So tell me about your baby...

[judybean]

... Is your baby a chill, mellow baby? A bit more high-needs? Does your baby desire to be held at every moment or does he/she like some on-the-floor-or-other-surface-time too? Is your baby full of smiles and ready to dish them out at every turn... or does your baby seem very studious, taking in life around him/her?

I just love that even tiny babies have personalities and character traits that reveal themselves so early

Tell me about your baby!

[gcgirl]

I am shocked that DS2 is a MELLOWER baby than DS1. I totally was not expecting that. I thought DS1 was mellow, but this new guy has me rethinking that.

DS1 wanted to be held a lot more - I couldn't put him down because he would KNOW and wake up. He wasn't as good a nurser, though I thought he was at the time, having nothing else to compare it to. He also went straight from waking to crying. DS2 is a champion nurser, is totally cool with being put down for naps (for 2-3 hours sometimes!) and is usually pretty chill when he wakes up; he doesn't start crying for boobs until he's chewed on his hand awhile.

All in all, I have a couple of very cool little boys.

[Juvysen]

Avery's pretty laid back, for the most part, but when he wants the boob, he wants it NOW! He does sometimes prefer to lie on the floor and he fusses before he has to pee. He looooves when his brother and sister come over to talk to him!

[judybean]

Fascinating I just love hearing about all the different personalities of babies!

Hazel... hm... I wouldn't say she's a completely mellow baby, but she's pretty content overall. She likes her boobie milk and when she wants it.. well.. she wanted it five minutes ago!! (or at least she can wail like it ). She loves her sisters! She loves when the talk with her or hold her (and yes, having extra hands is SOOOO nice! I can say, "Hey Madeline, can you hold Hazel for just a minute while I run down and throw in some laundry?" And both with be happy with it!).

Her sleeping at night is more than I could ask for. I mean, I really have nothing to complain about. She *is* a baby, so she *does* wake up sometimes, but with side-lying nursing, I hardly notice... and then during the daytime I'd say she's almost starting to get somewhat of a routine going (always, always subject to change at a whimsy, but she seems to generally take big naps around the same times). She loves being in the faux-Moby (homemade hemp jersey wrap) for walks -- it puts her right to sleep every time! She's happy to be in the ring sling for a bit for a trip to the grocery store -- but she likes to keep moving ... Sometimes I see parents who carry their babies in the store in the bucket carseats and I can't blame them when it's cold and such.. but there's no way Hazel would go for that. She travels in the car seat FABULOUSLY.. but to just be carried in it? No way!

She is really finding her voice lately and her coos/talking are the cutest thing EVER!!! She will engage in lengthy 'conversations' and I could almost weep from their sheer beauty! I mean really, the sound of a tiny baby 'talking' is heart-melting.

Oh, and she loves to lay naked! And take baths with me or be in the shower with me!

I'm loving finding out more about her each and every day!

[Plummeting]

There are newborns that are happy to be put down? Man, I wish I could come across one of those some time. Mine are apparently of the other variety. DD2, like DD1, requires almost constant holding. She's in my sutemi right now. You can essentially only put her down when you're right there with her, and even then her tolerance is very low. She will sleep on her own in the pack 'n' play for an hour or two (once three!!!) in the morning...sometimes. Other than that, we're always holding her.

She's pretty mellow. She's had a few fussy evenings here and there, but overall not a big crier at all. She prefers being worn to sleep, which is weird for me, since DD1 was all about nursing. DD2 seems to prefer other methods for both falling asleep and being calmed.

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by Plummeting

There are newborns that are happy to be put down? Man, I wish I could come across one of those some time. Mine are apparently of the other variety. DD2, like DD1, requires almost constant holding. She's in my sutemi right now. You can essentially only put her down when you're right there with her, and even then her tolerance is very low. She will sleep on her own in the pack 'n' play for an hour or two (once three!!!) in the morning...sometimes. Other than that, we're always holding her.

She's pretty mellow. She's had a few fussy evenings here and there, but overall not a big crier at all. She prefers being worn to sleep, which is weird for me, since DD1 was all about nursing. DD2 seems to prefer other methods for both falling asleep and being calmed.

