all these strong babies... and mine's not!

[judybean]

Oh, you mamas that posted pics of your SWEET babies on the photo threads have me smiling at the journey we've all made now (just over a year ago it all began!)...

anyway... many of you have your babies holding their heads up so well while on their tummies. I know babies progress differently, they'll all get there eventually, etc... but darnit, I would hardly even *know* if Lucy could do that because she Will Not Be Put Down. Seriously (well, except when she's down for a good, long nap .. or at night when she sleeps All Night Long -- thank goodness!).

But if she's awake she must be held. And not only that, but she either has to be eating or be walked around, none of this sitting around in a chair looking cute! No way! There are things to be seen!

I don't know. I guess I just want to see her ... just lay on the floor on a blanket for more than five seconds without wailing. I want her to hold her head up while on her belly, because it's so darn cute when babies do that.

It's really not so bad all the time, because at least I know what she likes (aka, she's never inconsolable... pick her up, walk around or feed her... she'll be a happy camper). But sometimes it's a bummer.

Oh.. and she's quite the serious baby too. She will smile... and when she smiles her whole BODY smiles. But she's often serious. She is most frequently seen furrowing her brow.

Maybe she is an 'old soul' as I've heard it said before. I've had a lot of people tell me that (this after I"ve always thought that she just looks like a little old man that forgot to put his teeth in! ... though I think the only reason I say little old 'man' is simply for her lack of hair ).

I guess it's just a rambling to say some days it's hard to hold her all day long. Oh, I love her to pieces and then some... and I can't say I don't like it when I know that *I* am her comfort. *I* am her calm. *I* am her healing.

phew... motherhood -- the hardest job I've ever had!

[DesireeH]

It's the hardest job I ever had and my kids are pretty easy kids (well as babies......NOW Jevin is a whole other story! LOL) My back is KILLING me from holding her all the time (and she even lets me put her down for a bit......I cant imagine how tired you must be!) Right now DH took her so thats a nice break. LOL.....he got me a Starbucks so I am sitting here sipping a starbucks and it feels like heaven. LOL I think dh is finally getting it.......that seriously I NEVER get time alone unless I stay up until 4 am (which I tend to do....last night I stayed up until 5 am reading a book!). I flipped out on him the other night about how I cant even take a crap alone. LOL

Does she like to watch your other girls play? That gives me a break sometimes cause Daph loves to stare at Jevin......so I'll prop her up on the boppy on the floor by him so she can see and she just watches him run around wild. LOL

[mamanurse]

Livvy hated being put on her tummy for even a few minutes. We slowly built up the time she was able to stand being on her tummy slowly. Some days she would do tummy time in two minute increments 4 or 5 times a day. Don't get discouraged, your baby will "catch up." I bet your babe can do something mine can't do.

[BusyMommy]

Enjoy each and every moment of it. Once your Babies are big & sturdy & independent, you'll miss it all.

[IncaMama]

well, our little Ava was miss crankypants until a few weeks ago. she's finally more interested in life and in smiling. LOL believe me, all of a sudden you will be like "hey...where did my saran wrap child go?" LOL

[amis2girls]

mom of stoic baby here ...

[aisraeltax]

Ethan HATES being on his stomach and as far as being put down and smiling about it, that is very rare. I keep my camera in its case hanging from the bed post so i can get any pix of him lying on his stomach or lying down smiling. most of the time he has the "old man" face and once he sees the camera come out, the smiles all end (other than the few pix i have on my blog).
i have been really pushing tummy time since our ped. told me about her neice who is a speech therapist and new research finds that kiddos that do tummy time develop their vocal cords better, yada yada yada. the ped. was looking to ME for advice for her neice b/c her dd hated tummy time! well, mine prob. hates it even more!
as far as holding, i have to hold him all day long. i even have to nap with him or he will take 15 minute namps and never get a really long one. he does NOT like being put down. ill ask dh to "watch him" while i go do laundry, etc. and he puts him on the bed on his boppy and sticks his nose in the TV. most of the time i just take Ethan with me b/c that is a recipe for disaster..give him a good 3 minutes and he will be crying about that situation.
i have been looking for one of those bumpo (?) seats to see if he likes it.
he does like his swings for 5 minutes max.
good luck and remember that this is making your arms very strong!

