9 Months Old | Baby On The Go

9 months old is such an incredible age. I am praising God for blessing me
with 3 sons and for not having to be a single mother this time around.

Nine month old babies are so active and personable that you would think they are toddlers, but they are not. At 9 months old, these babies are still infants with developmental needs that keep them our sweet, cuddly, little babies for months longer. I thank God because it is so hard to watch them grow up so quickly. We so enjoyed our baby's 8th month, but this blog post is to share some of the developmental milestones that our baby had during his 9th month; I am posting this information for other moms to use as a guide, as well as in comparison to the 9 month baby milestones that the baby experts give us. I have included our daily schedule in hope this will be helpful.

See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. ~ Matthew 18:10

Max did Yoga with Nina (Sprout's Goodnight Show)
The highlight of this 9th month occurred on October 5th, 2011 when our 9 month old baby lifted his arms for the yoga stretch with Nina (on Sprout's Goodnight Show). He did it twice when she instructed and we could not believe it! I made such a "whoop-ti-do" that our baby crawled to me, right afterwards, and excitedly stood up so that I could put him in my lap. I think that he was proud of himself, too, but maybe he was proud of me for noticing - LOL. It is so exciting to know that he understands what to do when he watches that stretching / yoga segment. I really struggle with his watching TV, but know that it helps with certain things as well.


Babbling / Repeating / Talking

• Would you believe that our 9 month old baby started talking to me this month He tugged his ear and said eeeeaaaaaaah a few times. My heart melted while realizing that he was talking to me. It took a few second before I realized that he was on a roll. He clumbsily touched his face and said "eyes" and "nose". It was mushy but I knew this was what he was saying because the exaggerated tone was just like when I teach him these things, therefore I touched his nose and said "Noooose" and touched my eye and said "Eye" ... He got extremely excited and kissed me as if he was rewarding me for understanding what he was talking about.


• On October 14th, our 9 month old baby said "hello" on prompt at the harvest fest at our church. It was so cute because he looked down shyly and said it just once. He is not much on saying "hello" or "hi" when we ask him to; just when he wants, therefore this was a big deal for us.


• Our baby starting singing to himself at 9 months and it was the sweetest sound that I've ever heard in my life because I love to sing (my other two boys did not do this) ... Max has a very raspy / horse voice. He sang "OOOOOOOOOOOOOh, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh". It had different tones. He made facial expressions and sometimes rocked his body back and forth as he sang. Sometimes, he shoke his head and started laughing while singing. It was almost as if he was laughing as he caught himself singing because he would stop after the head shaking part. It was so innocent and instinctive that I would stop doing anything that I was doing to watch him sing and dance.

Watching / Noticing More Things & Sense Of Humor

• Our baby found his belly button on 9/9/2011. The funny thing is that he found mine a few days earlier while we were laying in bed (we had just finished nursing). He giggled both times (probably because of my reaction). It was too cute :)


• He laughs and growls at his own fart (we call them toots).


• He loves Moose and Zee puzzles / matching games on Nick Jr. He has certain shows that he watches and likes a lot. This 9th month, he started getting cranky (sometimes growling) if we talked during his shows.


• We had to child proof a few months ago, but this month he started going for things like dirt in a crack on the ground, we patched a piece of the wall for painting and he noticed (I caught him standing at the wall picking it with his finger) and if I forgot to sweep the tile, he would spot /try to pick up anything. He swooped quickly as if he were playing Jacks.

Physical Development

• Max stood for the first time - without holding on to anything - on October 16. He is walking with the aid of furniture, legs and his walker, but has not starting walking yet (as of 10/31/2011). It looks like it will be soon.


• In addition to lifting his arms during Yoga time, he will sometimes lift his arms for "UP" when he wants us to pick him up from the high chair, crib or play area. We are trying to teach him to do this w/out fussing / crying, too.


• He waved "Hi" on prompt, but ignores us about this too. (I think we got on his nerves).
  
  
• On October 17, he started clapping on his own (without us telling him to) - saying "glaaa glaaa" (clap clap) - when he does it.