Don't get me wrong- he doesn't do it a LOT or anything... and usually it's only for like 20 minutes, but sometimes he fusses and there's nothing apparently wrong but he just wants to hang out on the floor Ds1 was the same way which was *shocking* to me because Dd never really was like that and I sort of assumed that any baby that didn't want to be constantly held was trained into it... believed that until Ds1 was born, anyway... and he didn't even do nearly as much hanging out on the floor as Ds2 does, but it's still not a LOT or anything. Generally it is enough for me to run down and throw in a load of laundry, at least, though which is cool

[MiaMama]

I was a thumb sucker, so I expected DD1 to do it too, especially siince we never gave her a paci... She never did.

Ziva (DD2, 3.5 wks old) is trying her best, but that darn hand just won't obey her yet. LOL. She loves looking out the window and turns her head to see. She smiles at me and her sister. She prefers to lie on her belly when I do set her down. I took her in the shower tonight (not sure why, but I don't like baths for babies, I just take em in the shower) and she turned her face towards the water repeatedly and licked drops that ran down her face. She waved her arms in the stream, and was totally content to play in the water. She had been screaming moments before. She didn't seem to mind water in her face in the slightest, and I bet she will swim like her sister, who was perfectly happy swimming underwater by the time she turned 2.

DD1 fussed sometimes, cried somtimes, but Ziva only has two volume options: happy and quiet, or screaming. Shortly after her birth, she was hollering in my lap, and my mom (who was on the phone with me) thought it was my 3yo! Since she doesn't yell often, I actually like it. She seems so strong to me, especially compared to DD1, who had problems when she was born.

[Juvysen]

Avery just smiled at my boob ... no smiles for the rest of us, yet, tho. Clear what's important to my little chunkamunk

[PotreroHill]

Leo wants to be held all the time. I love cuddling him He smiles and laughs in his sleep and it melts my heart. He hasn't smiled at me when he's awake yet. Leo looks very serious when he has his eyes open. He definitely studies the world around him and is taking it all in. He loves looking at mini blinds, lol. It must be the contrast between dark and light on the blinds.

Leo was only 5 1/2lbs when he was born, but he's very strong. He's always had good head control and yesterday he rolled over from front to back

[Plummeting]

Originally Posted by Juvysen

Don't get me wrong- he doesn't do it a LOT or anything... and usually it's only for like 20 minutes, but sometimes he fusses and there's nothing apparently wrong but he just wants to hang out on the floor Ds1 was the same way which was *shocking* to me because Dd never really was like that and I sort of assumed that any baby that didn't want to be constantly held was trained into it... believed that until Ds1 was born, anyway... and he didn't even do nearly as much hanging out on the floor as Ds2 does, but it's still not a LOT or anything. Generally it is enough for me to run down and throw in a load of laundry, at least, though which is cool

That's soooo nice! Just to be clear, while I was being facetious, I didn't mean to be meanly sarcastic or suggest that no babies ever want to be put down. I just meant that I haven't managed to birth one out of my two. Maybe I should keep trying. (I was afraid it came off the wrong way.)

Maya had another fussy time for an hour or so tonight. Those are really hard for me, because DD1 NEVER fussed like that. I mean, never. She was high needs in that she required constant holding and nursed non-stop, but she didn't fuss as long as you did those things - unless she was sick, of course. Maya has had fussy periods in the evenings maybe 6 times now. All DD1 did in the evenings was cluster nurse, and whenever she was fussy about something, popping a boob in her mouth was always the answer. This baby doesn't seem to comfort nurse and has fussy times. I know it's silly, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong - like I'm supposed to know exactly what it is and FIX it. Which of course is silly. Babies fuss. She doesn't scream or get hysterical - she just cries a bit here and there for an hour. I think I'm talking to make myself feel better now. lol I'll stop.

[Plummeting]

Originally Posted by Juvysen

Avery just smiled at my boob ... no smiles for the rest of us, yet, tho. Clear what's important to my little chunkamunk

I can't wait for the itty bitty toddler stage where they start bringing you random things to nurse. I've been asked to nurse toy dinosaurs, stuffed animals and a book. LOVE IT! Can't wait to see what this baby wants me to nurse.

[Deir]

Originally Posted by Plummeting

There are newborns that are happy to be put down? Man, I wish I could come across one of those some time. Mine are apparently of the other variety. DD2, like DD1, requires almost constant holding. She's in my sutemi right now. You can essentially only put her down when you're right there with her, and even then her tolerance is very low. She will sleep on her own in the pack 'n' play for an hour or two (once three!!!) in the morning...sometimes. Other than that, we're always holding her.

