How much is too much baby TV time?

If I read another article about how television damages our children's way of thinking, I am literally going to scream. I mean, there is nothing wrong with watching an educational video with your grand child. Or am I wrong? True, sitting your grand child in front of the TV so you can get the house done or chat with your friends online isn't what this is about. Sure they want a bit of a break so they can do some personal things. Ok..ok this is what this article is about. I've read up on a few subjects and I think I have found an alternative way to appease both the parent and the child. I realize every generation after generation says the same thing: the younger generation is in a world of trouble. Yes. This is true as well. But as we help our children raise their children (in my case, they both live with me), I have to think like both a 'grand parent' and a 'parent' when Victoria is in my care. While my daughter is trying to spend quality time with her daughter before she goes to work or attends a class in college, I have to keep her mind occupied during my time with her. I understand she is now 5 months old. Wow! Another month she will be half a year old! (But I digress.) I wish I had learn to do this when my daughter was her age. As many grandparents often do, I could kick myself in the seat of my pants when I think of all the things I feel like I 'robbed' my child when she was young. Thank (enter your deity here) I have been given the opportunity to rectify it through Victoria. I am not saying I was a neglectful mother. I was young and youthfulness isn't always a good thing. My sister who teaches children before they start kindergarten (to prepare them for that big milestone) told me before Victoria was born that their brains are evolving on a daily basis. That is kind of a 'no-brainer'. In so many words, I believe the great Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You learn something new everyday”. But how can she learn something new if I don't help initiate her learning process? Stick her in front of a television? That definitely won't do. If I did that, I would be robbing another generation in my family of critical thinking and I don't think that is fair. Not fair to my

daughter, my grand daughter and to the world. Schedules and routines are two different things I have found. A sleep schedule or an eating schedule is what Victoria follows (although it is very hard to follow when she is teething.) Routines are wonderful. They aren't 'time-pressing' and easy to follow. I have a routine set up for her as soon as her mother leaves for work that doesn't involve the television. I don't want to fall into that trap which I rely on the television screen to occupy her time. I want her to imagine, explore and ponder. Yes. I realize that she is still 5 months...True eventually she will become engaged in her saturday morning cartoons or watch YouTube videos (under strict guidance) but I want to prolong this as long as I can. There is nothing wrong with playing with puzzles or reading a book. Giving them the initiative to use hand-and-eye coordination opens up a lot of new avenues. Self-disciple is paramount in anyone's life and showing them early will help with their future. They also can become re-programmed to eventually become good listeners, learners, strengthen their fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, become more creative and help them find a way to have self-worth with a better sense of self. As a grandparent, giving presents is what we live for, is it not? Giving the gift of 'focusing', 'creative thought' and cultivating it through the years is a present that is sure to develop self-assurance. http://www.janetlansbury.com/2010/07/a-creative-alternative-to-baby-tv-time/

Coexisting with a baby and a kitty cat

Want to harness physical, social, emotional and cognitive development from your child? It can all be found by encouraging interaction with the family pet. It doesn't matter if it is a dog, cat, horse or goldfish, the main ingredient is a sense of companionship that is offered by animals. Having a pet is sometimes what everyone had as a child as they get interaction with warm fuzzy entertainment given by the animal. My 'pet of choice' was always a feline. As long as I can remember, I have always had a cat by my side. In bad times and good, my feline friends were always there for me when I felt like I was alone. We have a feline, as you know. His name is Shaddow. I have always loved all my cats in my past. But this cat has a very special place in my heart. I originally adopted/rescued him from the local Humane society in Palm Beach county along with my mother and daughter down in South Florida. Shaddow was originally rescued for my daughter but chose me as his favorite. We got him at six months although by the looks of body which dealt with malnutrition, he looked four months old. By the time he was nine months old, he had already learned how to fetch. We had taught him with cloth kitty toy balls as we threw them up the stairs, he would catch them and bring them downstairs to us. Now he is just a Tomcat, and old man. He has had his day. During the 6 of the 9 months, we made sure that we left blankets out for Shaddow to smell. Now, Victoria's scent wasn't on the items at this time but the smell of baby items were around so he would get used to knowing that our scents were different than the scent that was on the items. I wasn't expecting him to rub his face on these items but to understand that something or someone is arriving soon and to understand that our family is expanding, not excluding him. I really want him to learn this. While my daughter would work on the computer working on her college classes, she would invite Shaddow to sleep next to her. Her touch and scent obviously comforted him because he would sit by her constantly. Seeing them both sit on the couch made me think back to when she was a little girl and he was a kitten. My daughter played violin and cello. She went to a performing arts school during that time. Every time..and I mean every time she practiced her craft, Shaddow would come running from any place in the house just to sit in her empty case to sit and listen to her play. There are times when he would meow with the music as she ran the strings with the bow. We have wonderful memories with this feline. Finally the day to return home with our new bundle of joy, Shaddow was hanging around the house (probably sleeping in his

