October 10, 2016Stullster

All Things Month 11

Information is for month eleven of baby’s life.  I am in no way a doctor, medical professional, or even experienced in child care.  This is just information that I have gathered from books, websites, my pediatrician, and hearsay.  The time schedules and suggestion of eat/wake/sleep cycles are from Babywise.  The progression of development is from What to Expect the First Year.  Feeding amounts are the recommendations from my doctor.  Everything else is from various websites and friends.

Feeding/wake/sleeping:

  • The majority of baby’s nutrition should be coming from food (baby food and finger foods), not formula.
  • If baby will drink from a sippy cup, you can replace formula with whole milk.
  • The first and last feeding of the day are the two strategic feedings.
    • It doesn’t matter what schedule your baby is on, all other feed-wake-sleep cycles will fall within those two “fixed” feeding times.
    • Need to remain consistent
  • Between 46 and 52 weeks, the 3 cycles are reduced to only 2
    • When baby no longer receives a liquid feeding before bedtime
    • Below is an example schedule

46-52

By the end of month eleven, baby may be able to:

Activities you can do with baby:

  • Play follow the leader or chase.  By now you have probably noticed your baby crawling to wherever you are.  Take advantage, get on all fours, and crawl away.  More than likely, you will have a little one in tow.  Then, turn the tables and turn and crawl towards baby.  This could start a game of chase!
  • Let baby hold a bubble wand and shake it around.  If shook hard enough, bubbles!!  The sensory play of feeling the slimy bubble water is okay too.  You may want to make non-toxic bubbles using baby bubble bath.
  • Soak water beads in food colored water.  Place different colors in different ziplock baggies and tape up the top of the bag.  Baby will love to squish these around.
  • The Hokey-Pokey
  • Moving toys are especially fun for baby right now.  Being pulled around in a wagon, pushed in a stroller, or drug around on a blanket are all stimulating.

 

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  • Mix infant cereal with water until it has a paint-like consistency, then add food coloring.  Set baby on a wide sheet of paper or in an inflatable pool and let the edible painting begin!
  • Use a mixer to blend together 2 tablespoons of bubble bath and a 1/4 cup of water.  Mix until you get a really good foam.  Let baby play in the foam.  You can also add food dye for a rainbow of foam.
  • My Little Trampoline
  • Stuff a bunch of baby wash cloths into an empty tissue box.  Baby will love pulling these out!
  • Play catch with baby by rolling the ball back to her when thrown or rolled.
  • Dance with baby to your favorite tunes.  I’m sure you have noticed baby bouncing when music is played, so take advantage!
  • Lay a box on its side and poke holes in the top.  Run streamers or colorful ribbons through the holes, tying a knot on the outside of the box.  Baby will like crawling into the rainbow of colors.  Make sure you supervise so no loose ribbons hurt baby.
  • Tube Tunnel

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  • Poke holes an oatmeal can or other container.  Run ribbon through the holes and tie on each end.  Give this to baby for ribbon play.  Baby will pull the ribbon outward, but the ribbon won’t come out if your knot is tied big enough.
  • Use gelatin to make a little prison for a plastic toy such as an ant or a dinosaur.  After gelatin sets, put it in the freezer.  Then let your little one excavate for the fossils!
  • Mix water and food coloring into cornstarch until it becomes gooey.  You can put different colors of “oobleck” into different bins and let baby play in the goop (safe for mouthing).  Suggest this is done outside, on a mess mat, or in the tub.
  • Little Steamroller
  • Use food coloring and a small amount of vinegar to color rice.  Allow rice to dry on sheets of wax paper.  Once dry, place contact paper sticky side out on cardboard and bins of colored rice in front of baby.  Baby will play in and drop rice on the contact paper creating some pretty rice art.  You can place contact paper sticky side down on the rice art when finished to preserve the art.
  • Place a large amount of white cornmeal in a bin and let baby play in the “sand.”  You can also add beach toy for additional fun.
  • Fill a gallon ziplock with shaving cream (foam kind).  Duct tape up the opening.  You can place a few drops of food coloring in and let baby play with the bag to mix the colors.
  • Diaper Dolly
  • If you have (or get) child-size gardening tools, you can place a bunch of dirt in a bin and let child dig and rake around.  If your baby tends to put a fistful of dirt in his mouth, you can use dried out used coffee grinds for “dirt,” but still not much should be consumed (baby probably won’t like the taste of that after the first try!).  You can also use crushed Oreos, but who wants to waste Oreos this way!?
  • Baby can help with laundry!  Once baby can pull up, one of their favorite spots may be in front of the dryer.  Hand baby wet clothing items from the washer, and ask her to put them in the dryer.  Show baby where the clothes go.  If yours is like mine, they are more likely to throw them out.  Jelly Bean also likes to push the button on the inside of the dryer door that turns the light on and off (teaches baby cause and effect).
  • Water “Coloring”
  • Ask, “How big is baby?”  Then answer, “This big!” and lift your arms.  Do this again and lift baby’s arms.  Ask once again, and baby might be raising her own arms!
  • Fill various zip locks with all same colored items in a single bag.  Then introduce them to baby and talk about the different items always using the color in the same spot.  For example, a red strawberry.  A red flower. A red hair tie.  A red rag.
  • Use masking tape to stick some of baby’s toys to the ground.  Pretend you can’t get the item unstuck and you need their help.  Celebrate when they unstick the toy.
  • Classified Information
  • Play a game of peek a boo over and under a chair or tunnel or other item.  Each time you are over the item say over.  Each time you are looking at baby under an item, say under.  You can also do this with a toy.  Eventually baby will start looking for you in the appropriate place when you say over or under.  Jelly Bean does this through her tunnel and above it.
  • While supervised, tie a ribbon to baby’s ankle or wrist.  Tie the other end to a mobile or noise maker.  When baby moves that body part, the mobile will move, teaching baby cause and effect.  You can also just tie some jingle bells on.
  • Indoor Beach Baby
  • Make little paper bugs whose wings flap when you pull a string.  Then pin them up on a wall or the fridge and show baby how to tug the string to get the bug to flap.
  • Paint the inside of a solo cup red and another blue (or any colors you want and as many as you want).  Then provide baby with toys in those colors and show baby how to match the colors by dropping the toys into the appropriate cups.
  • Provide baby with an empty container and some straws.  Baby will enjoy placing the straws in and dumping or pulling them out.
  • Month 10 Activities
  • Month 9 Activities
  • Month 8 Activities

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