• He loves to sing and dance (rock back and forth on his own). All 3 of us (mom, dad, brother) clapped and danced with Maxwell. It was great. While dancing, he clapped when we clapped and bounced his bottom on the floor and rocked to the music. Unlike saying "hello", he will clap upon request sometimes because he loves music and dancing so much.
  
  
• At 9 months, he spends even longer periods of time in his walker and has excellent back up, side and forward control. He has an awesome 3 point turn at this age :)
  
  
• He fought us each time we changed his diaper. He has actually been doing this for months, but we started giving him his tooth brush so that he does not take off like before. He started grabbing his private area every time I changed his diaper. I was as non challant as possible but he would growl and / or laugh when I asked him to move his hand so I could close the diaper. This was not a lot of fun when he had a poopy diaper :(
  
  
• He sat nicely in his playpen / pack n play and matted play area. Every once in a while, he throws a fit to get out, but can lay alone for over an hour sometimes.

Food / Eating / Drinking

Our 9 month baby has stopped eating green beans (he even refused them even when mixed with some chopped up french cut green beans). That is one baby food down. On the contrary, he has developed a HUGE appetite for spaghetti, crackers, water in a sippy cup and just about everything he can get his hands on around the house. He tried to use his spoon at 9 months, though still preferred that we feed him. He does still nurse (mostly first thing in the morning, if he wakes at night and once or twice a day if he gets really cranky and digs my shirt), but he likes Soy formula and drinks water in his sippy cup.


Daytime Schedule / Night time Schedule

Since he finally started sleeping through the night, a decent schedule was developed by 9 months. He sometimes gets up for a bottle or to nurse around 4 or 5:00 a.m. but could sleep through the night until around 7:00am if I put him to bed around 10:00 or 11:00 p.m.

Our typical daily schedule:

• Get up between 6:30 and 8:00 (typically around 7:00 a.m.).
  
  
• He likes to watch Baby Einstein (Disney Channel) or The Sunny Side Up Show on the Channel. He likes Barney if we start later. He sometimes wants a bottle at this time if he did not want to nurse as soon as he woke up; other times he just wants to relax alone and watch this show.
  
  
• After this time he is ready to eat and start playing. He has usually pooped just before or right after breakfast). He plays hard for hours. He plays well alone and with us. He is extremely physical during this time, therefore he uses the walker, crawls out of his pack and play or matted play area, walks along furniture and I sometimes walk him outside.
  
  
• He is ready for a nap between 11:00 a.m and 12:00pm (usually after Sesame Street on PBS and / or Sprout). He typically wants rocked to sleep.
  
  
• He gets up between 1:00pm and 2:00pm, and is very pleasant.
  
  
• He likes to play or watch TV again before he eats. This is not long because he is usually ready to eat lunch soon after waking up.
  
  
• After lunch, we will play for hours. He reads with me for short periods of time, he is very physical, so he uses his walker and likes crawling, walking along furniture and sitting to play with electronic toys. Max enjoys walks in his stroller or just sitting outside and watching cars.
  
  
• He usually naps again between 3:45 p.m. and 5:30pm. This is usually not a long nap (about an hour; sometimes two hours). Diaper change again.
  
  
• He is ready to eat and play again. I keep him up until 10:00pm - 11:00pm (sometimes 9:30pm), so that we have a better possibility that he will sleep through the night. I found that it helps if I take a bottle to bed. He will sometimes take that instead of wanting to nurse again (anywhere between 3:35 and 5:00pm). He will go back to sleep and is up for the day around 7:00 a.m.

OK, so there you have it. This was what our baby did at 9 months old.

At 9 months old, our baby was an energetic bundle of joy that kept us busy daily. Although my husband and I work from home, my husband picked up a temporary job to supplement our income, so that I was not stressed about the holidays and needing to increase work. With our 9 month baby being so active, I was not able to take on any more clients these past few months; just retain and maintain the accounts that I had. This was great for my existing clients because they got all of my extra work time. I knew that it would be like this because I've had children before, therefore I did eliminate some inconsistent accounts a few months ago. Yet, I really appreciate that my husband wanted to make sure that we would not struggle during Christmas, New Year and Tax season because we will travel to see family / friends during these times. It is likely they will visit us, too. I never had this type of support or potential for a "cushion" when I was a single mother, therefore I work my business diligently during the times that Max is napping and / or playing well alone, as well as when my husband is home from work.

