Several questions

Ok, I’m going to answer this.

1. I can’t believe she said 2 months to start giving him rice cereal, 4 months is the youngest you should start. If it worked for you though, than that’s great but I can’t imagine it wouldn’t hurt his tummy. Don’t wean him until he’s a year, then switch straight to Homo Milk because he’ll need the fat and calcium. Weaning at 1 year is not a must do, it’s personal choice, but you have to watch out for teeth problems as a result of using it all the time. As for food, if he’s a hefty eater just feed him what he needs. Let him have a few teeth before he gets into the solid stuff (like apples) but cheese, crackers, bananas, anything really is ok for him to eat now.

2. You CANNOT spoil a baby. They need lots of love and need to know that you will always be there. When he becomes a toddler you will need discipline yes, but giving them lots and lots of love is not spoiling.

3. I found a Safety First bathring at walmart, I’m in Canada so I don’t know if they’re in the states, but that’s where i got mine.

4. Good night Moon is a classic, and ones with big letters and clear pictures he will like. there are some books that leave a place for a picture of their face, so that they are the main character of the story!! My son loves his!!

5. Big fear of mine too, for the stairs get a baby gate and as for the patio, you have to watch all the time. Especially as they get older you’ll realize that they are more mobile but incredibly reckless.

6. If it’s loud and screaming the noise might startle him, but as for the content I don’t think it bugs them but that is a personal opinion. I’m sure lots of people will say different but I personally think it’s not a big deal until they are more aware of things like that.

7. I am not even there yet, so all I can do is wish you the best of luck and it sounds like you have some good goals in life.

8. OMG, this never goes away. Sorry, it’s all part of it. Once you get a little more used to having him and finding your identity as a parent you will become more confident in yourself, but as for being scared about something happening to him, that’s a universal fear for Mother’s and Father’s a like.

9. If you just love him and share your spiritual bond with him, he’ll feel it and be safe. I am personally not christian but I know the power of faith, and he will realize it.

Good luck, I love reading your updates, you are such a great Mom and a wonderful person!!

Hey Girl.. I’m just gonna give you some advice from my personal opinion, take it for what it’s worth. And FYI.. I’m a mom of 5 (4 at home, 1 in Heaven) and my youngest is 6 months old…

1.) Babies should stick with formula until 1 year of age. After that, they should have whole cow’s milk with vitamin D (but they do make formula for older babies 9 months to 12 months.) Typically doctors and WIC advise you to wait till the baby is a little older to start food, this is mostly because babies can develop allergies to common foods. It doesn’t really have a whole lot to do with thir sensitive tummys, but if you are introducing new foods slowly and making sure there are no reactions, then baby should be ok. You also should be aware of the baby’s readiness. They have “cues” to look for such as the ability to support their own head (should be able to sit up, actually), open their mouth in anticipation of the spoon and being able to push the food from the front of their mouth to the back to swallow it. Some peeople give cereal or babyfood to babies in the bottle, but you have to be careful with that as well because this can cause a baby to be a lazy eater (they actually NEED to learn the skills of eating) and they can gain too much weight too fast.
You mentioned that your baby spits up after eating because he’s too full. A little bit is ok, but he shouldn’t be barfing everything up because of overeating. After his meals (assuming he’s eating say a jar of babyfood/cereal with a 6-8 oz bottle per feeding).. try offering him a pacifier. He may need the extra sucking for comfort, not feeding. When they are teething (my boys all started teething really early too) just be gentle with the spoon, or offer the bottle.

And as for weaning from a bottle, you can start offering him a cup with his meals or a tippy (not sippy) cup. If you are trying to get him off the bottle, don’t give him the cups with the no-spill spouts where they have to suck the liquid out. Those are really no different than a bottle. A “tippy” cup has the little holes at the spout that will leak a bit, so be warned the baby will be getting their shirt wet:P . lol. But soon enough, they will learn how to drink from a cup. My daughter was off of a bottle by her first birthday:woohoo: .