[perditafoster]

DD #1: stoic baby, I had to turn cartwheels to get a half-smile out of her. DD #2: smiles constantly and giggles uproariously at the littlest thing!

[mariposita]

you know judy, i was going to post the exact same thing after seeing all those pictures. i totally relate. reed will not let me put him down whatsoever. not for naps, not at night. i'm wondering if he'll be slower to learn some skills because of it. he's just not getting practice. so obviously i have no answers for you, but know that you are not alone with the clingy baby.

[atozmama]

Do you wear Lucy? i just recenly found out that wearing a baby tummy to tummy is the same as having tummy time on the floor. The the book The BabywearerI found that out the day after I was at my sisters and heard again and again that he needs tummy time. Also think of all these third world countries where they do not have peds and all telling them to do tummy time and they wear thier baby all the time. The babies do just fine and devlop just fine.

I also agree motherhood is the toughest job I have ever had, also the best.

[anonymous4_20]

Can you maybe do some tummy time on your lap when you're done nursing? Stuart hated his tummy time until recently. We noticed that he didn't mind it so much when he was being held. He likes to do tummy time on the recliner on my stomach. He can roll from my stomach to my lap and gravity helps him out so it's easier for him, but he still gets his muscles moving toward rolling over. I also found that he enjoys it more on the floor if my DH or I lie down on his level and make eye contact with him.

He was very clingy until recently. Now he will stay in his gym or his bouncer for about 20 minutes at a time and it's heavenly! I thought he'd never improve. So there's hope.

[judybean]

thank you, thank you, ladies, for all your support (all the time! sometimes I feel like all I do is whine here!)!

Yes, I do wear Lucy around a lot. We go on walks when the weather is nice enough (which, it's hit or miss, here in WY in the spring!), and on long walks I'll put her in the mei tai, but if it's a short distance, or for the grocery store, around the house, to church, etc, I'll put her in the ring sling.

Originally Posted by atozmama

Also think of all these third world countries where they do not have peds and all telling them to do tummy time and they wear thier baby all the time. The babies do just fine and devlop just fine.

gosh... I really should know this... or even apply the 'pioneer test' as I remember another ddc mama calling it before. I really do *know* that she'll be fine... at least somewhere I know it. I guess some days it's just harder. And maybe it would be a nice excuse to put her down?! Except she'd start crying right away and I would never leave her upset like that.

So glad that others have babies that are clingy as well. It's just always nice to hear that your babies are the same, but they're doing just fine.

[LittleLlama]

All of the shots I have of DS on his tummy and smiling are totally staged. The only way he's happy on his tummy is if he's got his cow to look at. The only reason he knows he likes the cow is because it was introduced to him while I was holding him. He's like my second set of (not quite useful yet) arms and legs

[Taedareth]

Originally Posted by judybean

gosh... I really should know this... or even apply the 'pioneer test' as I remember another ddc mama calling it before.

HAHAHA.... Turtlemum, that was us! Yeah! We're quote-worthy!

[judybean]

yes! completely quotable

(and... quite smart as well!)

[allnaturalmama]

Both my sons were very advanced infants, practically holding their heads steady from the day they were born, and way ahead on all the other milestones, too.

DD, OTOH, didn't seem to care that there were any milestones to be met. She didn't even think about trying to walk until after 14 mos. Now that she is almost 3? She's the most athletic kid in the family! Her gym teachers rave about how strong and coordinated she is at her age.

My point (beside bragging about my kids--teehee)? Don't get discouraged. Lucy will have her own unique talents and abilities. Comparing babies, either with their siblings or with others' babes, is one of the most discouraging wastes of time we mamas get snagged by. And even though I'm preaching this here, I'm still guilty of doing it myself. It's just so hard not to compare, but we'll be much happier mamas if we can make ourselves quit it.