Well, I came down with an awful sinus infection - again! Hopefully it's not the flu and the antibiotics that I have knock it out quickly. Sadly, I am avoiding too much contact with baby Asher because I really don't want to get him sick! It's incredibly hard not to snuggle with your little baby when he's looking up at you with the sweetest eyes! This has left me with more time than usual to edit pictures, so I have lots of them today! In my feverish state, I think I made some really good edits (unless I'm so out of it that they just look great right now...) - hopefully I can replicate these effects in the future! Haha. Anyways, on to today's topic...
Tummy time is so important. It helps with physical, cognitive and visual development, and helps prevent problems such as flat head syndrome. It strengthens the upper body and aids in sitting up, crawling and walking... But it can also be a challenge! When using our activity gym/play mat to have "tummy time" with Asher, I was left frustrated and felt like something was missing. While on his tummy, Asher obviously was not looking up at the hanging toys, and the arches made it difficult for me to interact with him. He got fussy after just a few minutes and I could understand why. That did not look fun at all! We weren't nearly getting in enough tummy time and were starting to notice a slight flat head starting to form! :( So, I started the search for a better way.
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| Asher in his Rock & Play with a flat head preventing cushion beneath him. Just say no to flat head! |
I found a great play mat from Tiny Love, the Super Mat, that was large enough for me and John to both sit and play with Asher. Like I've mentioned before, we have 2 pugs, and they shed SO MUCH so I have not wanted to put Asher down on our bare rug and blankets just don't seem to provide enough cushioning. Then, I read great reviews on the Tummy Time Triangle from Infantino. I bought both and was ecstatic when the play mat and tummy triangle arrived a few days ago. I had no idea what a success both of these purchases would turn out to be!
The play mat has been such a wonderful addition to playtime. We now can much more easily play with Asher, and that makes it worth every penny alone. He practices rolling over, I lay with him and hold up high contrast flash cards, he laughs and smiles like crazy...! It's great!
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| Striped onesie from Gymboree - a gift from my mom! He looks so cute in it. He's such a big boy! |
Asher instantly was entranced while on the tummy triangle. He stared at himself in the mirror for what seemed like 10 minutes! Now he stares at the little plush bee, as well. We were both shocked at how long he could hold this position with his head and chest so far off the ground. He was so steady, too! We get in a good hour per day of tummy time, at least, and even more play time now that we have these items. He is even sleeping more now since he is getting more interactive play while awake. Our morning routine is starting to become more regular - wake between 7-9am, eat, play, then nap begins about 2 hours later. Before, his naps were still pretty sporadic and there wasn't much rhythm going on. I really think this has made a difference so far. Another perk - the colorful mat makes for some great pics, too!
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| This striped sleeper is from a Carter's set. |
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| Asher is wearing L'ovedbaby pants and a striped onesie from BabyGap. I see a theme in how I dress him... |
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| I think we're gonna be able to roll over very soon! |
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| Warning - overstimulation may occur! Nap time may be necessary. :) |
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| Suki knows just how to comfort Asher. |
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