Those quirky newborns...

[SaoirseC]

So, those of you with really young babes, what quirky behaviors have you noticed the babe developing? Are there any physical or behavioral characteristics that seem unique that you want to share? (and how old is your babe?)


My LO is 2 weeks and 2 days old. One of the quirky things he does that just baffles me is that, in the morning (usually starting somewhere between 6 and 7) he starts grunting. It's not a poop-type grunt, it's just grunting, and some mornings he continues for over an hour! He's not really awake, has no interest in nursing. Changing his diaper, level of covering, position, etc. has absolutely no impact on the grunting! I'm baffled, but he seems fine.

Not really unique, but he has begun to turn his head to look at someone while they're talking. And his hand coordination is improving considerably- he rarely hits himself in the face anymore, and is actually "helping" a bit with his hand when we latch on.

As far as the physical goes, he has a prominent nose and very wide cheeks. He also has little tufts of long, soft hair in funny places, like on the tips of his ears and right above his shoulder blades.

Anyone else?

[Norasmomma]

My son was a grunty newborn, he grunted all.night.long. from the day he was born. Most of the time it was just noise he was making, I think it's a boy thing, my DD never sounded like that.....she was coo-ey.

[SaoirseC]

Interesting. I never heard about constant grunting until mine started doing it, I don't think my first son was much of a grunter.

[Fly Girl]

When DD1 was a newborn she developed a habit of putting her thumb inside my shirt and when putting her thumb up to her nose while she was nursing. It was so cute! Now at 19 months, she is no longer nursing, but she puts her thumb inside her own shirt and up to her nose when she has her paci and she's going to bed. It's a comfort thing to her and has been since she was brand new.

[1blueheron]

she doesn't do it any more, but when DD was wee she'd purse her mouth SUPER TIGHT when she was trying to poo. So funny. I guess she eventually figured out that wasn't how it worked. sigh, I miss that face.

[marinak1977]

DS is almost 5 months and for a while now he's been doing these earnest little grunts when he's pooping over the potty - look mom, I'm trying super hard. He also flashes red like a scared octopus.
Recently he started flapping his right arm while nursing if he isn't sleepy. It's a really random looking behavior. But he also grabs the boob with both hands now and tries to bring it to his mouth and rarely misses the nipple (yay - no more hickies!)

[SaoirseC]

oh, i love these!

[tammylsmith]

My 7 week old ds is a fierce nurser. He gets this majorly intense look of focus and grabs onto the boob with both fists tightly. He also "speaks" and we can have conversations... as long as they are about nursing!

He looks at me intensly and makes a "num num num" face with his mouth and tongue

I look back inquisitively and do the same mouth motion, with a facial expression as though I'm asking a question

He repeats the motion again.

So cute!!

My dh tries that face too but it doesn't work

[jsh7809]

Mine was super grunty starting around 2 weeks too! I would try to feed her everytime she made a peep, whoops
Now she still starts grunting a lot for a good portion of the early morning sleeping hours, but it's definitely poop related. Once she finally wakes up for real and poops she goes back to sleep with no more grunting. Very weird.
Other than that, she was chewing-on-hands obsessed from the very first day she was born. I have no idea how she found her hands so often but she would shove her whole fist in her mouth. One of the nurses in the hospital thought she wasn't getting enough to eat and made me prove that I could express colostrum - I was like, no, she just loves those hands!
It's funny cause I definitely "recognized" the sensation from when she was in utero, of her chomping on her hands

[Just1More]

Originally Posted by marinak1977

DS is almost 5 months and for a while now he's been doing these earnest little grunts when he's pooping over the potty - look mom, I'm trying super hard. He also flashes red like a scared octopus.
Recently he started flapping his right arm while nursing if he isn't sleepy. It's a really random looking behavior. But he also grabs the boob with both hands now and tries to bring it to his mouth and rarely misses the nipple (yay - no more hickies!)

Mine always started the arm-flapping thing or other various wiggly movements to keep themselves awake. Cute...but sometimes painful and frustrating. Dd used to start flapping her arms in her sleep when she was trying to wake up. I knew if her arms started going, there was no hope of sleeping any later...

[marinak1977]

Originally Posted by Just1More

Mine always started the arm-flapping thing or other various wiggly movements to keep themselves awake. Cute...but sometimes painful and frustrating. Dd used to start flapping her arms in her sleep when she was trying to wake up. I knew if her arms started going, there was no hope of sleeping any later...

That makes sense - it could be that the flapping is a way to counteract milk-coma. So far it's not painful usually (although he whacked me on the nose a few times) just cute and weird.

[ann_of_loxley]

He does this weird breathing thing when he is hungry or tired.
Its hard to describe. It kinda sounds like he has a flappy valve in there or something. Its a cross between a fast suck in breath and the hiccups - but not as hiccupy. lol

Oh - and when he feeds...if I don't have him swaddled up...He also puts an arm up over his face. He looks super chilled and relaxed when he does that - like 'leave me alone, im relaxing and trying to sleep...got me a boob and I am one happy baby!' lol

[1blueheron]

Originally Posted by jsh7809

It's funny cause I definitely "recognized" the sensation from when she was in utero, of her chomping on her hands

Ooh, I remember the amazing familiarity of her first movements in arms - kind of a sweet surprise to recognize her from Before.