What does your baby do while awake?

[Koalamom]

Julius sleeps alot, but when he is awake, he is usually just in my arms just watching what I am doing. I have been trying to read books to him, which he really enjoys and can't take his eyes off them. Today he spent over an hour staring at a wall hanging quilt my grandmother made me. I thought how boring, but it kept him so occupied. I sometimes feel that I should be doing more with him while he is awake, but I am so busy especially with my 2 yr old.
So what does your baby do while awake?

[puddleduck]

River isn't awake very much and tends to be in the sling quite a lot. otherwise she'll be in the bouncy chair getting love from her brothers or hitting her toys with her arms, or sitting on my lap while i read to the boys or on the computer, or i just take her round the house while i do house work. she loves to stare at the curtains. i don't feel i need to do more than smile and cuddle and talk to her and just get on with life.

[Spring Sun]

Amelia is only 6 weeks old. She just finds something to look at and then looks at it for a long time. She is starting to like her stim mobile. She likes to just look at people's faces. I am not worried at all, the simple world around her is so rich with learning and life that I can almost see her brain pathways forming as I look at her

[wombatclay]

Hmmmm.... Tor is staying awake a bit more now, and is more interactive when awake. (he's 7weeks ish)

Sometimes he sits in his bouncer watching the sunbeams and his sibs. Sometimes the girls rattle his rattle for him and pet his head and make silly noises. Sometimes Dh or I play with him, wiggling his toes and patting him (you know... the silly "Where is Tor's arm? I see Tor's arm! Mama is kissaing Tor's arm!" stuff ) or having his stuffed elephant or rattle kiss him/tickle him/dance for him. And of course sometimes he's awake in the moby wrap watching whatever it is I happen to be doing.

I know that as he gets older he'll need more interaction so I'm enjoying this "stare at the wall and laugh" stage!

DD2 has sensory processing disorders and could not be out of my arms for her first year without screaming. And I mean that literally. So I keep feeling like something is "wrong" when Tor happily sits in his chair and waves his arms at the sunbeams for 10-15 minutes at a time. But he's happy!

[sunshynbaby]

Jonah spends a lot of time on the changing table, lol. We try to have tummy time, reading time, and floor playing time, but sometimes that doesn't all happen in a day. DH is with him during the day now, and I think he spends a lot of time holding him and playing with him on the changing table before/after diaper changes (they are so cute together, DH entertaining DS, while DS coos and wiggles). We try to have quiet time after 7PM so he'll sleep, so we mostly hold him if he's awake.

[momoftworedheads]

Jack is usually being held when he's awake. We've tried some tummy time, but so far he's not too crazy about it.

I usually sing to him, talk to him or show him stuff that I'm looking at. When the boys are home, they will talk to him or just want to hold him when he's awake.

That's about it for now.

Enjoy those wee ones!

[Michigan Mama]

Santiago is two months tomorrow, and since I also have a 2 yr old, there's always that constant search for balance. When he's awake, he's usually eating or going potty (we are EC'ing & using cloth). He's doing better and better with tummy time, or even just laying on his back and watching me or brother. He smiles a lot! Especially during daddy's midnight diaper changes.

Occasionally I'll put him in the swing if I need to attend to ds1, but he doesn't stay happy there for long. He also spends a lot of time in my wrap or ring sling when i'm busy cooking, cleaning or whatever.

I took dairy out of my diet and I've found him to be so much more content. It's such a relief! Even though life without dairy is brutal. It's worth it.

[Mamatoabunch]

Finnian is 8 weeks and he mostly still sleeps. Sometimes he sits in the swing, but there is the fear that Eiley will climb in on him. She has done it before. Mostly he is nursing or being held by someone.