She's pretty mellow. She's had a few fussy evenings here and there, but overall not a big crier at all. She prefers being worn to sleep, which is weird for me, since DD1 was all about nursing. DD2 seems to prefer other methods for both falling asleep and being calmed.

I thought Nora was pretty calm but she has never slept on her own for more than an hour and that is at night with dh (he's the baby whisperer) putting her down in the papasan chair. Yesterday I was rejoicing because she slept for 20 minutes or so while i drank some tea, did launry and basically 50 other things! LOL

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by Plummeting

That's soooo nice! Just to be clear, while I was being facetious, I didn't mean to be meanly sarcastic or suggest that no babies ever want to be put down. I just meant that I haven't managed to birth one out of my two. Maybe I should keep trying. (I was afraid it came off the wrong way.)

Oh, no, not the wrong way at all! I can totally understand that feeling, because DD was like that!

I vote keep trying

[Right of Passage]

I don't know! Babies are so stinking easy in general. I would be lost without my carriers, well not lost but overwhelmed and probably would cry most of the day.

Bram is sweet, curious, smart, laid-back, serious. He's not very smilely but in his sleep something tickles him, occasionally he'll slip me a smile that no one else gets to see. He loves to cuddle, he loves mama, he's patient with his big brothers' impatience.

He's not much of a cryer but he's very communicative. He's content to lay around and check things out. We actually call him our baby "insectasorus" from Monsters vs Aliens because insectasorus is drawn to light so is Bram he will do everything he can to look at a light bulb, window, or any other source of light.

He doesn't fuss much, he squirms. There's so much to say about him, he's very unique. Our family was missing a piece of the puzzle without him.

[catchthewind]

Originally Posted by Juvysen

Don't get me wrong- he doesn't do it a LOT or anything... and usually it's only for like 20 minutes, but sometimes he fusses and there's nothing apparently wrong but he just wants to hang out on the floor Ds1 was the same way which was *shocking* to me because Dd never really was like that and I sort of assumed that any baby that didn't want to be constantly held was trained into it... believed that until Ds1 was born, anyway... and he didn't even do nearly as much hanging out on the floor as Ds2 does, but it's still not a LOT or anything. Generally it is enough for me to run down and throw in a load of laundry, at least, though which is cool

I could have written both your posts, only about my DDs. Right down to believing babies who could be put down were trained into it prior to DD2. DD1 didn't nap out of arms or the mei tei until she was over a year old. I haven't actually tried to put DD2 down for naps, but she's okay to hang out on the floor for 10 minutes while I change in the morning or do laundry. We were given a bouncy chair as a gift after DD1 and she would rarely go in it happily. Funny enough, DD2 prefers to just be et on the floor or the couch rather than the bouncy chair too. Which is fine with me, I would rather have them in the carriers than put them down anyway.

I considered DD1 more high needs, though I actually found her fairly easy and mellow as long as those needs were met. She didn't like to be put down, wanted to nurse the second she woke up, etc. DD2 will hang out after she wakes up, sit on the potty, chew her fingers, make faces at DH, etc. I've actually already gone out for a quick (like 20 minute) shopping trip, which I wouldn't have done with DD1 at this age. But with DD2, if I leave her with DH while she's sleeping, he could call me when she wakes up and I'd be home before she got fussy for me. She has been fussy in the evenings, but only for a relatively short time then she'll settle. One other big difference though, is that DD1 cried more, but had a fairly qiet cry. DD2 doesn't cry as much, but when she does she sure sounds angry!

[Chryseis]

So far Maggie is a pretty mellow baby. She adores hanging out in her sling, and will sleep there for hours, which makes trips to the park/mall/store so wonderful. I actually get a lot of time to interact with her brother and sister when we go out, as well as snuggle with her. I've found that she also loves to lay on a blanket on the floor (or in the grass at the park) and look around. She spends a good chunk of the early morning eating (she's hungry after two 4-hour sleep stretches), but after that she sleeps quite a bit. She's very alert and active and happy in the afternoons. She does have a rough patch in the evenings, where she really wants/needs to be held and fed. She does a bit of crying (not a lot--just enough to let us know that she's just not entirely happy) during this time, too.