Category: 6 to 9 months

Try a Hike with a Carrier

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Today was hiking day for Veronika!

A baby carrier is such a great investment for experiences like these; whether the one you choose is worn on the front or the back, and whether it has baby tummy-facing or facing out, I highly encourage a hike. There is so much for your baby to learn about in nature!

Although Veronika has had plenty of moments in the carrier, today we made a big event of a family walk in the woods. Big brother Travis loved heading off on the adventure!

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Stop to point out marvels of nature, like the face in this tree.

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Or the dappled sunlight on these roots.

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We spotted lots of little chipmunks and she loved watching them scurry.

Eventually the motion did lull her to sleep, and this will likely happen to your baby on a hike too… And that’s not a bad thing! Let baby nap while you take in the calm of nature. Once she was up about forty-five minutes later, her big eyes drank in the surroundings.

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What an adventure!

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Where have you taken your baby in a carrier? Please share in the comments!

Introduce Books with Texture and Noise

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Veronika already has a few books in her library that feature texture and noise, but I gifted her with a few new ones because she can approach them in a different way these days: reading solo! Interactive touch and sound will keep a seven-month-old happily entertained, even if you’re busy getting things done around the house, or on the go.

But first we read them together, of course. She loved the bright pictures and her fingers immediately went for textural elements, like soft fur or shiny metal.

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I pressed each sound button, which got a look of wonder from her each time, and described what she was hearing and seeing.

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Pretty soon, she was flipping through the pages and narrating this book to herself – a sight that makes my heart stop every time!

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I also bought a smaller book that’s perfect for car rides or stroller rides. The soft pages fit in her hands perfectly.

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Some pages rattle and some crinkle.

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The first time through, I described these sounds, and the textures she could feel like the soft fluffy cover. She will happily “read” this one to herself for ages.

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What interactive books does your baby like? Please share in the comments!

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Start Swimming

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Babies seem to love the water (I have a pet theory that they can still remember all that watery time in the womb, not so many months ago!). Whatever the reason, starting your children in the water young can have big benefits, helping them feel ready when the time comes to truly learn swimming and water safety.

Today, we got Veronika’s toes wet – literally!

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Start small if you think your baby will be nervous. However, you’ll probably be surprised at how calm a young baby is in the water – more so even than a toddler. A few recommendations: Make sure the pool you choose is clean. I do recommend chlorine rather than salt-water pools, because big brother Travis has fallen sick after swimming in the latter.

Go at off-peak hours, whether mid-week or at a non-crowded time on the weekends.

Finally, don’t forget the swim diapers! When Travis was little, I thought an overnight diaper and a swim diaper were the same thing – whoops. His little bum would inflate with tons of water instantly. Veronika, on the other hand, was swaddled in proper swim attire.

Now for the fun! I started out just dipping Veronika’s toes in.

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Pretty soon she loved kicking her legs and trailing her fingers through the water.

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This is great muscle work for a baby, and can also help tire him or her out if you’re hoping for a nap after. To wit, the very first thing she did after she was dry was fall asleep for her afternoon nap.

Play with a Pom-Pom

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I got crafty for Veronika today! This pom-pom was sort of a labor of love, but if that definition doesn’t fit our children, what does?

Trace a large circle (about 8 inches across) on paper. Add a smaller circle (about 2 to 4 inches across) in the middle. Cut out this template and trace onto two pieces of cardboard.

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A thin cardboard works best, like an empty cereal box or frozen pizza box.

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Place the two cardboard pieces together, and begin wrapping around with yarn.

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You can use only one color, but I liked a two-tone look, alternating layers of yellow and green. For a nice thick pom-pom, wrap in about four layers. Veronika couldn’t wait to get her hands on this thing!

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Insert scissors through the yarn to the gap between the two cardboard pieces, and begin snipping the yarn in half.

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Insert another piece of yarn right into the middle and pull tightly – you now have a ball! Tie that yarn securely.

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Before I talk about playtime, I want to mention how fun it was to make this next to Veronika. I worked for about an hour as she played with toys and cooed next to me.

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Especially if you are a first-time-parent, activities like this can help fill those hours or days with a baby that might otherwise seem endless. This one engages baby and caregvier both!

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Now it was playtime, and as you can see from Veronika’s face, the pom-pom is quite simply a delight!

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We tossed it in the air, or used it to hone her grasping skills.

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We tickled her toes with it.

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She played cheerleader as she watched big brother play.

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She basically just had a ball! Do supervise closely, since the homemade nature of this pom-pom means strands of yarn might come lose and pose a choking hazard.

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Swing Rhythm

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Today was Veronika’s first time in a baby swing!

As a veteran parent, I was ready with a few tricks to sure this first ride in a bucket swing went smoothly. 7 months old is still pretty tiny, so come prepared with a nice soft blanket. This can act as a wedge so your baby doesn’t slide around in the swing (and is also handy for drying off any rain from the night before, in a pinch!).

