Matthew is 3 months old and is such a blessing to us. When he was born, the doctors discovered that he had achondroplasia, a common form of dwarfism. It was a surprise to us but we are learning what it is and would never trade Matthew for the world. He is so happy and I think he is just excited to get a body however it comes.
One thing with Matthew is that he has to spend a lot of time on his back. He is unable to sit in swings, bouncers, or anything that would sit him straight up. It is just too much for his back right now. As he strengthens it, he will be able to. Well, the first question I had when I found this out was what am I going to do to help stimulate his brain and help him learn even if his eyes will be limited in what they can experience and see.
The first area I wanted to focus on with him was his social and communication development. It is so vital that he learns these skills. This is where he will learn to talk, interact with others, increase his vocabulary and for the future be ready to read.
One thing that I learned about with my 2nd child Christopher was how amazing slings were for these type of developments. Slings are so amazing. They allow the child to be so close to you and yet still allows the child to learn so much about communication and social skills by just watching a mother talk with others. There are other reasons as well why I love these things. I was able to make my own from the website www.slingrings.com. This website shares other reasons why they are so good for babies for their social and emotional development.
The reason I share this is because the doctors told me that I would not be able to use a sling with Matthew. I was pretty bummed about it. However, it has given me the chance to be more creative and allow more one on one time with him.
I have to admit my home these days is much messier but who cares really. When I am old, I will not regret that my house was messy but rather I will cherish these one on one interactions I am having with Matthew. I love spending time just talking to him. I learned from one of my classes at the university I attended that it is so important when talking to a baby that we pause after asking our babies questions. We act as if they are responding to our requests and telling us stories even if all they are doing is just looking at us. It truly stimulates their ability to talk. And I personally think it starts their cooing abilities so much earlier on. When he coos or does not, I act as if I know exactly what he is saying and say things like "Really?" or "tell me more". I then pause and give some time as if he is telling me the answer. Lately, I feel he really is trying to talk to me with the way he is cooing. Oh how I love it. There is nothing much more enjoyable than a three month old talking to me. His smiles brighten my day. The other exciting thing is watching my older two children. My children now mimic me as they speak to Matthew. He sure enjoys their interactions as well. I am so excited to see what this may do for him for the distant future.
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