makeshift bed I prepared for him in my bedroom closet). After the family and friends have left us alone with our little entity, Shaddow came out of his secluded lair and came up to sniff Victoria's foot. Then he walked away uninterested. And that is what we wanted to happen. Still, even now the bedroom room is closed during sleep, including naps. Because even though we love him with all our hearts, he is still a feline. On a positive note, Shaddow is going to give her so many responsibilities. True, I did rescue Shaddow for my daughter to learn responsibilities but that was a moot point. Shaddow decided that I am going to be his alpha female or maybe he just views me as another cat. Whatever the case, he is going to do his part to help her grow. Emotionally, physically and mentally he will be there. All she has to do is grow.

Victoria and her 3 month, 4 week milestones

Lately, we have been experiencing milestones with Victoria. She can now sit in her bouncer and reach for the dangling toys on the patted overhead bar. Well...a little bit. She actually grazes them with her left hand. As a grandmother, I think that is the best thing since sliced bread. Lol But what is even better is when she holds up her hands for me to pick her up. Its not a whole-hearted hands-out stretching-the-arms-out but its close. I see it. While it warms my heart so much, I wish she would hold her hands up to her mother who is always working. So. I mentioned that Victoria is going through a few milestones during her 3rd month of life. We want to believe she is teething. She shows all the signs except refusing food. (She is a member of this family; she never refuses food). Its hard to imagine all of the saliva that comes out of her mouth on a daily basis and then some. There is never a moment when she has a drop of saliva dangling from her bottom lip which, to me, signifies a baby. If we aren't careful and forget to put on a bib, you would find a big wet spot of drool on her shirt. Once we discovered a chaffed red ring around her neck from all the drool. A good friend of ours suggested baby powder but we found out that baby powder brings more bacteria to the 'fatty folds' and 'extra chins' that Victoria has gained over the 3 months of life. Mommy learned that using Desitin or some other form of diaper rash cream will do the job. She is also very fussy and bites on everything she can put in her mouth. Mommy decided to get a gallon storage bag and insert all of Victoria's teething rings 'just in case' and promptly put them in the freezer. We will never know if this is the reason of her little 'actions' but just in case, we keep this on the table. Victoria still does not like 'Tummy Time'. I've heard that most babies have a problem with this. When we place her on her stomach, she fusses. I shouldn't let this concern me. I've heard that some babies favor either side of their bodies and mostly use that side to view their surroundings. Victoria seems to favor her left side. Like I said before in the paragraph above, she uses her left hand to touch the dangling toys above her in her bouncer. I can tell when she is exhausted while playing or

watching “Baby Einstein” videos because she looks to the left. I Victoria Renee 6-30-14am assuming the left side of her neck muscles are tighter than her right. We have been helping her move her head to look straight, eventually looking right. This is a concern I hope her mother talks to the doctor about. She has her four month appointment in a few days to get her next series of her immunizations. So this means we are going to have to wait to see her roll over...maybe....because she could surprise us. She already does 'mini-scoots' and likes to see her surroundings in ways she couldn't before. As I mentioned before, her mother goes to work. I feel my daughter (and most working mother's) feel cheated because Victoria does pay attention to me more than her own mother. This is why I have to step back and let her mother care for her during the times when she is off of work allowing my daughter to bond with her mother. http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-3-month-olds-development-week-4_1477212.bc

One month old and her instructions are clearer!!!

