As your baby grows....6 weeks old

Tristan James 6 weeks old

This is a week to week update for your baby's milestones. I decided to do this today while thinking about my sister Lynn and my nephew Tristan. She is a first time Mom at the age of 40 (shhh... don't tell her I told you that lol). Who also lives an hour away from her three sisters and Mom now lives in Florida. I know it is hard for her because we are not right around the corner. When I had my daughter's (now 20 & 19) I wouldn't have been able to do it without my family being right there. Lynn and my brother-in law Troy are doing a great job as newbie parents, Tristan is a very lucky little boy. My thought today was, there is some much information out there on the internet and in books, but not having much time to seat and search the web or read a book without falling asleep is very hard. So this is what I am going to do. Each week I will search for her and you to find helpful tips and information and share it with you. This week Tristan is 5 weeks old that is where I will begin. I hope this will be helpful to you. If there is something you would like me to find for you just leave me a comment and I will do my best.


As your baby grows....6 weeks old

Look what my fingers can do! That might be what your baby is cooing to their as they test-drives those powerful tools attached to their hands.

Highlights
*Music appreciation
*Self-expression
*Learning to Grab
*How your baby's growing

Music appreciation

Now that your baby's awake for longer periods during the day, you can use these times to support his sensory development. Try singing your favorite lullabies or playing music.


You don't have limit yourself to children's songs. Fill the house with the sounds of music — from the Black Eyed Peas to Mozart — and watch as your baby expresses his pleasure through coos, lip smacks, and jerking arm and leg movements.


Your baby might also enjoy the sound of wind chimes or a ticking clock. The more varied the offerings, the richer the impact. Inevitably, you'll notice that your baby responds to and favors some selections more than others as he begins to develop preferences.


Don't feel like you need to bombard your baby with music all the time, though. Babies need quiet time, too. An overstimulated child may cry, look away, tense up, arch his back, and become irritable. Try giving your little one time to regroup before moving on to more play

Self-expression

Your baby may not be able to talk yet, but his face is sure telling you a lot. He's experimenting with different facial expressions — pursing his lips, raising his eyebrows, widening or squinting his eyes, and furrowing his brow.


Your baby may be trying to tell you something — perhaps a diaper change is in your future — or maybe he's just exploring his newfound abilities.

Learning to Grab

While his hands were once curled into tiny (and preciously pudgy) little fists, these days your 6-week-old baby is beginning to stretch out his fingers and test what they can do. At around six weeks, your baby is likely to find his fingers endlessly fascinating, and may spend a good chunk of time simply gazing at those magical appendages. (Hey, are these mine?) Or he might realize that sucking on a thumb (or a pinky or a pointer) is soothing — maybe even soothing enough to help him drift off to dreamland. If your little one turns out to be a thumb sucker, celebrate the fact that he's found a way to comfort himself on his own. (And pay no mind to busybodies who say it isn't good for him — at this age, it's perfectly fine.)

Also on your baby's handy agenda: getting a grip. Try putting something (like your finger or the handle of a rattle) in his palm and chances are he'll hold on — and keep on holding! He may even reach for an enticing object and try to bat at it or snatch it for his own. You can thank his ever-sharpening vision for this breakthrough — he can see better now so he's ready to try coordinating his eyes and his hands. Sure, he's got a ways to go before he smacks a ball out of the park, but when it comes to hand-eye skills, practice makes perfect (and his attempts are really cute, besides).

How can you give your little one a leg up on using his hands? For one thing, make sure he logs daily tummy time so he can get a little workout for those hands — and the arms they're attached to. (Remember: Back to sleep, tummy to play — while baby needs to be belly-down to build strength and motor skills, it's not a safe position for sleeping.) He'll likely keep his elbows tucked in now, and just lift his head enough to see the dust bunnies under the couch, but soon he'll be pushing up higher and higher until his arms are straight and he can look out into the wondrous world well beyond his blanket.

How your baby's growing
Now that your baby's awake for longer periods during the day, you can use these times to support his sensory development. Try singing your favorite lullabies or playing music.

You don't have to limit yourself to children's songs. Fill the house with the sounds of music — from the Black Eyed Peas to Mozart — and watch as your baby expresses his pleasure through coos, lip smacks, and jerking arm and leg movements


Have a great week!


The information that is in this post was found at:
http://www.parentsconnect.com
http://www.parents.com
http://www.babycenter.com
http://www.whattoexpect.com






New Moms,newborn,babies,six weeks old,helpful tips,baby