you notes

A Future Calligrapher,
originally uploaded by buddhadog.

I read an article about Socialkidz on mommypoppins the other day. In Socialkids classes, small kids learn about the etiquette and good manners we all would like our babies to know. Like good handshakes, eye contact, introducing yourself to people, and thank you notes.

That got me thinking - my husband has always been saying he wants our baby to take Japanese calligraphy classes. He's in love with the whole idea, though he can't really articulate why. In my elementary school in Japan, calligraphy was a part of the curriculum and I always took it for granted. But, I do think having a decent penmanship is socially important. So is sending hand-written thank you notes.

I have an okay penmanship, and thank people with emails if I remember to send anything at all.

Our children should be better people than we are. Or, we shoot for it to come true as parents. No?

I may or may not enroll baby Kharin in Socialkidz when she gets older, but I will make sure I will at least teach her everything I know about becoming a respectful, polite person.

coconut juice and baby

When my baby Kharin had a 48-hour diarrhea, I gave her sippy cups full of coconut juice.  She loved it so much, she drinks it now every day.  I initially thought of coconut juice, standing in the supermarket, looking at the bright color of Pedialyte - does it have to be colored like this??? - and repeating the pediatrician's words in my head.  He had said, "you need to prevent dehydration by continuing nursing, and giving her electrolyte liquid like watered down sport drink or Pedialyte."  So - I thought - we need some liquid that has electrolyte in it so Kharin's body can absorb fluid easily.  Then I remembered me drinking coconut water while I was pregnant, because my midwife had told me to drink it.  It is full of electrolyte!

I didn't hesitate giving it to her, although there isn't any conclusive scientific advice for or against coconut water for infants or toddlers that I could find.  There are lots of articles on line for the benefit of coconut water in general, though.  I figured I was okay with it since she is now over 12 months old and I hadn't heard or read anything against coconut water so far.  Kharin recovered from her 48-hour-bug without getting dehydrated, and she continues to happily drink it every day.

It now seems almost fashionable to drink coconut water.  Even Madonna's involved.  But, good things are good, with or without being the fad.

safely using the baby sling

In the past year, 3 infant death with a sling as possible cause of death have been reported.  It is in several recent news source including CNN and medical news today. I can't even imagine how horrible it must be to lose a baby, and my thoughts go out to the parents.  But, I have a mixed feelings on all this panic that is starting to spread.

SPCS (U.S. Consumer Product  Safety Commission) has released an official warning and recall on Infantino slings. This, I believe, is the right thing to do as a government agency whose role is to protect us consumers.  I also think, it is important for us to be a responsible consumer and a learnt user of the product we purchase, especially when it concerns the well-being of our children.  Babies drown in bathtubs, but we don't stop bating them. We bathe them carefully.

As for the benefit of baby-wearing, a non-profit organization Babywearing International, along with thousands of years of human history would tell us how great and important it is. This is not a fashion or a fad.  They released their response to the SPCS warning, and it is sound and informative. A quote from the response:

"Slings are wonderful parenting tools when used properly and safely," said Lois Balster, MD, FAAP, IBCLC, a San Mateo, California pediatrician and a member of Babywearing International's board of directors. "Using a sling incorrectly is like using an infant car seat without proper installation, infant positioning, and restraints," Dr. Balster explained. "It is always important to position your baby safely in any carrier or infant-carrying device."

So why pick sling over the vertical carrier that isn't part of this warming?  I chose a sling, because I was told by my physical therapist that the baby's spine is supported in the more natural position in the sling, where the vertical carrier compresses and stresses it.  There are many articles on this, and here is one on nursing baby.com by  Rochelle L. Casses, D.C. (which is Doctor of Chiropractic.)

I am a huge fan of our slings from kangarookorner.  It is stretchy and snug against the wearer's body and the baby, so it is easy to adjust and keep the desired position.  We also have always been careful when we put our baby in it.  We always made sure to have her face out, or position her inside so her airway was straight and breathing. We still hip-carry her 24lb body when she's tired and cranky.  I do believe it has contributed to Kharin's easy-going, friendly, fearlessness - because we are attached.

It is really hard to figure out what the best thing to do is for our babies, and all we can do is our best.

 

thinking of Music Together

We are about to register for the Music Together class for this spring!  Kharin had taken a season of fun, hang out with a lady with a guitar type "class," but she seems bored, or rather, not connected with it.  A child of musicians, she loves music - she sings and dances all the time - yet the class she's been taking doesn't really engage her.  I'm wondering if that is because the approach somehow isn't in sync with her developmental stage. 
So, I would like us to try the Music Together next.  It is an internationally recognized early childhood music program for babies and kids, and it's based on the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum.  It emphasizes and facilitates adult involvement, so I will be there learning with her.
I am super excited about it, and will be blogging about it once the class starts on April 16th!

"Aldonefimish!"

One of Kharin's  new favorite phrases is "aldonefimish!" as in "all done, finished."  which she yells whenever she really means "I don't want this," even when it is about something she hasn't started yet. Like this afternoon, when she said "eat, peeez?" so I took her out of the bed where I was trying to put her to sleep, brought her into the kitchen and started to give her a spoon full of yogurt.  As she saw the spoon coming near her, she yelled "aldonefimish!"  and jumped off my laps, grinning.
She just wanted to get off the bed.  She lied!!  She didn't want food!!  18 months old can lie!!
good thing she's cute.

babyNOIR's first wheel - wishbone bike!

Last Saturday was so warm and beautiful, she went to the Orchard Beach in the Bronx with her first wheel.  We love this wheel!  Wishbone Bike.  She can balance and ride around, and it is just beautiful.  She had a great time on her "bieeekle"  As she grows, we can raise the seat, remove a wheel and make it into a bicycle!  She will be enjoying this wheel for a long time!