Bears Hugs

Emily has been noticing bears a lot lately. She'll point them out in all of her books. Whenever she sees one, she hugs herself. It's so cute when she gives herself a "bear hug." She's been especially enjoying these two books:

Bear at Home by Stella Blackstone; illustrated by Debbie Harter.
The bright, cheerful colors and bold illustrations got Em's attention. The illustrations are whimsical but realistic. Bear gives us a tour of his home, showing off toys and books and goes through his day, cleaning up, taking a bath and going to bed. His mischievous black-and-white cat keeps him company.

Bear's Birthday by Stella Blackstone; illustrated by Debbie Harter.
Bear has a birthday party and invites nine of his friends. They celebrate with musical chairs, hide-and-seek and of course, cake and presents! It's also a counting down from 10 book as our friend kitty plays with all the balloons and they disappear one by one. We are looking forward to finding the other books in this Bear series.

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's a cold day and the ground outside is covered in snow. The perfect day to stay inside and snuggle with my sweetie. Here are two books we have enjoyed to day to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Baby, I Love You by Karma Wilson; Illustrated by Sam Williams. The refrain "Oh my baby, I love you!" make snuggles and hugs irresistible. The adorable babies in it are hugging a little dog. (so cute.) The "baby" is both the baby being read to and the dog baby being loved.

Emily's Aunt J gave her Clifford, We Love You! by Norman Bridwell for Valentine's Day. Emily's eyes got really big when she saw it and sat mesmerized as I read it to her. Then she read it to herself for a long time after, turning the pages. No matter that it was often upside down at the time! This one is extra special because the little girl who "loved that pup...loved him so that he grew up" is named Emily. This is one for my Emily to "grow" with.

Do you have a Favorite Valentine book to share?

Furry Friends

Emily loves touch-and-feel books. I can remember a few months back when she really started to notice them. She would tentatively touch the book with one finger and find the spots that were different. She had this look of wonder and satisfaction on her face as she found each one. My favorite memory is when I found her reading this book.

Quack! Quack! has bold photographs of farm animals. Each animal has one spot that is furry or soft and they've done a great job making it look and feel like the animal. One day she was sitting with the book flat on the floor. As she turned each page, she leaned over and kissed the special spot. The duck's belly, kiss; the pig's nose, kiss; the dog's ear, kiss. Since the spot isn't in the same place on every page, she'd have to lean a bit one way or another to find the spot. It was so sweet to watch her give her little open-mouthed kiss to each animal! Sometimes when we read the book together, she still gives them kisses. I'd love to know what is going through her little mind!

Baby/Toddler Book Club

Today Emily and I went to a Baby/Toddler Book Club. This was such a fun playdate idea! It was developed by Mommy T, a very creative mom, who hosts it monthly at her home. It's generally the under 3 crowd, but all ages are welcome. Kids play and moms chat for a while, until it is time for the books. There is a snack and sometimes a simple craft. Everyone is encouraged to bring their favorite book from home based on the month's theme. Today's theme was animals and Mommy T had a collection of stuffed animals that the children could choose to hold while the books were being read. Then the moms all took turns sharing their books.

Emily was more interested in emptying the stuffed animal bin than listening to books today, but Mommy T did get her attention when she let her pet the textured touch-and-feel book she was reading. When I worked as a librarian, I often had to reassure parents of little ones that it doesn't matter if it seems their child isn't listening. Even when they don't sit still and pay attention to the book, they are still taking it in. Being busy is an important part of the way they learn. Emily enjoyed touching all the animals.

She did suddenly stop and intently look and listen when Mommy T read

Moo, Baa, La, La, La by Sandra Boynton.
I don't know if it was coincidence or because we have this book and read it a lot, but Emily was very interested for the whole story. If you haven't read Sandra Boynton, you need check her out! Her books are simple and very funny for both children and adults. This one is a story in rhyme with lots of chance for making animal noises.

Another book that was shared today was Poke-a-Dot! Old MacDonalds's Farm
This is the traditional "Old MacDonald" song with a twist. Each two page spread has different animals--10 cows, 9 pigs, etc. There is a button to poke to help with counting all the animals. The older children took turns counting on each page. The singing got Emily's attention and she looked at me and smiled several times.




