She Turned Her Dreams Into Plans

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Gross & Fine Motor Skills Development

Do you ever wonder if your baby is ahead or behind on their motor skill development? Or compare your little one to other babies you see? I know I do both of these things at times, I think all mothers do. Motor skills are what happens when the brain, nervous system and muscles are all working together. Babies generally follow the same pattern and time frame for learning fine and gross motor skills. These milestones are what all parents are looking for in their growing baby.

There has been plenty of opportunities for me to compare with my little man. He has a cousin who was born 5 days before him and when they were both two months old, I started babysitting her everyday (along with another 14 month old boy...kinda sounds like what I have going on right now...except now they are all mine). Anyways, she has been ahead of him in all her gross motor skills. Crawling long before him, walking around 9 or 10 months. My little man is 14 months now and still not walking yet. He took forever to crawl, too...he just does things when he is ready.

Here is a general idea for when your baby will be doing things. Just remember that all babies learn things at their own pace and sometimes they will be ahead or behind what the general time frame is. If your pediatrician isn't worried about them, there is no reason you should worry either. In the next few weeks I will be writing about activities you can do with your baby from 0-12 months to help them work on some of these gross and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor Skills:

Holds head up and steady (1-2 months)
Lifts head and chest while on tummy (2-3 months)
Sits while supported (2-3 months)
Rolls tummy to back (3-4 months)
Rolls back to tummy (3-4 months)
Sits alone (6-8 months)
Pulls to stand (8-9 months)
Crawls (9 months)
Cruise walking (9-10 months)
Stands alone (11-12 months)
Walks alone (12-13 months)

Fine Motor Skills:

Reflexive grasp (birth)
Ineffective pre-reaching (1-3 months)
Voluntary grasp (3 months)
Successful reach and grasp (4-5 months)
Controlled reach and grasp (6-7 months)
Pincer grasp with thumb and forefinger (9 months)
Claps hands (10 months)
Releases objects crudely (12-14 months)
Controlled release (18 months)

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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

My Favorite Television Shows This Season

It's another hot, humid and cloudy day today. I wish we would get a nice big storm or something! It seems like it's going to but it just never does. We could really use the rain. It rained a tiny bit the other day, but we need a lot more than that. Some areas around us had baseball-sized hail, which we can do without. We just need the thunder, lightning and rain part of it!

All three babies are sleeping, I probably should be too, but every time I try to take a nap during the day, I get super lazy and sleepy and spend the rest of the day trying to stay awake. It's better that I don't even take one! I will spend the time writing this blog post instead. The poor babies had their two month check up yesterday and of course they got some shots as well. So they've had a fever all night and still don't feel good today.

Everything is so different with them than it was with my first little guy. He never got a fever or was cranky or anything after his shots. Their skin is much more sensitive than his ever was. In the evenings they tend to get really fussy and sometimes like to scream and cry for no reason and nothing will settle them down. Little man was never like that, I think he might have been the perfect baby. Or maybe I'm forgetting how things really were...that is always possible.

We have been working with little man to get him to practice walking. He has taken his first few steps already, and he stands on his own just fine, he just seems to be scared to actually walk by himself. He has started walking on his knees lately, it's quite funny. I'm sure he will start walking any day now.

Since my husband works so much and by the time he gets home we have to eat dinner, give baths and get the kids to bed, the only thing we really have time to do in the evening is watch some TV. The great thing is we both like the same shows. How cool is that? Here are the shows that we will be watching this season and some we have been watching this summer. They are listed from my favorite to least favorite.

1. The Walking Dead: This one I just started watching since the end of the last season and I love it. Never thought I would like it.

2. Sherlock: So excited for this one! If you haven't seen it you have to.

3. New Girl: Hilarious and weird, that's why I like it.

4. Under the Dome: Summer show, not much like the book at all, but still very good

5. Once Upon a Time: I am in love with fairy tales, so this is the perfect show for me

6. Supernatural: I didn't like this show that much at first, but after watching all the seasons on Netflix, I'm kind of hooked

7. Castle: My husband's favorite and it is pretty good.

8. Bones: Getting a little old after being on so long, but I am still a fan

9. Dexter: I've only seen the last couple of seasons, but I want to watch the first ones. I wish it was still on Netflix. This one is also a summer show.

10. The Big Bang Theory: Another of my husband's favorites. I watch it mostly because he does, but it's pretty funny at times.

11. Burn Notice: Another summer show, very far-fetched but awesome at the same time

12. How I Met Your Mother: Loved the first few seasons so much, but it has gotten a little meh lately...

(Click on the photos for sources)

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Monday, August 26, 2013

Slow-Cooker Taco Soup

So remember my post about staying motivated last week? Well I think I need to read it again, today I have not been motivated to do anything at all! It probably has something to do with the grey, dreary weather outside because that never helps. I did finally get some stuff done but it took me alllll day before I started. The good thing is we finally got some raid that we desperately needed.

This delicious soup is a perfect meal to have on days when you don't feel like doing much. It cooks in the slow cooker all day long and you don't have to do anything else once you start it! It's also very good (and fairly spicy). It made a lot of soup, for us it was about three meals worth. We had corn bread with it one time, you can pour the soup over the bread and it's really good. Another meal we had rice with it and I put that into my soup which was also very yummy.

Taco Soup (adapted from examiner.com)

1 pound of ground beef
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1 (16 ounce) can of chili beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can of kidney beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can of whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes
1 package of taco seasoning mix

1. In a skillet, brown the ground beef and drain the grease.

2. Combine everything in your slow cooker, mix to combine and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours.

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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Raising Imperfection Link Party!

It’s Sunday! ~ Welcome to Week #34 of Raising Imperfection!

ANNOUNCEMENT: NO link party next Sunday the 2nd {It's Memorial Day Weekend!}

It's your favorite post Sunday link party!

We hope you all enjoyed having last Sunday off but we are back to see what you've been up to the last two weeks! Please view our very short introduction video for some announcements.

Be sure to come back for Feature Fridays! Leslie and I choose our favorite links from the link up and feature them!If you missed the last features, you can see them HERE.

Please grab our link party button!