I praise God for making all things possible that I never could have imagined nor believed that I wanted in life (a husband, another baby, living in a new state, homeschooling, etc). I hope that you enjoyed this blog post and that it is helpful to moms that are looking forward to their 9 months baby milestones. Please feel free to share your experiences and comment below :)

In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

Boating & Swimming With The Manatee | Central Florida | Wordless Wednesday

In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

Pictures of Mariah Carey Babies | Baby Twins Roc & Roe | Abc News 20/20 Interview and www.DemBabies.com - #dembabies

All I can say is "Thank you, Barbara Walters" for the awesome interview with Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon. It's about time! Alyssa Milano, Tori Spelling, Christina Applegate and other Over 35 celebrity moms did not wait this long to let us see their little angels ... I know that celebrity moms are just as protective of their children as we are (probably more), but #DemBabies are 6 months now and, aside of my beautiful Baby Max (big smile), the Carey-Cannon twins) are some of the cutest babies I've seen this year. I am thinking that Mariah probably wanted to take off some of the baby weight first because this is exactly what I would want to do, too. Anyways, here's the 20/20 interview with Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon, Roc, Roe and Barbara Walters. Mariah Carey shares how difficult it was to lose their first baby by miscarriage and then the challenges of getting pregnant through fertility hormone therapy and then staying pregnant with twins because it was hard on her body. Lets face it, pregnant with twins at 41 years old is not the norm nor easy on a body, but the Lord continues to bless Mariah Carey abundantly; this time with a boy and girl baby twins. Praise God!!! It is just incredible and so exciting to see how the celebrity couple are enjoying their twin babies:



Wait! It gets better ... Nich Cannon and Mariah Carey launched a website of the babies - http://www.dembabies.com and it has a ton of adorable pictures of Mariah Carey's twins. Check it out! I could not put on this site because the publish rights are for sale and funds contributed to Fresh Air Fund's Camp Mariah that helps inner city kids explore career / educational options while in a fun filled camp environment. It looks like a really nice program.

Congrats again to Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon on #dembabies. Your twins are adorable. I look forward to watching how they develop and what talents they will share with the world.


In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

Wang Yue / YueYue Has Died | China Beyond

"Beyond" for Five Minute Friday Blog Post

Beyond the refuge of my little life, is a family that is mourning the loss of their child because of negligence, lack of empathy and honor. 2 year old Wang Yue / YueYue died today. Her poor little body to weak to fight; her brain dead from the traumatic incident of being run over by 2 vehicles and left for dead by 18 people that were afraid to help the child.

Afraid to help a child .. WHY ???

Her body laid there until one compassionate old woman stepped up and did what was right for that child. My heart is so burdened and my thoughts are far beyond my daily activities as all I can think about how devastated her mother and father must feel exactly at those times that I am thinking of this situation.

I watched the video and my heart broke. I hugged my little baby and wondered why the Chinese people live in such fear that they will not help an innocent child ... a toddler ... someone's baby girl abused and left out in the street?

I cried. I prayed. I blogged.

Others cried. Others prayed. Others blogged.

God's wisdom puts me at a loss for words when I understand that this is just one example of how people - all over the world - neglect their social responsibilities - spiritual responsibilities - humanitarian responsibilities - all of the time.

The "lack of morals in modern society" that the Chinese people feel they've lost, because of fear, is not far from where the United States and other countries have been for years as well. The difference is that they were noted for their Chinese honor code where our morale fiber has never meant much to the rest of the world.

Will we all ever get beyond this shame?

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37 (NIV)



In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child


This blog post was inspired by
Five Minute Friday: Beyond

Wang Yue "Yue Yue" | Wordless Wednesday

YUE YUE ... WHY THIS PICTURE?


Are you here for Wordless Wednesday? Great! Please comment here and not on the Prayer & Thoughts page. Thank you so much!

"Why this picture?" Join the discussion started on the Prayers & Thoughts blog post.


