Baby Sign Language: Mastering Eat and Milk!

Baby sign language is a way to teach infants how to communicate using hand gestures. Hand gestures are easier for a baby than controlling their vocal chords. Using sign language enables your baby to start communicating about six months earlier than if you were just relying on speech. Being able to sign accelerates your baby’s progress to words as well. Studies show that signing babies develop larger speaking vocabularies than their non-signing counterparts.

As well as giving parents a way to start communicating with their baby earlier, baby sign language makes the baby’s life easier too. Being able to tell you what is on her mind gives your baby a little more control over her life, reducing frustration and the resulting fussiness. Many signing babies seem to skip the terrible twos stage and sail smoothly into toddler hood!               Read more here.

My daughter signed “milk” today. I knew she was very close to mastering it as she knew exactly what we meant when we signed it and would get very excited, and look everywhere for it but I didn’t expect to be such proud mum! She is now able to sign “eat” and “milk” and does a great job!

At first, signing wasn’t something I was really interested in. It wasn’t familiar to me, I didn’t know anyone in my entourage who had done it in the past, and didn’t really see a need for it. My husband was really interested in it however, so I decided to my research and decide if this is something I would like to do for our child. I also had the opportunity to meet with another mum later in time who had had great results with her own daughter and the more I read about it, the more sense it made.

We have been very consistent but I have to confess that I didn’t really think she would ever sign back. Well, not that I don’t trust her abilities but let’s say that I didn’t have high expectations. At the present time, we are using “eat”, “milk”, “hurt” and “bird” (I know, random but she loves birds) as well as “more” and “all done”. Now that she masters eat and milk, I want to focus more on “more” and “all done” as this is something that would be really useful (although she shakes her head when she is done so I take it as a “no more”).

I should add that my research mainly consisted (and I realize the choice of word was a tad strong) in reading about the benefits and checking out some signs. I may not be doing it the right way but it is working and everyone’s happy.

I think it might help with her bilingualism as well as my husband and I both use ASL (American Sign Language). She knows that MILK and LAIT means the same.

Have you ever been interested in signing? Would you recommend it? Please share your experience! Thank you!

A Christening in Paris

We decided to baptize our daughter a while ago and thought it would be nice for our French family to do it in Paris, since they missed the wedding and the birth of the baby! The great thing was that I was able to celebrate in style with great French boutiques and shops! I was absolutely delighted by My little day and Chez Bogato! You can use all these for other type of celebrationszaQ

Absolutely amazing hopscotch Christening cake by Chez Bogato,  7 rue Liancourt, Paris 14eme.

You can ask them absolutely anything. Anais Olmer will get in touch with you and you can discuss your wants and needs. She is very nice to work with. They then surprise you with something beautiful! I want to add that the cake not only looked amazing, but it tasted really good. 

Vintage-inspired party favors for the kids by My little day, online boutique.

My little day is a beautiful site with great products to make wonderful parties for children. If you like pretty little things and are young at heart, you might go crazy and decide to buy everything. My little day will make any party planning, a piece of cake! Dorothee and Gabriella are really friendly and very helpful so go check out their shop and let me know what you think!

Moelleux au chocolat nuage and cupcakes stars by Chez Bogato as well. 

Delicious, pretty and cute. What else to say? Chez Bogato is a very small shop/bakery located near Montparnasse in Paris. They also sell sugar cookies, and almost anything edible can be customized. You will also find vintage items such as candies, and kitchen accessories. I am in love!

Recyclable party favor – flower seed kits by recycledideas, Etsy shop.

I really wanted to do something different than sugared almond. To me, they are dreadful. So I looked for something innovative and discovered those flower seed kits while searching on Etsy. I was immediately convinced that they would make great party favors for adults. They were really easy to put together, earth friendly, and I was able to pick the shape of the seeds (sheeps), the colors (ivory, white, and beige), and what I wanted on the little leaflet (name, date, etc…). I am really happy with my choice and I think my guests were pleasantly surprised as well! 

Balloons, glass milk, striped straw, place mat and napkins by My little day.

Did I say it was the best party boutique ever? In the world? 

Invitations by Simply Stunning Stationery, Etsy Shop.

These invitations came all the way from Australia to France. I would have rather order from France for earth-friendly reasons but they were so beautiful that I couldn’t refrain myself and purchased them. Rachel is a lovely Australian lady and she was very nice! 

And last but not least, little Miss Sixtine, wearing her beautiful vintage baby bonnet by 4PennyGirl, Etsy shop.

Her Toy Story

1. Plastic globe that rolls and rolls!
2. Purple wooden crocheted teether by mjolkig
3. Bunny wooden teether by little woodlanders
4. Teething toy with crochet chocolate, coral, and teal wooden beads and two wooden rings. Wooden rattle by nihamaj
5. Wooden rattle Rollo by Haba
6. Pull and Push beads toy
7. Wooden rattle by Haba
8. Oball rattle
9.  Bidiboo Animals Rattle by Janod

I bought number 7 a few days ago for a very excited baby! My mum said she had far enough toys. I honestly don’t think that Sixtine owns a lot of toys per se and apart from books, I very rarely get her any. I absolutely love wooden toys as they are so pretty and safe for baby! They also give room for imagination!

