Some notes on traveling around with the kitten

[beetiger]

-Car seat is not fun. In addition, unlike every other baby I have seen, ours does not like the fake fleece cosy thing in there. Sitting in the back seat with child does not amuse and comfort him at all, but instead makes him cry a ton more. Apparently having someone there to plead with for release makes him try harder instead of drifting off.

-My stepmother sent Bard out to buy a pacifier and antigas drops because the baby was fussy. I defussed the baby while he did this. She did not want to listen to fussy baby.

-This is one social kid! He really thrived on all of the attention, being passed around, being poked at by cousins, etc., and was smiling and happy and did not seem to overload on it at all. Perhaps some of his less-than-stellar moods at home are because he's bored with just me, though I'm trying to be amusing, really. Although Bard and I are cranky recluses, we will need to make sure the baby gets decent social opportunities.

-Having other people hold the baby did not make me anxious, either. It was a big relief. Most of the other moms in the groups I've been attending didn't feel this way at all, and were very possessive of their newborns. Having experienced moms hold him was useful for me, as I think I was able to see where I was doing thngs not as well as I might. On the other hand, I also found it very distressing -- Rhys cried hardly at all with other folks, except if he was hungry, and it made me feel that my lack of competence at this whole thing is leaving him overall less happy than he might be.

Comments

[secanth.livejournal.com]

(Chuckle) Sounds to me like you're doing just fine. Babies all have their own personalities from birth, I've discovered, and I swear some of 'em understand the "gee, strangers will just hand me back to Mom if I fuss...and if I fuss, Mom will kill herself trying to amuse me". Runnerwolf didn't mind the carseat, but that may have been because she got stuck in a 'carrycot' from about day three (an english thing) and the carseat wasn't much different. Now, baths were a different matter entirely...she was convinced I was trying to drown her.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

My cousin used to say with a sigh, "Time to give Kelly her murderbath." Kelly HATED baths.

Now, my kids? Can't get them out of the tub -- even as teeny tiny ones, they LOVED it. Go figure.

[secanth.livejournal.com]

Runnerwolf was in a brace for hip displasia for six weeks after birth, and couldn't have 'full' baths. By the time she shed the brace, she was fully convinced that immersion in water was NOT good for her. It was literally years before the child would take a bath without me standing over her. (smile)

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah that makes sense! Six months is a long time for a kid (and for parents). Is everything ok now?

My son, nearly 2 now, finally stops hopping in the bath with everyone. Now only hops in if he has nothing else to do (in his mind).

[secanth.livejournal.com]

Six weeks, actually. (grin) She still has trouble with one hip, but will probably be able to delay the hip replacement until she's close to my age (50 or thereabouts). Had they not caught it at birth, she'd probably have had to use a wheelchair in high school and would probably have already had it replaced.

[cloverr.livejournal.com]

I'm positive you are being a GOOD mother; just love him and don't worry about the small stuff. Remember, ALL babies cry and fuss (and ALL babies will be frustrating and distressing about it some of the time). And, btw, "cranky" is not a word I would use to describe you...

[hakeber.livejournal.com]

Marguerite isn't fond of her carseat either, and is much fussier about driving trips than John was. Which is why you won't see me out east anytime soon. However, she usually doesn't care who holds her (though one time, when I brought her into work she was with my supervisor, being very nice and cuddly, when a different coworker came up and offered to hold her. Marguerite took one look at the lady and pressed her face into my supervisor's shoulder. An obvious no.) She doesn't mind her bathes, unlike her older brother, who would howl like he was being drowned. She was, however, just a little colicky. We tried the gas drops, and eventually learned to just hold and pat her alot. That and went with just breast milk until she was alot older. I know you're breastfeeding, so all I can suggest is doublecheck what you're eating. Something in your diet may be giving her gas. The good news is they usually grow out of colickyness by about three/four months. And I think you're doing fine. Remember, you are a first-time mom, so don't compare yourself with ladies who've had several kids and seen them through school already.

[wordslinger.livejournal.com]

I was kind of awkward with my kids because I'd never been around babies... and if someone handed me one now (since it's been 23 years since I've held a baby), I probably wouldn't do well, either.

It's okay to not be "a baby person." I'm not a "baby person." They're small and noisy and frustrating to deal with. The good news is that they grow up to be delightful young people and you'll just adore them. Remember that they're only infants for a very brief time. Far too often I see people who relate to infants well -- and can't relate to older children at all.

[eetmewithtoast.livejournal.com]

My grandmother was one of those. She gave me a ten-piece puzzle on my 8th birthday. I was mortified.

[schitzie.livejournal.com]

Not too surprising that Rhys is so social... look at how much was talked over the little monster in here before the birth even happened!