In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

2 Year Old Chinese Baby Hit By Two Cars & Left To Die | Please Pray For This Little Girl

WARNING: THIS VIDEO IS NOT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

Moms, this blog post is dedicated to prayer for the family of Yueyue (Wang Yue). She is the 2 year old baby, that was hit by a van and truck on October 15, 2011 in Guangzhou Foshan China. Both of the drivers and 18 pedestrians left this toddler to die on the street (well, one pulled her out of the street towards the trash). Unfortunately, her mother was doing laundry in the building and did not get to child until well after these horrible incident occurs. Alas, the 19th person was the one to save Yueyue life. It was an elderly trash collector named Chen Yianmei that came to her aid. Ms. Yianmei could only cry as she explained Yueyue's condition when she found her. This 2 year old is in now in a deep coma and on life support in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.

WATCH THIS VIDEO FROM CNC CHINA NEWS

If you are having a hard time understanding the Chinese video, try this YouTube video.

18 people passed this poor little girl on the busy street in Foshan City and did NOTHING to help her. The 3 that stand out the most to me are the following:

1) Man stopped his motorcycle to look at her and drove off without helping.

2) Mother walks past with her child and does not do a thing.

3) Woman from the store pulls the fractured toddler out of the street and leaves her.

It is just heart breaking to watch this poor child brutalized like this, though we need to understand and take note of why these Chinese citizens did not help her. As explained by CNC China video, the Chinese public wanted to know why there was no "empathy from the passersby" and about the "lack of morals in modern society". Many explained that they are due to the many cases where they were accused of hurting elderly people when they were really trying to help them. Some people state that they have “lost their faith in human nature” because of such situations.

What happened to the 2 drivers that hit the little girl?

The truck driver (2nd vehicle) was arrested, but they could not get the license plate number of the van (1st driver) from the surveillance video. The police asked witnesses to help, so this prompted the van driver to call Yueyue’s father and say that he would not turn himself in to the police, but would give the parents money. The driver also explained that his plans were to leave his wife and children, go into hiding for the rest of his life and make less money from jobs out of the city. He was finally arrested yesterday, October 17, 2011.

UPDATE 10/21 - PLEASE PRAY FOR THIS POOR CHILD'S FAMILY. SHE DID NOT SURVIVE AND WE ALL GRIEVE THEIR LOSS.


In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day | Candle Lighting | Angel Moms Babies

I have been waiting all week to write this blog, but not my heart is so burdened by the remembrance it will bring that it is a little difficult to share this information on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

What is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day?

It is a day of remembrance for those who have lost a baby to death / SIDS as well as for those who have had a miscarriage or stillbirth (pregnancy loss). It is traditionally observed by an International candle lighting at 7:00 pm tonight (October 15) as part of a remembrance ceremony. Some states / organizations choose to host a walk and / or candle lighting. I am sure that you can imagine the devastation caused by any one of these scenarios whether you have lost a child / pregnancy or not. I personally tear up at any serious though of losing one of my children and have spent hours heart broken at these mother's websites. They are so selfless in wanting to educate other moms based on their experiences with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Diseases and other experiences. This does include women who have lost their dreams of motherhood because of miscarriages and stillbirths.

Please make sure to scroll down the page to see if any moms have commented and visit this PRAYER page to pray for an Angel Mom that is hurting even more today as she lights that candle in remembrance of her Angel Baby.

The following are some websites that I would like to share with you on this day:

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Angel Moms (those who have lost children)

Remembering Our Babies October 15th ***
You can find schedules by locations and by state on the Activities / Walks page.

First Candles

Millions Mom Challenge

I have met for many moms and read so many blogs by mothers who have lost their children (or have terminally ill children) that this has become quite an emotional subject for me. I ask that you read and support these women when blog hopping (don't just pass by there important messages to help others and buttons).

Please make sure to LIGHT YOUR CANDLE at 7:00pm in remembrance of moms that have lost babies / pregnancies. Do not hesitate to add to the PRAYER list posted on this blog or launch a prayer list on your blog. Thank you for reading this blog post & participating!


