Jessicat is still waking up around midnight and being difficult to settle back down. As a result of this, Dave and I are feeling pretty tired at the moment. Still, we are looking forward to Dot and Brian visiting, and hope they will be pleasantly surprised by how well Jess is doing (minus the erratic sleeping patterns).
We have been discovering couple of children's classics this week:
Goodnight, Gorilla - Peggy Rathmann. This book has made me realise that it's actually harder to read books that have very little text, as the onus is on me to provide the narrative and explain the illustrations to Jess in a way that she understands. Thankfully, the pictures in this book do lend themselves to lots of talking, repetition and animal noises - 3 things that Jessicat loves! And she does laugh at the page where I have to say "good night" in lots of different voices.
Goodnight, Moon - Margaret Wise Brown. Lovely rhymes make this book a joy to read aloud, though the pictures are very small for Jessicat to comprehend. One very tiny quibble - that balloon is not red, it is orange! I think it's important to get colours right when babies are taking everything in.
Friday, 12 October 2007
Monday, 8 October 2007
The best of times, the worst of times...
Some good days and some bad days. Jessicat's sleep has been a bit disturbed of late by diarrhoea and rampant teething (looks like a molar is trying to push through), so Dave and I have been feeling tired. But her receptivity to songs and books continues to be a joy. She is beginning to imitate the actions to certain songs (Twinkle, Twinkle, Wheels on the Bus, Wind the Bobbin Up etc) and can manage a few basic gestures. Also, I have noticed that if we see a picture in a book of, say, a pair of specs, or a necklace, or an ear, she will turn round and point to my glasses, necklace or ear. All signs that her comprehension continues to develop fast.
A visit to the Central Library on Saturday (whilst Dave was busy re-painting our kitchen) yielded the following:
I Hear - Helen Oxenbury. Great book for prompting a bit of conversation.
ABC - Sarah Phillips. Jessicat loves to feel the different textures in this book, and is particularly fascinated by the pluckable strings on the violin.
One Little Home - Dubravka Kolanovic. Great pictures in this book, with lots of little details to discuss. I also like the fact the the pictures are not too cluttered, so Jess can immediately see and understand what I am referring to.
Find the Teddy - Claudia Zeff. And she can, I am so proud!
A visit to the Central Library on Saturday (whilst Dave was busy re-painting our kitchen) yielded the following:
I Hear - Helen Oxenbury. Great book for prompting a bit of conversation.
ABC - Sarah Phillips. Jessicat loves to feel the different textures in this book, and is particularly fascinated by the pluckable strings on the violin.
One Little Home - Dubravka Kolanovic. Great pictures in this book, with lots of little details to discuss. I also like the fact the the pictures are not too cluttered, so Jess can immediately see and understand what I am referring to.
Find the Teddy - Claudia Zeff. And she can, I am so proud!
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
A week of illnesses...
....for Jessicat and me. She has had a stomach upset (first ever episode of proper vomiting), and I have got a streaming cold. We are now both on the mend, and really enjoying the damp, autumn weather that makes staying indoors and snuggling up with our books so enticing!
Finding books for Jesssicat is challenging at the moment. She has gone past the stage of very first baby books, but is not yet ready for anything other than the simplest of narratives. Books with flaps, mirrors and textures continue to interest her, as do any simple, repetitive stories that feature animals and animal noises.
Some of this week's books:
Bedtime Poems, Moonlight Rhymes - ed by Mary Joslin. This works well as a book to read just before bedtime, and is nice for me, as it features more adult poems, including a great one called Silver by Walter de la Mare, but is really aimed at children 4+.
Happy Birthday, Lulu - Caroline Uff. Jessicat enjoys the Lulu books, and as her first birthday is now approaching, I am taking the opportunity to begin discussing birthdays with her. Another series that I want to share with Jess in its entirety.
What Do You Do? - Mandy Stanley. Love her pictures, and the way the basic text invites participation. Jessicat can't really join in yet, but she giggles when we get to the rocking beetle and I bounce her up and down on my knee.
Ten Stars Twinkle - from the Baby Einstein series. I'm disappointed with this. It's beautifully produced and Jess loves to feel the glittery stars, but the text is uninspired and it's hard to spend long over this book.
Can You Cuddle Like a Koala? - John Butler. We only picked this up from the library yesterday, but as it features lots of beautifully drawn animals, I imagine Jessicat will come to love it (it sometimes takes a few readings now for her to really begin to enjoy a book).
Bear In Sunshine - Stella Blackstone. One thing I love about these books is all the small details in the pictures which lead to lots of conversations and questions about what is going on.
Daisy Says Coo - Jane Simmons. Not sure if Jessicat understands the comedy of a duck saying "coo" rather than "quack", but when she does, I think this will really amuse her!