The baby/toddler book club is an event we will attend regularly. I plan to host my own sometime, too! Thanks, Mommy T for the fabulous idea! (Read more about her book clubs and other creative ideas at thismomcreates.com)

Bucket of Books

I just discovered this post in my draft box from weeks ago...I often have drafts in my head of blogs to write but don't actually get to the computer. This one I started and then promptly forgot. Ironic, especially once you read it. But it's the kind of post that's the reason why I wanted to blog in the first place. To note milestones in Emily's life, especially about reading. So, even though it's old, here it is!

My husband has been keeping a "sentence a day" journal about the things Emily is doing. I got the idea from a blog I read and he decided to do it. Sometimes he writes down things I tell him she did, other times it's things he's noticed. It's a neat record of all those little things and milestones we think we'll remember but know we really won't.

One of the things I meant to blog about during the six-week-blog-drought-of-2011 happened on Oct. 26th. Emily was almost 9 months old. We keep a bucket of board books in the living room. Typically, when we read, she would sit for a couple minutes, maybe for a whole book, maybe not. Usually she grabbed for it, try to put it into her mouth. Sometimes she'd help turn pages back and forth. She had the attention span that you'd expect at her age.

This afternoon, I pulled her onto my lap to read from the bucket of books. This time, she listened to the whole thing. She helped turn the page and sometimes touched it, but didn't try to mouth it. When we were done, she leaned into the bucket and chose another to read. We read that one in the same way and she chose another.

We did this for at least 20 minutes! I could not believe it. Especially since she sat and really looked at the pages and seemed to be listening. She wasn't just picking books up to feel them or move on to the next. We cuddled for 20 minutes and read together. It was such a sweet afternoon to have with her. I knew even then that this would not happen again for a while. It was an unexpected gift.

I'm back

Wow, six weeks without a post! I knew blogging was hard when I decided to start this, but I thought I was up to the challenge. I planned to blog 6 or 7 days a week, or maybe 5, er, how 'bout 3 times? Sheesh!

All I can say for myself is --  it's been busy.

Emily has been busy crawling, exploring, teething, climbing, reading, playing, standing, cruising, laughing, singing, babbling...  You know, Normal Baby Stuff.

Mom has been busy chasing, baby proofing, chasing, laundry, cleaning, chasing, reading, laughing, laundry, not sleeping, enjoying my daughter... You know, Normal Mom Stuff.

I will say, in my defense, that with all the exploring going on, it's all but impossible to be on the computer for more than 5 minutes at a time while she is awake. (She wants to eat the computer for one thing.) And since she flat out refuses to take a nap in her crib, I can only do this (and a million other things) at night when she sleeps. Yes, I know, welcome to the world of momhood! I wouldn't have it any other way.

So, these are my reasons for not blogging recently. Nothing earth shattering. Just me learning to be a mom and juggling all the new things that come along. Making memories rather than recording them.

But now I am back. For how long or how often I can't say. If you don't see me for a while, I am off playing with my daughter.

Emily Reading

Today Emily read a book by herself!

Ok, so she didn't read it the way we would, but it was still a sweet moment.

We have small toy boxes scattered throughout the house. When I set her down next to one, she likes to explore what's inside. This morning she pulled the soft cloth book off the top and "read" it for several minutes. Instead of just feeling it and stuffing it in her mouth as usual, she set in on her lap (right side up), turned the first page, and studied it. Then she turned the next page, played with one of the flaps, and turned the next page. And so on, until she finished the book. We were amazed. It really did look like she was reading it.

While we scrabbled unsuccessfully for the camera in time, we did get this video of her later.  Isn't she cute? 

Lapsit

Today, Emily and I went to Lapsit, a storytime for babies at the Naperville Public Library. This program for the under 2 crowd is a wonderful way to engage children at this age, and the staff at Naperville always do a fantastic job. The 20 minute program consists of lots of fingerplays, songs and one or two short board books. Afterward, everyone is invited to stay in the room to read or meet other families.
While this was not Emily's first storytime, it was definitely the one she was most animated at. She squealed in delight throughout. It was hard to tell what her favorite thing was: seeing other babies, bouncing on my lap as I did silly things with my fingers, or seeing the baby doll that Miss Jill used as her prop.
One of the books was especially cute.