In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

Google Friend Connect | Follow Me Blog Hop

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,
as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. - 1 Peter 4:10

Welcome to this Mother Baby Child blog :)

My name is Lea. I am the Christian WAHM to 3 incredible boys (infant, tween and teen) and the wife to one too chatty, though loving hubby. I have been developing on the Internet for more than a decade and it has never become a boring / dead end job to me. I have an extremely long testimony of how God changed my life in this direction so many times; for now, I will let you know that I am grateful that He led in this direction and keeps guiding me. I have had a lot of good times and way too many struggles, but here I have the freedom to do what I love to do (most times) and at the side of my children. This is one of the greatest blessings in my life.

OK, this blog hop is about connecting with one another ...

Lets connect and really get to know one another. It doesn't need to be a "daily thing" unless you really like everything that I am doing and vice versa. On the other hand, it would sure be great to have that choice by connecting though our Google Friend Connect widgets and REALLY keeping in touch :)

Click on the FOLLOW button below to connect with me; let me know that you have connected through this GFC and introduce yourself in the COMMENT section of this blog post. This will let me know to go to your blog and do the same.


(If you can't see the button on this blog post, click the one on the right hand side of this page)

I know this is something a little different than we've seen with other Blog Hops / Link Ups, but I noticed that some moms don't know about this feature and others mentioned finding it a challenge to make more friends online / increase Google Friend Connect followers. Lets make this the "blog hop" / "link up" for Mother Baby Child.

SHARE THIS BUTTON


<br><a href="http://motherbabychild.blogspot.com/2011/10/google-friend-connect-follow-me-blog.html"><img alt="Mother Baby Child GFC, Comment, Hop" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNNccgqwCew1yHu449ltmtUSxtOZQGBalLa5frDeFG3zVipKlT5GXaJWkjAvydSKTV69B4jMm3HEipfZjSN7LzujUt1UVo5RXMhxhHQZnc-7T3Iw9d13woCRrfO1WAqVu5XuUcJT2QWE/s400/motherbabychild-Google-Hop-125x125.png" style="border: 8px solid #63ADCB; width:117px; height:117px;"/></a><br>

Don't forget check out this Blog Hops / Link Up page.




In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

How To Bake Cookies | Big Cookie For Me & Little Cookie For Dad | Wordless Wednesday

Original Nestle® Toll House® Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Wordless Wednesday

Thank you for visiting my blog. I have recently started "blog hopping" and really enjoying meeting moms that blog; learning and sharing based on our interests. This is such a fun way to get to know one another, therefore I added a page with a list of blogs that host Wordless Wednesday and other resources: http://motherbabychild.blogspot.com/p/blog-hop.html

Please make sure to grab my button code, so that you can share with moms; become a partner to get more visitors to your Blog Hop / Link Ups / Follows / Resources, too.


In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

Original Nestle® Toll House® Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe | Cooking With Kids

Original Nestle® Toll House® Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep: 15 mins
Cooking: 9 mins
Level: Easy
Cooling: 15 mins
Yields: 60

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

Source: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/Original-NESTL%C3%89-TOLL-HOUSE-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/detail.aspx

Tori Spelling's Baby Girl Hattie Margaret

WOW, Tori Spelling is another "over 35" celebrity mom that has just had a baby. Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling gave birth to a baby girl, named Hattie Margaret McDermott, on Monday, October 10, 2011 at 7:08 AM. Baby Hattie weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces and 20 inches long. She posted the baby announcement to her Twitter from Lockerz:



Today, there was a link to see Hattie's cute little feet on the www.torispelling.com website. I'm sure baby Hattie will be just as sweet her big brother Liam (4) and big sister Stella (3), but her fans are waiting to see more picture . Tori Spelling will sure have her hands full with 3 little ones, but this 38 year old mommy can handle it. If you've ever seen an episode of the Tori & Dean show, you know what I mean?

Anyways, a HUGE congrats to Tori Spelling and family. May baby Hattie keep you young :)



In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

Proverbs 31:10–31 | Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character, The Virtuous Woman, The Virtuous Wife, Mother & Prayer

Proverbs 31:10–31 NIV

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.

