I have found that my body clock isn't forever stuck on Lunch Hour and has finally started to move along and developed a motherly instinct. Yes ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I am finding this baby cute!
At 2 months he is quite a bit more interactive than he was as a newborn. And while this is something that is a given to most people, I as a 1st time mum didn't quite know that.
How do we know he's not a retard? Well we don't. But we have got some milestones to check against:
- Mastered skills (most babies can do) at 0 month:
- Can focus on objects 25cm (for the miscreants who still use the imperial system, that's 10 inches) away. Check.
- Prefers to look at faces and high contrast patterns. We didn't quite give him a choice of things to look at and ask him to rate them in order of preference...
- Is alert for 1 out of every 10 hours. Check. And no more caffeine for me.
- Has strong reflexes. Check.
- Mastered skills (most babies can do) at 1 month:
- Lifts head when lying on tummy. Check.
- Responds to sound and voices. Check.
- Stares at faces. Check. He stares so much sometimes I wonder whether I have a bit of lettuce stuck between my teeth.
- Has begun to unfurl hands and relax muscles. Check.
- Can briefly hold objects. Check. If you count Mummy's fingers, T-shirt, hair or glasses.
- Enjoys visual stimulation. Check. A cot mobile is a fantastic buy for anyone with the attention span of a goldfish.
- Starts to associate crying with need-fulfillment. Ohhh yes. Check. - Emerging skills (half of kids can do) at 1 month:
- Can see black and white patterns. Hmm. How am I supposed to know? Ask him if he sees Loki our Dalmatian or Naliah our black & white cat?
- Mastered skills at 2 months:
- Vocalises oohs and aahs, gurgles and coos. Check.
- Follows objects across field of vision. Check.
- Notices his hands. Don't know. How do I know? Will he be staring at them? Will he look all surprised when he sees them? Will he poke them to make sure they're his?
- Holds head up for short periods. Check. Generally long enough to dribble on his mat.
- Bring both hands together. Nope. That being said, Nico has no need so far to either clap or pray.
- Know difference between parents and strangers. Don't know, I haven't quite asked him to point out. - Emerging skills (half of kids can do) at 2 months:
- Smiles, laughs. This is another grey area for me. He certainly smiles and chuckles in his sleep and sometimes when he's awake, however this appears to be involuntary facial movements. I think I see a hint of a smile sometimes, but it could be wishful thinking as well. Either way, he really is cute when he does it.
- Holds head at 45-degree angle. Check.
- Makes smoother movements. Nope. His movements are still a bit jerky particularly when I make a sudden movement when he's asleep in my arms. And they're generally accompanied by a HolySh*tYou'dBetterNotDropMe look on his face. - Advanced skills (a few kids can do) at 2 months:
- Holds head steady. He does every so often, but only when he is carried over the shoulder.
- Pushes down with legs when placed on surface. Check.
- Lifts head and shoulders when lying on tummy and does mini-push ups. I've seen him do it on occasions.