Baby Cakes by Karma Wilson (illustrated by Sam Williams) is a board book in rhyme that in encourages lots of kisses and hugs. It has a nice rhythm, perfect for bouncing baby while reading. I'll be looking to check this one out to read again at home next chance we get.




Does your library have a program for babies? Many do. It's a great way to bond with your child. And it's never too soon to start encouraging a love of books.

Train Ride

I haven't blogged in a while because Emily and I have been on vacation. We had a grand adventure together--traveling by train to visit her grandparents.
It was quite the trip--three trains there and two back, but we managed fine. She is still portable and not yet crawling, so she was mostly content to explore the world from my arms.
Still, it's a long time to be in one place, even walking the cars to and fro. So, we did a lot of lap games.
Here are a few that we did together.

"This little train went up the track."
(Tickle her from toes to hip)
"It went choooo-choooo." (tickle her tummy)
"And then it went right back."
(Tickle from hip to toes.)

Bouncing her~"Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, chooo-chooo!"

Clapping out the rhythm~
"Jiggety, jiggety, jumping jacks
This little train sped down the tracks
It went to Missouri, then came back.
Jiggety, jiggety, jumping jacks."

Nom Nom Nom

Like many babies, Miss E loves to put things in her mouth. It's one of her favorite ways to explore the world. She especially likes brightly colored things. The bolder they are, the better they must taste.

This strong desire to taste everything makes reading a challenge. She watches me turn the pages, fascinated. Then her excitement builds and she urgently wants to put the corner in her mouth. And then the other corner. And the next.

Should I let her or shouldn't I?

I want reading to be an enjoyable experience and right now, this is one way she enjoys it. But if I let her, the book would be a sodden pulp in record time. What might be OK with her own books, wouldn't be with library books. But I don't want to tell her "No" constantly while trying to read to her. Plus, she is quite talented in getting desired objects into her mouth, despite my best efforts to thwart her.

I've come up with a solution that works a lot of the time. Perhaps experienced parents already knew this trick, but I was quite excited when it worked. It's amazingly simple. When we sit down to read, she gets a toy.

It might be her plastic giraffe or her teething ring. Sometimes it's her red bug. Lately she always has a death grip on a plastic ring or two. She "eats" the toy and watches me turn the pages of the book. Sometimes she bangs her ring on the page to show she likes it. It still takes some coaxing sometimes, but she is less likely to drop the toy to try to eat the book.

There are other solutions too, such as reading fabric books, or indestructibles. Putting her down on the floor with her toys as I read aloud works too.

When we hit this phase, I was beginning to worry that we wouldn't be able to cuddle and read together. Now, it's a fun experience again for both of us.

Baby Signing

A few years ago, I knew a child who had several older siblings and did not seem to want to talk. It may have been that she wanted to get it just right before saying things or that she felt that she couldn't get a word in edgewise! Or it may have been simply that she was more comfortable communicating with her body and facial expressions than with her voice. She was in no way delayed but her reticence to communicate verbally brought much frustration to her and her family. So her mom started teaching her baby sign language, something she had never done with her older children. The change was amazing. Suddenly, the little one had a way to communicate that she could master until she was ready for words.

I Have Ten Fingers

"I have ten little fingers and they all belong to me.
I can make them do things, would you like to see?"~ traditional fingerplay

A friend told me once when Emily was very small, "Wait until she discovers her hands!" She was right. One day, Emily suddenly found her hands to be immensely fascinating. This was more than sucking on them. She twisted her hand one way and then another, with intense scrutiny and awe.

She is past that stage now, but is still learning how to make them do what she wants. Someday she'll blow kisses and wave, but for now she is content to grab a toy and put it in her mouth. (Success!)

Ten Little Fingers by Annie Kubler is an oversized board book of the fingerplay. (Published by Child's Play, it also  won the platinum award for best book by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.) It's illustrated with giggly children doing each of the actions. The story can be read, and done with the actions. It can also be sung, with the music on the back cover. (I've also done this fingerplay as part of storytime because it ends with hands folded quietly and held just so.)
Fingerplays are great to help children learn listening skills and to follow directions. They love to model and feel a sense of accomplishment when they can do simple movements.While Emily isn't ready to do them yet, she is just as fascinated with my hands as she was with hers.