16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Lord, I thank you for the life, husband and children that you have given to me. I thank you for the changes that you have made in me. I pray that you please help me to become the woman that you want me to be because it is sometimes hard to believe that I can be more like a Proverbs 31 woman in comparison to the woman that I used to be, but I know that I can by your hands. I know that all is possible through you, Father. I pray for the strength, dignity and wisdom that only you can provide. Please help me make this a home of your love and to become the mother and wife that you want me to be. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.


In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

Follow Friday | Blog Hop, Twitter, Facebook, Google, YouTube | October 6, 2011

Would you believe that I forgot that it's Friday?

Yep, someone just reminded me by phone ... She laughed at me because I NEVER know what day it is anymore. It seems that I get lost in my own little world here with family life and work. Deadlines I get by working a head. Bedtimes are according to Sprout shows. I get the news and date by phone. Yet, I never know what day it is anymore ... Alas, it is Friday October 7th, 2011 and I'm ready to hop hop hop.

Is it ever like that for you? Do your days ever run into one another?

I think that is another reason why blogging is so important to me and blog hops are so important to stay at home moms (SAHMs) / work at home moms (WAHM). Yes, we all want people to read or blogs and find them on the Internet, but connecting with other moms and in an organized fashion make quite a difference in this techie though stay at home mom world.

Anyways ... HAP HAP HAPPY FRIDAY MOM BLOGGERS & FRIENDS :)

1) Please click the "FOLLOW" button on my Google Friend Connect widget (right hand side of the page), so that we can connect more often.

2) Please leave a comment to let me know that you have connected & I will venture over to your blog to do the same.

3) I also invite you to join me at the following popular networks:

• Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/viralmarketmom
  
  
• Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/motherbabychildren
  
  
• Youtube - http://www.facebook.com/maxwellshunt

In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

9 Months Old Baby Milestones

• Most 9 month old babies can sit well; developed balance.



• Most 9 month old babies can crawl well; stand by holding onto furniture or your leg; some babies start to walk by this age.



• Some drink from cups and can feed themselves finger foods and use a spoon with help. They are eating more solid foods at this time; maybe refusing baby foods that are too fine (have no texture or chunks).



• They can hold toys and move them from hand to hand.



• Likes to play games with you like peak-a-boo, and might let you read to him / her.



• 9 month old babies can pick up small things (food, toys, etc) with pointer and thumb.



• They love music and "dance" to it. NOTE: Our 9 months old baby rocks back and forth to the background music on his Super Why tv show even if it is slight because the characters are speaking. He sings with music and we sometimes hear him singing on his own ("aaaaaaaaaaaa, oooooooooooo").



• Smiles and responds to his / her name. Recognizes family and friends; may shy or be afraid of strangers.



• It is common for 9 months babies to have teeth or experience teething during this time.



• Babbles (makes nose with mouth as if talking) and repeat sounds. NOTE: Don't feel bad if your baby does not repeat! We thought that our baby Max was underdeveloped in this area until one day we were out in public and told him to say hello to a friend. He put his head down and said "hello", but would not say it again when asked. In fact, he repeats when he feels like it, therefore it might be the same with your baby at 9 months old.

Brother Loves Me | Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Did I comment on your blog this week? Did it mention that I've linked your blog to this Wordless Wednesday post? I had so much fun hopping and meeting moms, that I decided to create a BLOG HOP page for everyone to use. I have added your Wordless Wednesday banners / buttons to this page: http://motherbabychild.blogspot.com/p/blog-hop.html - Please make sure to grab my button, so that you can share this blog, too.



In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

Breast Cancer Awareness Month | October | Think Pink & Support | Meaningful Monday

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October was once a month that made me think of colorful trees, harvest fests, pumpkin patches and preparing for the winter months, as well as their popular holidays (Thanksgiving & Christmas). This all changed for me in 2008 when I met my friend, Sandee. She had joined a work at home business with me and was eager to make her mark in that industry. Her goal was to make money online. I worked with her as much as I could and we became friends. She was such a sweet person. It wasn't until a few months later that she confided in me that she needed to make up for the income that she had lost when she got breast cancer and could no longer work her government job. She was a breast cancer survivor that had gone through radiation therapy and ended up need a mastectomy; she was left with a weakened immune system, very bad diabetes and bills that she needed to pay. She was the only person that shared her fears, experience and detailed information about breast cancer with me.