Finding books for Jesssicat is challenging at the moment. She has gone past the stage of very first baby books, but is not yet ready for anything other than the simplest of narratives. Books with flaps, mirrors and textures continue to interest her, as do any simple, repetitive stories that feature animals and animal noises.
Some of this week's books:
Bedtime Poems, Moonlight Rhymes - ed by Mary Joslin. This works well as a book to read just before bedtime, and is nice for me, as it features more adult poems, including a great one called Silver by Walter de la Mare, but is really aimed at children 4+.
Happy Birthday, Lulu - Caroline Uff. Jessicat enjoys the Lulu books, and as her first birthday is now approaching, I am taking the opportunity to begin discussing birthdays with her. Another series that I want to share with Jess in its entirety.
What Do You Do? - Mandy Stanley. Love her pictures, and the way the basic text invites participation. Jessicat can't really join in yet, but she giggles when we get to the rocking beetle and I bounce her up and down on my knee.
Ten Stars Twinkle - from the Baby Einstein series. I'm disappointed with this. It's beautifully produced and Jess loves to feel the glittery stars, but the text is uninspired and it's hard to spend long over this book.
Can You Cuddle Like a Koala? - John Butler. We only picked this up from the library yesterday, but as it features lots of beautifully drawn animals, I imagine Jessicat will come to love it (it sometimes takes a few readings now for her to really begin to enjoy a book).
Bear In Sunshine - Stella Blackstone. One thing I love about these books is all the small details in the pictures which lead to lots of conversations and questions about what is going on.
Daisy Says Coo - Jane Simmons. Not sure if Jessicat understands the comedy of a duck saying "coo" rather than "quack", but when she does, I think this will really amuse her!
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Jessicat's Second Holiday
We are just back from a week in Weymouth - hence the title. It was a lovely week, and most momentously of all, Jess finally managed to crawl!!! I would like to say that this has marked the end of a period of frustration for Jessicat and us, but first Dave and I have to get down to some serious baby-proofing!
More developments: Jess can say "mama", "dada" and "nana", though not always to the right person. She continues to enjoy blowing raspberries, stetching up high and waving on command. Pleasingly, despite her new found mobility, sitting on Mummy's lap for some books is still one of her favourite activities, and one of the few things that calms her when she is grumpy.
This week's selection includes:
Busy Airport - Rebecca Finn. Jessicat is attracted to the flaps and levers, but the pictures are too busy for her to take much in.
Teatime with Woof - Caroline Jayne Church. Lovely pictures, with a small amount of text, and the ever welcome different textures.
The Very Busy Spider - Eric Carle. At first, Jessicat was not interested in this, but after several readings, is beginning to show more interest.
Noisy Poems - Collected by Jill Bennett. An old favourite, with some poems that could sit equally well in an adult anthology.
Jessicat is now over 10 months old, and we are on the countdown to toddlerdom!
More developments: Jess can say "mama", "dada" and "nana", though not always to the right person. She continues to enjoy blowing raspberries, stetching up high and waving on command. Pleasingly, despite her new found mobility, sitting on Mummy's lap for some books is still one of her favourite activities, and one of the few things that calms her when she is grumpy.
This week's selection includes:
Busy Airport - Rebecca Finn. Jessicat is attracted to the flaps and levers, but the pictures are too busy for her to take much in.
Teatime with Woof - Caroline Jayne Church. Lovely pictures, with a small amount of text, and the ever welcome different textures.
The Very Busy Spider - Eric Carle. At first, Jessicat was not interested in this, but after several readings, is beginning to show more interest.
Noisy Poems - Collected by Jill Bennett. An old favourite, with some poems that could sit equally well in an adult anthology.
Jessicat is now over 10 months old, and we are on the countdown to toddlerdom!
Thursday, 13 September 2007
A frustrating period
Jessicat is frustrated and a bit miserable at the moment. A lot of this seems to be down to her inability to crawl; she will not give up, and so we see the bum go up in the air, followed quickly by "WAAAAH" as she doesn't get anywhere. Jess also seems to be teething, or has a little bug of some sorts; either way, she is most definitely not her usual sunny self at the moment.
I took her to the baby clinic this morning for a general check up. Jessicat weighs 23 lbs, which I am told is perfect for her height. The health visitor advised me that now is the time to be thinking of giving up the bottles in favour of beakers, so as of today, Jess is down to 2 bottles a day plus one beaker of milk. Another challenge for my frustrated little daughter!
With so many changes and so much learning on the horizon, it's good that we are sticking to some old favourites where books are concerned. Yesterday, Dave and I were reading to Jessicat for over 30 minutes; she was whingey and tired all day, and this seemed to be the one activity that calmed and satisfied her for any length of time. Takes me back to the bad old days of colic and my trusty mantra of the time: this too shall pass.