Do you have a favorite fingerplay?

Tickles, Giggles, and Bouncy Rhymes

It's a joyful day when you hear your child laugh for the first time. Once you hear it, you want to hear it over and over. And then the quest is on, to find what else will make her laugh.

Emily loves bouncy rides. One of my favorites is to the tune of "The Mulberry Bush." I put her on my lap and gently bounce.
"This is the way the baby rides,
Baby rides, baby rides
This the way the baby rides
Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy."

Sometimes it's surprising what will make her laugh. I also do "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as a bouncy rhyme and she thinks it's ridiculously funny. (Who would have thought?!)

A new one she likes is a tickle rhyme~
"There once was a bumblebee under the barn
(circle finger in air closer and closer to baby)
carrying dinner under his arm
and when he got there he went "Bzzzzzz!" (tickle baby)

Bouncy and tickle rhymes are great ways to have some together time when we are sitting on the porch enjoying the weather or when she is tired of playing with toys and wants to be held. I like variety, so when I was on my quest to find more lap games, I discovered this CD.

'Round and 'Round the Garden: Music in My First Year! is one of several collections by John M. Feierabend and Luann Saunders. It has over 60 rhymes and songs for playing with baby. According to the insert, they have been collected "from the memories of our parents and grandparents, in hopes that these treasures will be preserved for future generations." In addition to bouncy and tickle rhymes, there are "wiggles" (done while wiggling baby's toes or fingers), tapping and clapping songs, and lullabies. While your voice is the most exciting to baby, having a CD is a great way to learn the words and melodies. Or you can have laptime and play along with the CD. I was reminded of some old classics and found some new favorites.

How do you make your little one laugh? Any lap games to share?

Books We Read Today -- In the Garden

Yesterday my daughter and I had fun in the garden. Actually, at 6 months old, Emily had fun watching me plant flowers and prune bushes as she chewed on her toys. Whenever we go outside I can tell she is listening and watching intently. Is it a bird she hears? A bug whizzing by her? Someday she will be old enough to explore the garden with its flowers, insects, and mud. Until then, we can both enjoy some books on gardening, bugs, and birds.

 The Little Composter by Jan Gerardi.
I had to smile when I saw this book. We compost at our house, but I never expected to see a board book about it! This is a clever lift-the-flap book with a simple story in rhyme. (See the melon, lift the flap, and see the rind.) The perfect book to illustrate composting for your little gardener. Part of the Teenie Greenies series.

In My Nest by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich.
Look closely at the illustration at the right and you'll see it looks just like a nest with a bird in it. The pages are cut out to give the illusion of a nest and the bird is a finger puppet! This is sure to get the attention of a child, and yet it is not gimmicky. It is a wonderful way for a child to explore in a tactile way until you can do it with a real nest.  There are other similar books in this series, such as In My Pond, and In My Den.

 I Like Bugs (a touch-and-feel board book) by Lorena Siminovich
At first glance, this is a very simple book. It's about bugs and counting to five. That's it. Three beetles, four bees.... Simple. But the illustrations make it something fascinating to explore. Done in collage and texture, it has a 3-D feel to it. A lot of thought was put into the illustrations, too. Most of the illustrations match the number on the page. You'd expect four bees to be on page number four, but there are also four flowers and even four leaves on each flower. It makes reading the same book over and over that much more exciting to both parent and child.

Books We Read Today -- Snuggletime

Hide-and-Seek Baby by Fiona Watt; Illustrated by Catherine-Anne MacKinnon.
This is a sweet board book to share. Baby plays with a soft blanket and asks, "Where are my toes?" She lifts the blanket, and exclaims, "Here they are!" There are plenty of opportunities to play with your child with this one. Peekaboo, naming parts of the body, and tickling are just a few. Drawn in pastels, this is part of the "Snuggletime Touchy-Feely" series by Usborne. Each page has a soft spot where the blanket is and on the last page the blanket can be lifted.