I was not completely naive to the fears and seriousness of breast cancer. My step father had a lump in his breast, though his tumor was quickly removed due to early detection and never returned. My step-sister is also a breast cancer survivor. I was told that her experience was far worse than my step-father's removal. This was a close to home as breast cancer hit until I started learning more from Sandee. Unfortunately, she found lumps again a little over a year after we met. She actually called to let me know and shared whenever one was almost dissolved or a new one was found. She often shared her test results. Sometimes she would share feelings of sadness with me, but she was a very strong woman that rarely broke down during her experience. She was hopeful and retained her faith during the process (which is hard when your crying because you feel that your body is falling apart and that you are angry about being sick again). Her family lost her to breast cancer Thursday, May 19, 2011. It was asked that all contributions were made to the National Breast Cancer Society or Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Sandee was a mother, wife and grandmother to 3 beautiful children. In fact, her daughter and I were both pregnant with our 3rd children at the same time. It was a blessing that she was able to meet and spend time with her new grandson before breast cancer took her life. I understood that she knew her time was near when I stopped hearing from her as much. She would check in to see how we were doing and give me reports on her health; she mentioned that she was spending even more time with her grandchildren. God bless her soul.

There are a lot of events, observances and holidays in October, but this month means much more to me than the Fall season or preparing for holidays. I see and think pink much more this month and it is no longer just a pretty, girly, color in my world. Now that you have read this short blog post, I want you to take from it that breast cancer is a serious disease that kills about 39,520 women a year. You never know who you're going to meet or who in your family will get diagnosed with breast cancer. I did not know that my step-sister had breast cancer until after she had fought and survived. You need to get checked for breast cancer instead of thinking that you are immune to the disease because you do not know of any family members of friends that have / had it. Over the years, I have met more people online - that have survived or are battling cancer - than I would like to admit. It is obviously more than just a breast or womanly issue ...

"Cancer is the general name for a group of more than 100 diseases in which cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. Although there are many kinds of cancer, they all start because abnormal cells grow out of control. Untreated cancers can cause serious illness and even death." (What Is Cancer: American Cancer Society)

"Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers. The chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman's life is a little less than 1 in 8 (12%). The American Cancer Society's most recent estimates for breast cancer in the United States are for 2011: About 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women. About 57,650 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer). About 39,520 women will die from breast cancer" (Key Statistics About Breast Cancer: American Cancer Society)

Yes, October is a month dedicated to increasing the support and awareness of breast cancer, but the breast cancer foundations and breast cancer stores are working year round to help find a cure, educate the public, gain support and donations, as well as campaign to politicians for the needs of people with breast cancer. Please click on the links in this blog post to learn more about what is breast cancer, why you should get checked for breast cancer (mammogram) and how you can help support and increase awareness in your city.

Please do your part to help!


In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child

Boy, I Am Not Lois Griffin - Mommy Mama Ma Ma - Take That Game To Your Room!

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I'm not promoting Family Guy, but this little video clip is something that all mothers should see (watch video above) ... Moms, can you relate? I sure can. My baby does this in the mornings while trying to wake us up and sometimes during the day. He gives us a repetitive "da da da da da"and "maaaa maaaa maaaa" ... it is still cute!

This is not the point of my blog post today ...

Babies do this to get our attention because they cannot communicate any differently. They are expressing their need for an adult to help them (pick up, feed, hug, etc.). As boys are maturing, some of them do this same thing to getting a rise out of their mothers (play, show affection, etc.). You have to draw a line and redirect this to the proper verbal and physical actions if you notice that it is happening.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. ~ Psalm 68:5 (NIV)

