I'm not as interesting as the ceiling fan

[Catubodua]

when i was first feeding my little guy he would always look up at me and started looking in to my eyes while he ate.

lately (he's now 9 weeks old) the ceiling fan is much more interesting than my face and eyes.

i know it's normal that they start looking around and checking out their surroundings, but it still makes me a bit sad!

[RiverandJulie]

I have to laugh, ceiling fan is my little guys favorite thing too! He also loves one particular tapestry on our wall. The good news is, a week or so after the fan became a hit, we got smiles and laughs with and at us.

[blumooned]

Awwww . . . that means he's secure enough knowing you're there that he can start to take in the rest of the world! I know you'd probably rather gaze into his eyes, though!

Soon enough, you'll be the center of his attention again. He'll be patting, hitting, & pinching you while sticking his fingers in your eyes, mouth, & nose. That's what my guy's been doing for the last couple months!

[bender]

My husband is bummed that he's 4th on the list of things loved. The hierarchy goes:
1. mama
2. cabinet with hinged handles that he can flap
3. electronic thermostat
4. papa

[Alisse]

Don't be sad! He'll develop separation & stranger anxiety in a few months and then you'll wish you could divert his attention elsewhere!

[Catubodua]

Originally Posted by Alisse

Don't be sad! He'll develop separation & stranger anxiety in a few months and then you'll wish you could divert his attention elsewhere!

this is a good thing to keep in mind!

and, i also have to keep in mind that we have fabulous conversations after he's eaten and while he's getting changed. the smiles and "answers" when you make noises at him are a blast.

bender - my DH is actually 5th on Andrew's list -

me
ceiling fan
balloon tied to his bouncy chair
our dog
daddy

[staceychev]

I don't know what it is with babies and ceiling fans... they all love them!

[JustSimplicity]

DS is 8 weeks and our list looks like:

1. The chinese lanterns hanging in his room above the changing table
2. All curtains (even the plain brown ones in our room)
3. All lights
4. Papa
5. The visualizer in iTunes on my computer
6. Mama

At least he has smiled at me now even though he's been smiling at and talking to the chinese lanterns for 2 weeks.

[nola79]

Mine loves the vents in the ceiling. Just smiles and talks to them. I think it's funny.

[marinak1977]

At 3 months our list is

mama
"holy cow" (a cow toy hanging off his carseat handle) - named for "Holy cow, we have a baby!!"
monkeys on his bouncy chair
himself in the mirror
papa

Starting at about 3 weeks and for about a month it was bright lights so he would just stare past me at the lamp all the time but now the faces are much more interesting to him. If I make faces at him while he is suckling he gets distracted and starts smiling - very cute!

[whamuel]

Is it better to take away the beloved ceiling fan and just get a programmable thermostat, or let the child enjoy his or her toy?

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by staceychev

I don't know what it is with babies and ceiling fans... they all love them!

The ceiling fan was DS's best friend for MONTHS. And then it was his toy zebra.

Isn't it 9 weeks or so they really start to develop the ability to see more than a few feet in front of them?

[mt_gooseberry]

My DD has stared at the lights so much that I worry she'll ruin her eyesight! Other favorites: the TV (ooh, is that bad too?), any kind of animal, and framed pictures on the wall. And at 5 months, she now pulls off the breast at any distraction, real or imagined. I am DEFINITELY no longer interesting!

[Kmama2]

The ceiling fan is what made my dd laugh for the first time. I got it on video!!!
But my 9 month old son still will unlatch and stare at the ceiling fan for a few seconds!! He has been doing it since he was really little. Those things are so darn fasinating to babies.

[lovepiggie]

Babies love ceiling fans!

DS knows 3 baby signs..."Milk", "Change my diaper", and... "ceiling fan"!. If we're in a room without one, he looks up and will do the sign until we bring him to the fan!

[Ellien C]

Originally Posted by staceychev

I don't know what it is with babies and ceiling fans... they all love them!

My 7 yo daughter calls it "his girlfriend, the fan" with respect to the 16 week old! It's kind of cathy - oh, you're looking at your girlfriend, the fan, are you?

[Jaesun's Dad]

We don't have a ceiling fan so our poor son had to make do with the lamp in the corner. Now he's discovered the trees outside the window. He'll also "watch" TV even if it's off. "Reflections of the room is on again? Yeah that's my favorite show too" I tell him.

He loves to look around at the wonderful world around him, but he still has eyes for mom and dad :-)

[akat]

I don't remember where, but a long time ago I read a story about a mom who longed for the day when her daughter would gaze into her eyes while nursing and really 'bond' with her. Finally when she was about 3 yrs old, it happened. Then the daughter unlatched and said Mommy, I can see the tv in your glasses!

[simplyla]

not at me!

My dd (13wks) has never really looked at me while nursing. I didn't think anything of it til the 8 week check-up when DH said something about how dd had become more interested in looking at far-off things, and the midwife said something like "she only wants to look at Mommy while nursing". I thought, "wait, she doesn't look at me then, either!"

I don't feel too bad though... until recently (and now she can hardly nurse for wanting to look at every object, shadow, or invisible object, it seems!), she always nursed with her eyes closed, and it kind of seemed like "yeah, this stuff is goooood!" And she smiles at me as soon as she sees the boob coming, and again as soon as she's done.

[AndtheStars]

DS (11 mo) has never looked at me while nursing. He looks at the parts of me that he would like to pinch, poke, and slap. Nursing for him means, concentrate really hard on sucking, enjoy let-down, pinch/poke mama while waiting for next let-down, if the next let-down doesn't come in a timely fashion, squirm (preferably with nipple still in the mouth) to be put down. And when he was tiny, nursing was a dance of 20 different positions while DS altenated between sleeping and fussing. Sigh. Maybe if we have another one, they will want to nurse nicely.