Ok. Ok. By now you know how excited I am about this little bundle of joy. What you don't know is all the things she has had to deal with through this whole month. If you can remember, she had to deal with constipation in (what is my opinion) the worst way. She was rushed to Children's Hospital in Knoxville only to get her first x-ray showing that she was engorged. After an enema and five diapers later, she was good to go home. Her mother then made an appointment with her doctor and had been instructed to use oatmeal cereal (1 tsp per 1 ounce) and that should help with the constipation. It did help...until the following week when we had the next problem...gas! Newborns come home to parents that wish these babies came with instructions. Sometimes even the grandparents are at a loss to what the newborn is actually crying about. Just like everyone else in the free world, we have all the information we will ever need at our fingertips. Google, Bing, Yahoo....the list does go on. Poor baby had been dealing with acid reflux! I did notice when she refusing her pacifier after a certain amount of time. It probably had acid from her tummy on it. Again, her mother made an appointment to her pediatrician to rectify this problem. She was given liquid Zantac. Zantac! For a baby? I've never heard of anything like that but I do hear that it does work and has been prescribed to a lot of babies dealing with this problem. I didn't have this problem when my daughter was an infant so again, this was all new to me. Now that we are at the 'month' mark of her little life so far, she seems so much healthier and happier. She does sleep a lot (especially throughout the night) with one feeding at 5 A.M. Maybe her 'instructions' are a bit easier for us to read. After all, every baby is different and a new individual. But then again, I heard newborns can get cranky if they need more sleep. I suppose she isn't ready to stay awake most of the day. This is the main reason we acquired a swing.

I've heard that swings can help with tired babies to rock them. And a little fact that I, myself have learned about Victoria. She likes music. Yes..she is put in her swing and rocks back and forth. She should be good, right? No. She calms down once the music is playing. After eating, I sit her in her lounger (I call it her throne) to help keep extra acid down and help her digest the last bottle she has been given. I do this for about 20-30 minutes. Then I put her in her swing and she listens to her music and eventually falls asleep. It sounds crazy but Victoria actually enjoys her music playing. (It must be from listening to the Beatles and Baroque music while she was in her mommy's stomach.) I agree that it is.

A very helpless feeling

Here I am. The grandmother of a 10 day old infant. Although I have been getting enough sleep, the 'every two-hour' feeding time has not yet bothered me. Looking at her face mesmerizes me every time I hold that little bundle of joy. She is such a good baby; always sleeps, never cries and has a great little disposition as of late. Both families are truly blessed with her. I am in charge of cleaning and preparation of the bottles. My daughter has decided to breastfeed but also use formula. We have already gotten the 'green light' from the pediatrician to do this. She seems to be satisfied with two ounces every feeding: one ounce of formula and one ounce of her mother's milk. But we have noticed something missing: it has been ½ a day since she has had a regular healthy bowel movement. I know this is not something one should blog about. If anything, I would love to hear some advice. I am in route to the store to get her some Karo syrup for her tummy. We tried gas drops last night but still little pellets are found in her diaper. She is having so much trouble staying comfortable that she seems to always lay on her side. Imagine what my little grand baby is going through....still...she doesn't cry about it.

Is this going to happen to me??

Walking into the Maryville Health Clinic with my daughter continuously makes me so excited for this baby to come into our lives. We were instructed to go to the second floor via a very thin staircase. As my daughter went to the window to sign herself in, i went to sit in the waiting lobby where the other moms and grandmothers were waiting to be seen. I made the ghastly mistake to sit by three very loud children screaming (at the top of their lungs) with joy. The place was very sterile-looking with an echo that seemed to bounce off the wall directly in my ear. Is this my future? Is this what is waiting for me in March? Knowing that my daughter, who was never like this in public, wouldn't stand for her child to behave in such a manner. A chill ran down my spine from the very top to my tail bone. Ive never been a kid person but I do know my daughter will not allow her child to scream bloody murder in public. Although the children were having a grand ol' time, their parents were chasing after them shushing the whole time. Im just going to have to buck up and learn that this is probably the only way they can express their joy with excitement by exercising their lungs. Wow I have a lot to look forward to whether I like it or not!

Actually, their little performance was adorable...

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