Busy Baby  by Fiona Watt; Illustrated by Catherine-Anne MacKinnon. ("Snuggletime" series; board book)
Baby has his trusty blanket (which can be felt or lifted) as he goes about his busy day. His friends bear, duck and rabbit are back for the fun. Your toddler may mimic the repeated refrain, "I'm busy." If you have an equally busy toddler, you might try reading this while he (or she) is busy playing. It's not essential that a child sit on your lap to listen to a book. Children are often taking in just as much (sometimes more) when they are active. So while he plays with his blocks or trucks, try reading. He just might join you for a page or two.

Time for Sleep

Only one week into blogging and I'm already behind in posting! Ah, the joys of having a six month old. That probably sounded a tad sarcastic, but it has been mostly joyful ~ the grandparents were here for a lovely weekend visit. Emily, of course, basked in their attention. While they were here, my husband and I went on our first real date since our daughter's arrival. After a delicious and quiet dinner at Macaroni Grill we realized there was a time not that long ago that we would have gone dancing afterwards. Instead, we opted for a nap. Bliss.

Sleep has been a bit elusive for Miss E in the last few weeks. She'll have a great night (which for her is 6-8 hours, eat, then 3-4 more) and then have a night where she wakes up every hour. Yes, that's right, every hour. (Even as I write this, she has just awoken after a whole 30 minutes. I know it's a phase, but momma's tired.)

Not surprisingly, lullabies have been on my mind.

I have always loved the melody of "Brahm's Lullaby." I never knew the words. Several of my nieces have been sung to sleep by me with the words, "Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep my sweet baby, go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep my fair child. Go to sleep...." you get the idea. (Hey, it worked.)

With a new baby on the way, I thought I should finally learn the real words. I discovered there are many versions of the lullaby. So making up my own wasn't that far off, right? (Except real artists did it much better.) My favorite is by Jewel from her album Lullaby. When I can find the piece of paper that I've put the lyrics on, Emily get's to hear this version. Otherwise she gets whatever I can think of that makes sense in the moment--which may not make much sense at all when it is 3 am. (Poor kid.)

Another discovery was the song "Hush" by Sara Hickman. Written by Sylvia Long, it is a beautiful adaptation of "Hush Little Baby." It can be found on her album Newborn. Instead of "If that mockingbird won't sing, Papa's going to buy you a diamond ring," it's "If that hummingbird won't fly, Mama's gonna show you the evening sky." And later, "When that storybook's been read, Mama's gonna bring you your warm bedspread." This was one of the first songs I sang to her as we got to know one another, rocking in the dark.

Now it is time for sleep. "Lullaby, and good night."

Books We Read Today

Have You Ever Tickled a Tiger? by Betsy Snyder
I'm partial to tigers, so this one caught my eye right away. It's a touch-and-feel board book with a variety of textures. It's amazing what can be done with books these days. The ostrich has feathers and the walrus whiskers! It's a silly story, with rhymes and lots of room for actions and noises. The illustrations are lovely--collage style with nice detail. We will be sure to return to this one when my daughter gets the idea of touching the book beyond trying to eat it. (Trying to eating everything is a recurring theme in our house.)

Mary Engelbreit's Funny Mother Goose 
I love Mary Engelbreit, so this was a natural choice to check out. It includes 6 "funny rhymes to share"~ Jack and Jill, Pat-a-cake, Old King Cole, Ring Around the Rosebush, Curly Locks, and Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling. Part of the charm of ME, in my opinion, is her ability to make things both old-fashioned and modern. For me this was spot on for a set of nursery rhymes. This board book will be appreciated more when my daughter is a bit older, but for now she just likes to be read to. It never hurts to have books you like to read. Especially when you'll read it over and over and over and over...

At the Beach by Salina Yoon
A "first-words" board book, this has clever cut outs to give a 3-D feel to the pictures. This one has really captured my daughter's attention. It has bright, bold and shimmery colors. I used to think, how do you read a one-word-per-page book (over and over) and not think, BORING!? I've found it helps when the child is very excited by those simple words and pictures. Pointing out different things on the page each time you read it helps too, at this stage. First time through, it's a shovel. Second time, a green shovel, third time, ask "What do you do with a shovel?" and so on. Until it really is time for another book! This one is perfect for babies and toddlers.