I was a single mom with my first two boys (until my second son was 10) and my older son used to do this all of the time. Really! Not at the same annoyance level as this "Mommy Mama Ma Ma Ma Ma" that Stewie Griffin is exemplifying in this video, though he did do it well into his 2nd year of High School. By that time, it was a group of boys, spitting chewing tobacco and laughing when I said "ewe" and that I did not want it in my house, as well as numerous other rebellious scenarios. As I think back to when he was a very little boy, there was a crazy number of "booty booty" pinches I received while climbing the steps ... many farts I have ducked from room to room (gave them back to him, too) ... many burping competitions I attended ... sometimes I even received a soft kick in the buttocks (out of the blue) to "grind my rails". I can now burp, fart, catch and flip a leg faster than the average mom because my older son teased and taunted so much. I just took it as the way he chose to show affection, but that it came to an end when he started wanting to wrestle me in his middle school years and then more challenges came in the early teen years.

My boys are like oil and vinegar, therefore I understand that each child is different. Take what you need from my experiences or share with another mom if this does not apply to your family.

My younger son did not do the same. He did not take to burping, farting and whacking me unless he was trying to chime in with what he thought was play between his brother and me. On the other hand, he did try to show affection like this with his older brother. It was not accepted well by the older sibling and this is how I learned that this was an overall problem in our household. Regardless, my middle son was the child in that video. He used to repeat what he wanted over and over and over and over - throughout a day / week / month - even though I said "NO". He always questioned why he did not get his way. He would question until it started a fight with me. I did get this under control while he was in grade school, for the most part, but he still tries to use this tactic to get his way. I nipped it in the bud by letting him know that I am not going to argue with him and then send him out of the room with me (sometimes it is a case of until he has calmed down). He does not dare try to wrestle with me and only goes but so far in arguing a point. This is how it is right now. I will have to update this once he's in high school.

Why do boys do this to mom? Is it a normal part of their development?

As the stereotypes of what a boy or what man should be (depending on the boy child's age) set into their personalities, boys still want the same loving attention from mom. The problem is that some boys think is a "cool" or "manly" to behave as I have explained because they are immature and because some of us let them. They gravitate towards these behaviors instead of just giving mom a hug or snuggling like when they were younger children. My older son did still hug me and want to lay his head on my arm while watching TV on the couch. This was good, but the other actions came across as signs of affection when they were actually inappropriate and I should have redirect the playful signs of affection to the typical ways instead of burping and farting with him or letting him give me "love taps" as he was developing. It was cute at first, though became REALLY annoying and then led to some challenging situations when he became a teen. I used to laugh at it as harmless play and make sure to let him know when he is getting too hyped up or out of line with what is acceptable to me. I should have not laughed and set boundaries when it continued though grade school. I was a single mother at that time and do think that some of his behavior was his showing "love" to me. On the other hand, most often it was his goal to get a rise out of me; my son was testing his position as a male and also boundaries with me. He has always done the same thing to my mother. It is hard to determine whether or not it would have been this way if his Grandfather was there because my step-father died at the beginning of his Kindergarten year. I can share that my younger son rarely challenges like this and it might be the influence of his step-father in his life.

I wanted to share this experience in case you are noticing similar characteristics in your son(s); especially single moms trying to raise boys on your own. It is not that I did not try to turn my son's behaviors into hugs, kisses, conversations about what upset him, etc. It is just that I did not stick with it and thought that feeding into his behavior and playing back was the way to make him hug, kiss and keep the lines of communication open with me. I now understand that a mother needs to get this behavior "in check" as soon as possible else the boy will carry it over to how he interacts with you later in life. You are also putting girls and other female adults (grandmother, teachers, etc) at risk for the same treatment. Although it appears to be playful and expressions of love, it can become a form of manipulation and the way a little boy attempts to control situations and women as he becomes an adult.

Kindly make your son turn those burps, farts, love taps and temper tantrums into hugs, kisses and respectful conversation. Do not play back with him in this fashion because he does not see it as you intend it to be. Send him out of the room and only permit him back when he apologizes and lets it go on his own. Just remember that "I'm sorry" means that we are regretful for an actions and that we do not intend to do it again. Do not let your little boy keep apologizing for the same behaviors ... get some professional help if you notice that developing pattern.

Do you have advice on this subject or a similar situation to share? Let is know in the comment section of this blog post. You will help another mom raise a better man.



In Motherly Love,
Mother Baby Child