Counting To Ten and Back To Zero

Aiden, Alexis, Maxwell & Carolyn 8.5 months

With every new stage the babies have gone through there is what I consider a learning curve. They test the waters and learn what works and what doesn't, and we learn what works and what doesn't.

Alexis is now crawling. It is a low crawl, but still she gets from point A to point B by any means necessary. Take for example the day Maxwell was playing with Mr. Crinkles. Alexis saw the toy, wanted it, and pulled herself up using Maxwell's clothes and took the toy from him. She rolls from front to back, and back to front. She pushes up on her tiptoes with her face buried in the floor trying to figure out how to crawl. She knows she can move, but she isn't really sure how to get there yet. She rolls over during feedings, diaper changes, and baths. While she learns how to get away we're learning how to keep her safe. Tonight she crawled over to one of the toddler seats they sit in to watch Baby Signing Times and tried to pull herself up. We.Are.Terrified.





Maxwell is continuing his nightly screams, and even has started screaming during the day. We're trying to figure out how to not encourage the screaming, but give him the comfort he needs. The hardest is when he cries because I leave, and it happens more and more when I drop them off for daycare. Sometimes he is just frustrated, and wants to be sitting up instead of on his tummy, but sometimes he is just frustrated because he doesn't want to be put down. Part of it is his not feeling good due to teething. We are learning to count to ten and then back down to zero when he starts screaming because it is really loud! He has started trying to get his knees up under him. I'm not sure if he is just trying to crawl or if he is learning it from Alexis. Hopefully a little bit of both. :)





Aiden has started coughing AGAIN! I'm going to take him into the doctor's and ask to see a specialist to maybe find out if anything else is going on. I don't honestly know what could be the problem. He has asthma, but when I looked I learned it really won't cause a reoccurring cough. It's hard to see him coughing and not have anyway to help him. He gets a breathing treatment before daycare and one before night. If he is having retractions then we give him a different kind of breathing treatment, but he hasn't been retracting since starting the two treatments a day. That means the two treatments a day are working! YAY! More good news is that Aiden sat unassisted for the physical therapist for 50 seconds!





Carolyn is still crying herself to sleep. We go in to check on her to make sure she doesn't need anything, but if she is just crying because she doesn't want to be in her crib we let her cry it out. Sunday it was almost an hour, Monday it was 30 minutes, and then it was 20 minutes last night. It is a long painful process especially since it is lasting longer than when she kicked the pacifier habit. She is scooting backwards, but we're hoping soon she'll realize she can go forward. She is still the smallest and still has the most attitude. :D