However, Sixtine has been crawling for a bit now and she favorites everyday life objects to toys. She still has a thing for books and she is now showing actual interest in them. Whenever we sit to read, she keeps still and carefully touches the book we are reading, listening to each and every words. She even laughs at times, to express how much fun she is having.

I usually pick a few toys for the week and put some away so that she doesn’t get bored! But I think she is now readi-er than ever for a treasure basket and I am excited to see how she will approach them!

What is or what was your baby’s favorite toy and why? 

An Empowering Feeling

In the first few months of her life, I wondered whether my baby loved me and if she knew I was her mother.

And then one day, as I was leaving the room, letting her in the care of my family, she cried because she wanted me. When I got back, a few minutes later, she crawled towards me as if her life depended on it, wrapped her arms around my ankle, and made sounds expressing she wanted me.  I melted and felt so empowered. It made me feel that I was doing something right.

Now that we can interact more, she doesn’t cease to amaze on the many ways she chooses to express her love to me.

It may sound silly to say that my heart is happy, that my baby loves me but eh!

Growing So Fast

Where did time go?

This morning, my daughter held her own bottle during the entire feeding.  She started showing interested into holding very early but never really did it. I was very proud of her.

After lunch, Sixtine and I went to the living room to play. Now, that she is mobile and can go anywhere she pleases, she loves to be on the go and gets into everything. She especially enjoys going under tables or pulling out DVDs out of the TV stand.

And then, with my help, she stood up while holding onto the coffee table. She tried to move her little feet, so she could grab something she really wanted (the remote – I don’t know about your baby but Sixtine loves everything black, and high-tech/ remotes, cell phones, cables, cameras…you name it).

And then it hit me.I took her in my arms, held her and said: “you are growing so fast little lady.”

It is funny how you are so looking forward to your baby reaching the next milestones and then wonder where your newborn has gone the next day !

Her Big Brown Eyes

Green Parenting l 10 “Biotiful” Ways Of Raising Your Baby

I was naturally inclined to use mostly eco-friendly, natural, and chemical-free products for baby long before she was born. Here is a list of ten things you could do to bio-tify your baby.

• Diapers. They produce so much waste that they had to be on the top of the list. Cloth diapering would be the greener option but for those of you who can’t or don’t want to cloth diaper, eco-friendly diapers are  better than big brand names. They are free of many of chemicals and work just as well as their counterparts. We do both and it works wonders for us. Sixtine has never had a rash since she was born and we don’t use any ointment.
• Wipes. Even the milder wipes are very irritating for the skin of your baby. You could make your own baby lotion and use cloth wipes, or if you are like my husband and like things to be practical, get scent-free, chlorine-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free wipes. I have used several brands (Naty, Seventh Generation,…) but my favorites are the NatraCare which are just the best. “They are free from detergents such as sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) or any of its close relatives, parabens, SHG and other types of formaldehyde releasing preservatives.” They are very efficient, smell naturally delicious and leave Sixtine’s bum moisturized and softened.
• Baby products. Wash. Shampoo. Balm. I know times are hard but don’t let yourself bribed by big brand name companies and check the labels of your baby’s products. You will be surprised to see how many toxic chemicals are in them. I use products such as Lüsa organics, Dimpleskins and I am always on the look for new natural products.

• Food. Many store-bought meals (ie.jars) contain lots of preservatives, thickening, salt, and sugar that your children don’t need. They also don’t taste as good as a real homemade meal so why take the chance? If you don’t have time to cook, then look for organic products are they are a much healthier and tastier option for your baby.
• Clothing. Organic cotton, pure cotton and bamboo are the best for your babies’ skin. I like my daughter to look nice and unfortunately, organic clothing is expensive and not always very fashionable which is why I only buy them in onesies. They are the closest to her skin; she looks nice on the oustide and (I like to think) feels wonderful inside.
• Detergent. Babies are messy, the real kind ! They go through a lot of clothes and if you are cloth diapering, you can double or triple the number of laundry a week.  A great brand we use is Rockin Green Laundry Detergent, you can also use other eco-friendly detergent that will respect baby’s sensitive skin and Mother Nature. Another great option would be soap nuts  which are suitable for the most sensitive skin and are organic and vegan.

• Check your labels always and refer to EWG, Environment Working Group, (“works to protect kids from toxic chemicals in our food, water, air and the products we use every day.”) to find out if your products are safe and compare them.
• Natural play. Outdoors, wooden toys, homemade playdough, flower and leaves picking…, they are a lot of natural ways of playing that are non-toxic and will bring a lot more to your children than some over-stimulating toys. Be crafty and creative !
• Bring Earth awareness to your home. If Mummy and Daddy are respectful to the Earth, baby will as well.
• Now tell us. How Biotiful is your baby? Please share your tips on to raise an eco-friendly baby !