Well this little lady took to it right away! She looked about as at ease as if the swing were a hammock on a tropical island.

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For a few fun games, I tickled her toes whenever she swung toward me.

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You can also greet your child with a playful, “boo!” on each swing.

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She also loved when I pushed slightly harder and said, “higher higher higher!”

But in general, today was about gentle pushes, often letting momentum take over after only 1 or 2 pushes. She loved exploring the texture of the swing, too.

Does your baby like to swing? Please share in the comments!

Take Turns

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It’s never too early to demonstrate turn-taking and today I played with Veronika in a few different ways to demonstrate.

First, we sat down for some musical fun, since she’s been very into instruments lately!

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I played a drum for her and said “Mommy’s turn!” Then I pointed to her hands and removed my own. “Veronika’s turn,” I told her.

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It took her a moment but then her little hands were on the drum rubbing and tapping. You can do this with just about any toy. Next up was a rain stick: Mommy’s turn!

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Veronika’s turn!

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And then a rattle.

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You can also use this game to encourage skills that your baby will need later on, like dressing, washing, or brushing their own teeth (I wish I’d done something similar with Travis!). At bath time, I used the washcloth and again said, “Mommy’s turn.”

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Then I handed it to her. For now it might be more of a toy than for washing, but she’ll get the idea.

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The game was easy at toothbrushing time, since she already loves brushing her own tooth!

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She barely gave me a turn before she took over!

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Together Time

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Veronika is seven months old today! These little monthly birthdays are great moments to take stock as a parent; you can marvel at how far your baby has come, and also pause to think about what’s working and what maybe isn’t anymore.

To wit, Veronika’s bedtime routine has shifted considerably since she was a newborn (when, by “routine”, I mean there completely wasn’t one!)

Now, she has a set bedtime (6.30) which allows us as a family to decide how we want to spend that last hour before bed.

No matter what your routine looks like, I highly recommend making sure there are no phone calls and no visitors. Where is my phone during all of this? Charging and on silent!

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So first up, it’s time to eat a yummy dinner!

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Next up is bath and jammies.

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It’s okay to invite a stuffed animal friend over, of course.

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We pause to read a story. Veronika likes to help turn pages.

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Then she watches big brother take a bath – her dry tub makes a perfect play pen!

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And that first little tooth needs a brush!

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Then it’s lullabies and lights out.

 

Play with Finger People

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Well, here’s an activity that I thought would be adorable, but as it turns out… it terrified Veronika!

The idea was to make simple “people” on your fingertips, who can then interact with your baby. Draw eyes and a smile with pen.

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If you want, tape on a little bit of cotton ball hair. This one looked a bit like Mozart! Or perhaps Benjamin Franklin.

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One by one, hold your fingers and have them talk or interact with baby. You can have them say bye-bye and hello, or give each one a funny voice and a different name. It’s also a great way to sing the sing the Daddy Finger song, holding up each finger in turn (pointer = mommy, tall man = daddy, ring finger = brother, pinkie finger = sister).

But did Veronika enjoy it? Nope! Her face crumpled into a frown or – worse! – tears every time I popped up a finger. Her expression went from quiet alarm:

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To suspicion:

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To outright anger!

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Perhaps it was just too creepy to see mommy’s fingers talking. But if your baby likes this game, please share your success in the comments!

 

Personal Picture Book

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Sure, there are lots of books you can read to your baby from the library or the bookstore. But don’t forget you can also make your own!

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Since babies at Veronika’s age (7 months old) are primarily interested in the visuals, it’s fun to make a book with no words. I used images cut from magazines and catalogs, but your own photos can work well, too! Since the story has no words, you can change it up every time.

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I chose simple images, limited somewhat by which magazines I had around to cut up. Soon we had stories about a butterfly who moved into a house and then…

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Just use your imagination from there!

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Try to find photos that depict familiar objects. As we “read” about the desk and chair in the story, for example, I took her over to the desk and chair in our apartment and pointed out that they were the same.

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Same goes for the picture of a little girl in our story. “Girl,” I told her, and pointed to the picture and then to Veronika. “Same!”

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This book is also great because a big sibling can “read” it to the baby, even if not yet a reader! I loved looking over to see Travis was making up stories for her.

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In sum, a great idea, and we’ll be adding to our “story” as I cut up more catalogs.

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Building Familiarity

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Seven months old is right about when “stranger danger” kicks in, and this cute activity might help your little one conquer it. Since I had to leave Veronika with her grandmother for a short while today, it was the perfect chance to prep her for a few hours without me!

To build familiarity, we returned to a photo album we made when Veronika was younger. Point out faces of friends and family members before you see them, and then return to the pictures after to reinforce who was who.

Today, Grammy is coming over to visit!

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She loved going through the pictures with me.

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Ok, so there were still tears while I was away, but hopefully each time we do this activity, her comfort level will increase. Familiar surroundings can help, or – if you are meeting up with family outside of the home – bring along a favorite toy!

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