Mommy and Daddy were once babies too

The Babyblog archive is kept in monthly files on reverse-chronological order:

The Babyblog is a collection of links and commentary about babies, growing up, learning, toys, anything baby-related, my pregnant wife, and myself.

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March 2002 Archive

2002-03-30

¡Bienvenida al mundo Lucía!

Muchísimas felicidades. Esperamos que estén bien y pronto pasen las incomodidades para mamá. ¡Enhorabuena!

The Loose Leaf Book Company transmitted their last radio show on NPR this morning. Yes, at the end, the fat lady sang.

I had hoped this show would play a constant role in the bringing up of our child, with their book recommendations, imaginative shows and interviews. I felt sad to hear the program was going off the air.

2002-03-28

Benjamin laughed!

It happened while I did some ab crunches with baby sitting on top of me. I would lay flat on the floor and ask Where's daddy? then bringing my head as close to baby's face as possible. Ben became amused instantly, and after a couple of crunches... he just laughed.

Laughing harder still was Mommy, as I had to keep on crunching my abs to keep our son entertained. As you'll guess (correctly) I was about to die of exhaustion in only a short while, but Ben wanted more and more. So I went on until it was physically impossible to continue (No, I won't tell how many crunches).

Was it all part of a sinister plan to get Daddy some exercise? God knows he needs it.

2002-03-26

Weapons of instruction.
Toy guns and swords can help kids make sense of the world, so long as they know the difference between fantasy and reality.

2002-03-23

Choosing an infant swing.
Recommendations and safety tips.

2002-03-20

The Baby Web is a book listing web addresses to find all things baby-related: brands of clothing, makers of educational toys, bargains, recalls, ... etc.

Gretchen Nalley, the author, describes herself (in part) as a computer systems administrator and web designer. Then says: She wanted to share these exciting sites with other parents, help them save both time and money and, as much as possible, help make parenthood child's play.

I have not read the book, it could be great, but... what I want to know is: Why a book and not a website? You would think that a web designer believes in the Web, and would like to offer those links in clickable format. I know that would be closer to child's play for parents.

To be fair, they do have a few links in their page of updates. The links page doesn't count because it has very few, and they look like sponsors.

2002-03-17

One year ago an amazing race took place. Thousands of microscopic beings entered a very tough competition in which only one would survive. The very best among them claimed the coveted prize.

Oh, by the way, the result of that race is three months old now and here are a few recent pictures. Enjoy.

2002-03-15

Babyblog. From a geek and expecting father.

Is our baby trying to imitate our voices/sounds, or vice-versa?

Well both of course, but all too frequently I'm trying to "speak" my son's "language". Not only that, at the same time I imagine things I'm trying to communicate to him through all the babbling and believe we understand each other, as if we were having a real conversation. Maybe he's just like the baby in the movie Look who's talking and thinks to himself: My God, look at the fool, can't he see I'm just making fun of him?

2002-03-14

Encouraging Fine Motor Skill Development

Encouraging fine motor skill development.
Believe it or not, learning how to shake a rattle is tough work. In fact, according to developmental experts, manual dexterity is directly tied to cognitive development.

2002-03-12

baby boom: birth rate or fertility is on the upswing in the US | csmonitor.com

Birth rate or fertility is on the upswing in the US.
A stronger interest in family and children, reflected in higher birth rates, will also help to determine what issues policymakers must consider locally and nationally, and what shape communities take.

2002-03-11

Toddlers and Sharing

Toddlers and sharing.
As a general rule, toddlers and sharing don't mix well. Suggestions that can help adults manage those inevitable possession disputes between toddlers.

2002-03-07

Premature babies need a salt supplement in the first weeks after birth to ensure their brains develop correctly.

2002-03-06

Inside the mind of a baby.
What?s really going on as understanding develops.

I found interesting the section titled "Windows of opportunity" about the idea that there are critical (or sensitive) periods of cognitive development.

2002-03-04

Your kid as a Tax break.
Valuable tax advantages available to parents.

2002-03-01

Ben slept 7 straight hours last night

Then he was up for a while (at 4 AM) and then slept another three hours.

Have I mentioned that lately he wants to be upright all of the time? He will lift his head, contract his abdomen, and try to counter-balance with his legs, trying to bring himself up. We can help him by pulling his hands and he will very gladly sit, but he cannot balance himself yet. We're very impressed.