Finally, I know that it is not always possible to get the greener option (financial, location, or even lack of knowledge on the subject) and I am still learning everyday. I think the more important is to try and get informed. I am lucky to have a few green-oriented friends who have been very helpful in the process and I will be happy to answer questions to the best of my abilities or direct you to someone who would know.

Confessions of a Formula-feeding Mum or My Breastfeeding Experience

Sixtine is formula-fed. Discuss.

Breast-feeding vs formula-feeding seems to be a very hot subject lately. I want to tell you the story of my breastfeeding experience.

I became a mum on the seventeenth of October, at 9.08am. My body was naturally ready to feed my baby. Me, not so much. I never really gave a big thought about breastfeeding. I had breasts, I would produce milk, breastfeed my daughter and all would be well in the world. When Sissi was born and they had made sure she was fine, they put her on my chest. And we cuddled. It was a very special moment. She was so little. This skin-to-skin experience was amazing and I will always remember it. Then they put her to my breast. And she started to suck. It felt different but in a positive way, and I felt happy and empowered to be able to provide for my daughter. It wasn’t always easy to find the right position to feed her, but the nurses and lactation consultant were there to help. I started to feel confused after a few hours when different opinions were voiced and that the lactaction consultant told me that if baby was awake, she was hungry which led to a 6-hour (I may be exaggerating but slightly – I was tired so my memory is a little foggy) feeding (on and off) or at least, she was on the breast for those six hours. She was not sleeping, so she was hungry?

We returned home and the real challenge started. Oh dear…! I was beyond exhausted and baby was eating every 2 hours. I wasn’t always confident in the way I was doing it (is she getting any, is she latched on properly…) and it started to hurt. It went from mildy painful to oh-my-god-she-will-probably-wake-up-in-ten-minutes-please-don’t-wake-up-yet.

I loved the emotional aspect of breastfeeding but it wasn’t comfortable for me at all. It hurt a lot. I was always wet. And was somehow disturbed by that new function on a physical aspect: nipple hurting when seeing baby, extreme leakage, wet bed, shirts, everything…

It became very stressful, and extremely painful as in tears and ahh-ohhhs, and sobbs and crying so much one night I had to call a friend. I couldn’t keep my calm and told her how hard it was for me (she was still breastfeeding and I felt comfortable “confessing” myself. She’s not the judgemental type. That helps.) and she advised phoning Public Health which I did.

A nurse came in and checked me out. I felt very vulnerable at that time. Labor and delivery, an episiotomy and breasts in fire, anything she would have said would have made me cry. Even the word “sandwich”. Anyways, she checked my nipples and said: “no one could breastfeed with nipples like that.” It made me feel better because I thought I was being a “baby”. I saw a Dr who prescribed a cream Dr. something (can’t remember – baby brain anyone?), nipple shells, I was all geared up. The plan was to pump for a couple day until my nipples would get better so I could go back to breastfeeding Sixtine. I did feel better. Much better. So I decided to give it another try. My mum was home with me for the first two weeks of baby Sixtine’s life and saw how I was struggling and really highly suggested I formula-feed her seeing me in such pain. When I put Sixtine to the breast after two days off, I said to my mum: “I am scared, she is gonna bite me.” She answered: “You are scared of your own child” and laughed it off. I tried and she made a funny face. A look that said: “don’t want it”. After a couple more times, I assumed she didn’t like being on the breast anymore and I felt hurt but relieved. I decided then to pump my milk and give her expressed milk in a bottle. It worked wonders ! Didn’t hurt at all (anyone has noticed how big nipples get after pumping !?) and I felt good about the fact that she was still getting expressed milk. I was very good at it and was even able to freeze some. After a bit, I wasn’t home much and wasn’t able to pump as much as I used to and ended up producing less milk which made me wonder if I should buy my own pump or stop pumping completely. (The pump I was using was borrowed to the Public Health.)

I decided to stop. Formula was introduced once the frozen breastmilk ran out. I felt guilty at first and slowly, I started feeling somewhat ok with it. I think the feeding choice is a very personal one and I wish it wasn’t looked up or down so much.

My baby got a month and a half of breastmilk and I just want to hear: it is ok, you did your best.

 

10 Things That Change When You Have A Baby

1. You want to better yourself for your baby.
2. You silly dance and sing publicly for your baby like no one is watching.
3. You become less self-conscious. I am talking bad hair day, shaving strike, nude face… You name it !
4. You talk about poop and puke like it is the most natural thing in the world. It is, really.
5. You see the world differently. You have new priorities.
6. Stronger bond with your husband/partner.
7. Get out of the door quickly. Well, actually, according to my husband, I never really did. But it’s gotten worse.
8. Being addressed as —’s mother. It is the best feeling in the world.
9. Guest contribution from my husband: You cherish your free time.
10. New found respect for your mother. Our relationship has grown a lot since I became a mother myself. I appreciate her more and all she did for me.

Let’s make this list a longer one, share !

Big Eyes and Polka Dots