I took her to the baby clinic this morning for a general check up. Jessicat weighs 23 lbs, which I am told is perfect for her height. The health visitor advised me that now is the time to be thinking of giving up the bottles in favour of beakers, so as of today, Jess is down to 2 bottles a day plus one beaker of milk. Another challenge for my frustrated little daughter!
With so many changes and so much learning on the horizon, it's good that we are sticking to some old favourites where books are concerned. Yesterday, Dave and I were reading to Jessicat for over 30 minutes; she was whingey and tired all day, and this seemed to be the one activity that calmed and satisfied her for any length of time. Takes me back to the bad old days of colic and my trusty mantra of the time: this too shall pass.
Monday, 10 September 2007
When will summer end?
We seem to be having a real Indian summer at the moment; frustrating for someone like me who does not like the heat and loves crisp autumn days. You can see the season's change in the darker, longer nights and the improved TV schedules though!
Some more books that Jessicat and I have perused this week include:
Busy Playtime - Rebecca Finn
Busy Beach - Rebecca Finn
Just Like Daddy - Cecilia Johansson
If You See A Kitten - John Butler
We have a huge consignment on order with the library as well, and are reverting back to some old favourites whilst waiting for these to come in, including Happy Dog, Sad Dog, Peepo Baby and Count with Maisy.
I'm reading - and greatly enjoying - Libby Purves's latest book, Love Songs and Lies.
Some more books that Jessicat and I have perused this week include:
Busy Playtime - Rebecca Finn
Busy Beach - Rebecca Finn
Just Like Daddy - Cecilia Johansson
If You See A Kitten - John Butler
We have a huge consignment on order with the library as well, and are reverting back to some old favourites whilst waiting for these to come in, including Happy Dog, Sad Dog, Peepo Baby and Count with Maisy.
I'm reading - and greatly enjoying - Libby Purves's latest book, Love Songs and Lies.
Wednesday, 5 September 2007
New books for September
On the go this month, we have:
Where is Maisy's Panda? - Lucy Cousins. I actually prefer this to Where's Spot?
Wibbly Pig Can Make A Tent - Mick Inkpen
Find the Puppy - illustrated by Stephen Cartwright. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly Jessicat picked up the concept of this book; after just one or two readings, she was able to spot the well-disguised puppy.
The Runaway Train - a Ladybird touch and sing book
Touch and Feel Pets
Jack and Jill and other nursery rhymes - illustrated by Lucy Cousins.
Jessicat continues to grow and do new things. When we blow bubbles during her bath time, she often tries to imitate us in saying "pop". I think she also attempts to say "balloon", though the sound is not clear, so it is hard to be certain. Jess can say "dada" and "mama", but it is very difficult to know if this is said with meaning, even though she can point to Dave or me when asked to.
Her inability to crawl continues to frustrate her. She can move from a sitting position onto all fours, but then gets stuck. Jessicat is not yet pulling herself up. She does appear to have adjusted to the new nap regime, and - touch wood - continues to sleep well, though still waking before 6.30am.
All our activities have started again this week. We are going back to Stay and Play, and library singing sessions, but have abandoned Jolly Babies, as this happens too near to Jessicat's nap time to be viable. We are joining Sing and Sign in Emerson's Green at the end of the month, and I am excited about that.
Where is Maisy's Panda? - Lucy Cousins. I actually prefer this to Where's Spot?
Wibbly Pig Can Make A Tent - Mick Inkpen
Find the Puppy - illustrated by Stephen Cartwright. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly Jessicat picked up the concept of this book; after just one or two readings, she was able to spot the well-disguised puppy.
The Runaway Train - a Ladybird touch and sing book
Touch and Feel Pets
Jack and Jill and other nursery rhymes - illustrated by Lucy Cousins.
Jessicat continues to grow and do new things. When we blow bubbles during her bath time, she often tries to imitate us in saying "pop". I think she also attempts to say "balloon", though the sound is not clear, so it is hard to be certain. Jess can say "dada" and "mama", but it is very difficult to know if this is said with meaning, even though she can point to Dave or me when asked to.
Her inability to crawl continues to frustrate her. She can move from a sitting position onto all fours, but then gets stuck. Jessicat is not yet pulling herself up. She does appear to have adjusted to the new nap regime, and - touch wood - continues to sleep well, though still waking before 6.30am.
All our activities have started again this week. We are going back to Stay and Play, and library singing sessions, but have abandoned Jolly Babies, as this happens too near to Jessicat's nap time to be viable. We are joining Sing and Sign in Emerson's Green at the end of the month, and I am excited about that.
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