[Flower of Bliss]

Lyra is 8 weeks old today. She probably spends more than 20 hours a day on my body - in arms, in sling, or sleeping against me. She sits in a bouncy seat while I shower, use the bathroom, or need my ars for a couple of minutes. I don't have the toys set over her yet, or batteries in it either. I really haven't tried to entertain her much at all. She loves when Daddy holds her and walks with her, but he's mostly home during the evening marathon clusterfeeding time and through the night, so he doesn't get as much time with her as he'd like. She spent about 5 minutes on a blanket on the floor today while I folded diapers - a first. She loves to coo at the framed pictures above our couch. It's black frames with white mats, lots of lines and contrast, so I assume that's why. I pulled out her tiny wooden rattle yesterday for the first time. She likes the sound when DD1 or I rattle it, but she had no interest in holding it. She absolutely loves her big sister, even though I worry that DD1 is being too rough. We've just started playing peekaboo with silks with her this week. I read books to DD1 often, so she's part of that by default. We spend lots of time out and about. I get comments all the time on her bright wide opened eyes just taking everything in. The world is very entertaining right now

[GhostRose]

Nessa is a looker, she loves to observe everything! If she's awake she's either on my lap facing away so she can look around, or in her bouncy chair. She loves watching the tv, so I've been playing the Baby Einstein Mozart for her.

[Coconut Chronicles]

Cavan is 8 weeks old and likes to coo and "talk" alot when he's awake. We read to him a lot and sing to him... when he's awake we just talk to him nonstop. He doesn't spend much time in a sling... he seems to prefer being on his back, tummy or swing.

[Raene]

Cedar is 7 weeks and is still sleeping a LOT but on the few instances that she's awake, she stares at whoever is talking or seeks them out across the room if it's DD playing elsewhere or DH cooking. She only "talks" when she's angry and impatiently waiting to be fed. She does squeak a ton, lol. That's her happy noises I guess. Mostly she just stares at us. She doesn't seem to like music or singing very much (it doesn't calm her down) but she does like to be talked to.

[wombatclay]

She doesn't seem to like music or singing very much (it doesn't calm her down) but she does like to be talked to.

Rowan hated vocal music (she still does for the most part)... some of dh's relatives have perfect pitch and we wonder if she does as well. (perfect pitch isn't always "fun" since vocal music can be seriously grating, according to them)

[Abraisme]

Originally Posted by wombatclay

Rowan hated vocal music (she still does for the most part)... some of dh's relatives have perfect pitch and we wonder if she does as well. (perfect pitch isn't always "fun" since vocal music can be seriously grating, according to them)

Perfect pitch is a learned ability. The reason that whole families have it is because they learned it in their earliest years from the elders..

However, my son also hated my singing, but has a strong interest in music. He used to cover my mouth when I'd sing, so he must have known how awful I sound.

[mi.birthdoula]

well, lets see...
50% sleep
40% cry
10% happy, contented smiling, cooing wonderful baby!

but I still love him so much that I even love the crying because it reminds me that I brought new life into the world again and also because they are only little once and before I know it I'll be doing the mother/son dance at his wedding. (I know a long way off, but I still think about it and it makes me all gooey inside to know I'll get that chance one day!)

[jojojojojo]

He eats.

[Jilian]

Abigail still likes to sleep a lot and she's 2 mos now. When she's awake she usually just looks around. She loves looking at the ceilling fans and curtains and her brothers. She smiles at everything and everyone too. She's been a very content baby so far and that is so refreshing after my last 2! I almost feel guilty for letting her sleep so much. Sometimes I think I should wake her up and play with her, then my rational brain sets in and remembers that it is rarely a good idea to wake a sleeping baby - it never ends well.

[wombatclay]

Total OT (well almost )... there are different "types" of perfect/absolute pitch. Some are learned, others genetic. It's really funky and the wiki page makes for fun reading! DH has perfect "relative" pitch as a learned skill but his cousin has the "absolute" form.

In Ro's case though she also has SPD so that may be another source of her musical "taste". Even now I can't sing to Tor if Ro is in the room... she sticks fingers in her ears and yells! Though she is happy to listen to Dh's metal-core music which is... well... the nicest thing I can say is it's loud.

[Raene]

Originally Posted by mi.birthdoula

40% crying

Have you heard of craniosacral? My DD cried non-stop the first 2 weeks after we brought her home and craniosacral has helped her SO much. She now only cries when she's hungry and we can't heat a bottle fast enough for her liking. I'd highly recommend it.

[ombrooklyn]

Kingsley gets read to and we sing alot of songs. He gets wrapped a lot and loves to study faces. He talks a lot and just started laughing.