Rubber Ducky Club

"But the one little duck with the feathers on his back, he led the others with a quack, quack, quack..." --From the song, six little ducks, traditional.


This summer my little one joined the Rubber Ducky Club, a Summer Reading Program for babies. "But, babies can't read," you say. True, but they can participate in early literacy activities. It is never too early to do fun, easy, literacy-rich things with your child.

This 8 week program, provided by the Naperville Public Library, was a super fun way to play and read with my daughter. The reading log suggested 12 simple activities for parents to do at home with their child, incorporating the 6 early literacy skills that encourage reading readiness. Some examples included singing the alphabet song while flipping through an alphabet book, and reciting or singing a nursery rhyme with actions.

This became a family affair. My husband declared a letter of the day and walked around the house pointing out anything and everything that started with B (and again with E, and T... He really got into it.) Emily would listen intently, thrilled that Daddy was walking around with her and talking to her. It didn't matter that she had no idea what a thermostat was or that the purple plastic thing she was trying to eat was supposed to be an elephant. But she was gaining the building blocks of language while having fun with her father. 

Midway, she received her own rubber ducky. At the end, she earned a book. This is what I chose for her:

Hey Diddle Diddle! published by Child's Play; illustrated by Annie Kubler. The traditional nursery rhyme is rendered in watercolor with adorable babies dressed in costume acting out the rhyme. The music is printed on the back cover.

The summer program is now over, but we'll continue to do the activities throughout the year, until it is time to sign up again. Your library just might do something like this for your child and you might not have to wait until next summer -- some do winter programs. And even if they don't, your family can still have fun with simple games to play with your baby.

What games do you play with your baby?

Magazines for Babies?

Anyone who has cared for babies knows they love to put things in their mouths. And they will grab everything in sight. So magazines and babies don't usually go together. Not when you want to be able to read the magazine after the baby!

But there actually are magazines for babies and toddlers. Here are two that I checked out from the library.

Babybug
According to the publisher's website www.cricketmag.com, it is meant for children 6 months - 3 years. The pages are thicker and hardier than regular paper. It is not as durable as a boardbook, but made for little hands. It's about 6 x 6 and a dozen pages. Just like a magazine for mom, there are several short stories in each issue. It includes rhymes, poetry, and counting. There are even recurring characters, Kim and her rabbit, Carrots. Parents can go to www.babybugmagkids.com for more ideas on reading with kids. Other than a pull-out to purchase their line of magazines, this is advertising-free.

Wild Animal Baby
Published by the National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org, they intend it for ages 2-4. The pages are thicker than a typical magazine but not as durable as Babybug, so I would read this with my 6 month old only when she is in a quiet mood. It is the same size as Babybug and filled with photographs and other fun illustrations. It regularly features a simple I Spy, action rhymes, alphabet games and a simple craft. You can check out a sample issue online. The website has a section for parents for additional activities that go along with the current issue, including patterns, crafts and coloring pages. The mag is also an ad-free zone.  For screen-time conscious parents, there is a regular feature, "Wild Animal Baby Explorers," which is also a tv show on PBS. Wild Animal Baby is a 2011 Parent's Choice Award Winner.

Children want to do the same things we do, so having magazines just for them is a fun option. They will enjoy them for the same reason we do. Short stories, variety, and lots of eye-appeal.

Are there magazines you share with your little ones?

Books We Read Today

Go, Baby, Go! by Jorge Uzon
Babies and toddlers love photographs, especially of faces. It is one of the first things babies connect with. This book makes me want to have a  book of my daughter's photos for her. Hmmm... I can see a family project in our future. This is a day-in-the-life of a busy toddler.



  
  

I Love You Baby from Head to Toe! by Karen Pandell; illustrated by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
This lovely book is done in crayon and colored pencil. It's quite lyrical. Seemingly simple, it has a subtle complexity. (For example, "Baby's skin is as smooth as petals.") There's lots to explore on each page, but it isn't busy. Great for a quiet snuggle. As board books go, it is a bit larger, so it would work for a small group.

Where is Baby? by Sally Rippin
Simple board book with bright, bold colors (which are easy for little babies to see). Each page asks "Where is baby?" with answers in rhyme. For the older toddler, you can also search for the three little friends of the three babies--frog, parrot and bear.