Parenting 101: Calm a Fussy Baby

There is nothing more stressful than a crying baby. This brief article will help parents in Clayton and Richmond Heights respond to a crying baby with confidence and compassion.

Natal Nate

Baby Points the Way with Verbal Calisthenics

My son's language skills are developing quickly thanks to a new game he invented.

My son started playing a new game a week or two ago. He projects a forefinger into the air and asks, "That?" The object of the game (I gather) is to learn the name of various items around him. Correction: Every item around him. Micah is smart as a whip, and it shows in his questions. He isn't pointing randomly. He's got specific objects in mind. And the game ends only when Mommy or Daddy places him on the ground and collapses from exhaustion. Among the words heard most often around our house as part of the "That?" game, in order of popularity: He's become fascinated by the bright red numbers in one of the books we read regularly (Zelda's Puppy Love, for those who care). Both Julie and I spend time pointing at objects in that and other …

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Natal Nate

First Birthday Party Gives Baby Plenty to Smile About

Friends, food and gifts rounded out Micah's inaugural birthday bash on Saturday.

Micah celebrated his birthday in style on Saturday. His mommy did an outstanding job planning and hosting the puppy-themed Bark-B-Que: Creating cupcake toppers, banners and tablecloths, assigning people to bring certain kinds of food and so on. It also was a group effort. My sister-in-law, Brittany, spent two days with Julie working on various party projects. My father-in-law, Bruce, served as the grillmaster for the day, dishing up burgers, hotdogs and brats. And all of the other family and friends in attendance pitched in, bringing food and helping us celebrate. Even his under-1 friends, Max and Aubrey, came to show their support. (Our loved ones out of state sent their love and birthday wishes via the U.S. Postal Service, Skype, email …

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Natal Nate

We're Cruising!

A mobile child is also a happy (and mischievous) one.

The breakthrough happened Friday while at the home of our friends Ben and Mandy. There, Micah discovered that he could move forward using his knees. He demonstrated first by himself and later with the assistance of our friends' two pups, Molly and Mason. Micah is very proud of his accomplishment. I know this because he doesn't throw a fit every time he is left on his stomach for more than two seconds. Instead, he forces his lips together, extends his hand as far as it will go and advances toward whatever interests him at the moment. Enticing items include: Ink pens, TV cords, our cat and an iPhone. If you spot a pattern here, please email me. Perhaps it will help Julie and I sort out his career path. Crawling's ease has brought with it a …

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Natal Nate

Books Fly Off Shelves, Into Baby's Lap

We took our son to the Chesterfield library last week. Needless to say, he loved it.

Last weekend, we took Micah to the Samuel C. Sachs Branch of the St. Louis County Library in Chesterfield. The children's section is closed off from other portions of the library, so it's quiet. Alternatively, the kids can be noisy without fear of interfering. Julie brought Micah here and put him on the floor next to a towering case of board books. Nearby, two boys several years his senior talked and looked at books. Our son found them fascinating. He watched them, and they pointed out to their adult supervisor the fact that they had spotted a baby. Then Micah spent time looking through books and pulling them off the shelves. Entertainment on so many levels.

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Parenting Trends: Friday Surges, Sickness Plunges

My family is on the mend and the baby loves to be outdoors. Also, the weekend has nearly arrived. Thank goodness!

It's been a crazy week, but it's almost over. Can I get a "thank goodness it's Friday"? Last weekend was fun if you consider blowing your brains onto facial tissue while entertaining a sick and irritable under-1-year-old enjoyable. Julie kept me sane through the whole thing, even though she also was under the weather. Micah is much better, though he's still plagued by a runny nose and some congestion. Could it be allergies? It's apparently well-respected that kids as young as he is don't have allergies, or at least don't show it until later, but my wife and I beg to differ. In other developments:

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Natal Nate

Sick Baby, Sleepless Nights

My wife and I are experiencing the joy of bringing comfort to an ailing youngster. Want to baby-sit?

At the risk of inviting an ugly virus, I can safely confirm that having a sick child is worse than being sick personally. Poor Micah came down with some sort of cold Wednesday—fever, runny nose, cough. Irritability. That of course means he doesn't sleep well. So he has abruptly awoken from naps in the past few days and wakes up screaming at night. Translation? Welcome to the world of co-sleeping! As I've said in the past, I'm not an advocate for this sort of thing. Everything I've heard or read indicates it is a risky practice because of suffocation hazards. But when you find yourself running on fractured sleep and a thousand scattered thoughts, it seems like a pretty good option. My wife and I also don't want him to get into the habit of …

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Natal Nate

Baby Placed on Injury Reserve; More Bruises to Follow

Our son is quickly learning to endure the pain that inevitably results with increased mobility.

Our nearly 10-month-old son is quickly learning that with greater mobility comes greater resiliency. Micah still can't crawl forward, but he's certainly curious about everything within an arm's—or fall's—reach. That includes computer cords, dust bunnies and cabinet doors. It comes at a price. This week, he smashed a finger while shutting the cabinet beneath the television. My wife tells me it took a couple of silent minutes for reality to set in. Screaming followed. He also bonks his head on a semi-regular basis after falling backward (loss of balance) or forward (grabbing for something on the floor). This does not produce too much sadness, provided Mommy or Daddy is close at hand to distract him with conversation or a toy. This week also …

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Natal Nate

I Spent My Wedding Anniversary with My Baby

For those who aren't there yet, here is a primer on celebrating anniversaries with a small child. It's fun—really!

My wife and I celebrated our four-year anniversary on March 22. In honor of the event, I took two days off. Anniversaries are a delight regardless of the circumstances. But they are admittedly different when a baby—in our case, Micah—is part of the equation. For our one-year anniversary, Julie and I took a trip to Chicago. We stayed on the Magnificent Mile, ate out and visited various sites of interest. Day One of this year's anniversary staycation featured a visit to Julie's grandparents in the New Melle area for breakfast. Then we took a trip to the studios of our wonderful friend Katie of St. Charles-based Kay Web Photography. Micah was due for his 9-month photos. Our son hammed it up for the camera, and she graciously took us to lunch …

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Natal Nate

Baby Launches Presidential Campaign with Wave

Our St. Louis son, eager to interact, eats up praise.

Micah's journey to advanced human interaction has begun. Several weeks ago, he began to wave after being prompted. He can wave hello and goodbye, though the time it takes to begin waving and the duration of said event depends upon his mood and the person requesting the gesture. Mommy and Daddy are on his good side. It isn't a curt, side-to-side swipe of the hand. Instead, it's a wobbly up-and-down-and-all-around greeting. In any case, it's adorable. The future leader of the free world is well on his way to mastering these techniques. He stepped up his game further when Julie taught him the art of the high five. We greet each accomplishment with a chorus of "Yay!" and ample applause. Micah grins big, delighted at the pageantry. Act 3 …

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