2.)It’s not possible to spoil a baby, especially this young. Lots of people will say that you can, but really, what you are doing is meeting your child’s needs. Even a baby that may be constantly fussy or a general pain in the rear has needs that have to be met. When the baby cries and you pick him up, you are teaching him that you are there for him. Even at this very young age, you are teaching your child to trust you. This is a big deal! They do need to learn how to “self soothe” but it is totally a good thing to help them along. Say your son is crying. You just fed him, he isn’t sick, he has a dry diaper, just had a bath, etc. But for whatever reason, he’s fussy or crying. It’s ok to pick him up and hold him/rock him/ love on him. You are teaching him that you are close, nearby and able to meet his needs. Now if he still is fussing try putting him down in his crib. If he cries, it’s ok to let him for maybe 5-7 minutes at a time. Even if they get really ticked off and are turning red, it’s ok. Go back in in a few minutes and get him. If he’s fussy in your arms again after a while put him down again. Keep doing this until he either passes out from being so tired, or till he’s able to be clam in his crib. Of couse if your mommy instinct is telling you to offer a bottle or whatnot, then try it.. but the point is… YOU CAN’T SPOIL A BABY.

3.) You can check Walmart online for a bath seat thing. It suctions to the bottom of the bathtub and helps them sit up. Of course, never leave the baby unattended.

4.) Babies love simple picture books. Try to find a board book with chubby pages. He will probably try to chew on the corners of the books, so make sure you find some without thin pages. I bet more than anything ,he’s enjoying spending time with you and the closeness of you reading to him. You are actually teaching him a lot by the simple act of reading out loud to him. He’s learning speech patterns, word recognition and most importantly, bonding with you! keep up the good work, mama!

5.) Unfortunately you can not completely prevent falls and tumbles. But you can limit their chance of getting hurt by keeping a very close eye on them. Don’t leave them unattended and use baby gates and barriers to stairs. Prevention is the key.

Children NEED to crawl and climb to develop normally. Getting small bumps and bruises comes with the territory. So allow them to try things in moderation with supervision. Your reaction is critical when they do get hurt though. If you freak out and scream or cry when they get hurt, you can scare them and teach them that that activity is something to fear. Insted, try to be cheerful or chipper, but ready to kisss a boobo and hug ’em. This will give them confidence to keep on truckin’ and reassure them that they are ok.

6.) For the movie thing.. it’s my opinion that you should keep that stuff away from kids and babies no matter how old they are. Scarey and inappropriate movies/tv/music really can set your kid up to have issues as they grow. I’m not saying they will turn into axe murderers or any thing like that, but it does ingrain a lack of respect for life in their minds. It can scare them, give them nightmares, de-sensitize them to morals and values etc. Basically, it can confuse them. I’d just keep it away.

7.) For school, there is a lot to consider there. Are you being supported by your family? Monetarily and emotionally? That makes a big difference on your options. If you are able to go to school now, I think that is the best option. A diploma is a better way to go also (in my opinion). Not that there is anything wrong with a GED.. but that is kind of a shortcut. I was in high school when I got pregnant and later went to college. And I can tell you this.. it’s much easier to stay in school than to stop and start all over. And Caden is young. It’s so much easier to do when they are little and you’re not having to help them with their homework ‘n stuff like that.

As for questions 8 & 9.. well, they go hand in hand 🙂 .
really, truly… the best way to help your child to grow in the Christian faith is to live it out in front of them. Start by reading the Bible to them and >>most inportantly<< pray in front of them ((out loud!!)It may be kind of embarrassing to you at first, but tey really don't know enough to think it's funny or weird, ya know? You will not only be teaching them how to talk to God but also how to trust in Him. If they see you doing it as a normal part of your day, they will learn that it's ok and that they can turn to Him too. Don't be afraid to talk about things of God to them either. They are going to believe whatever you tell them, simply because you are their mom. Getting them used to hearing about Jesus and what He's done for them on the cross is the foundation for the rest of their lives. If you do this consistently, not only will you be weaving faith into your children's lives, but YOU WILL find peace and contentment in your own life, I PROMISE!!

If you have any other questions about that or need a Bible, pm me! :kiss: