Signing
After I asked you for your opinions on signing and other things, I decided to sign every word I can remember to Paul. The day after I started signing everything, Paul started “babbling” in sign. It was so cute! Now he consistently signs “More” but I don’t think he actually knows what he means. Video here.
(I’m starting to feel conflicted as to which site to put these things on: it’s about Paul so it should be on Paul’s Page, but I’m the one trying to figure things out, so it should be on my page. I guess I can’t separate him from me anymore!)
Sleeping
As for sleep, Paul’s been going from 6:30 or 7 p.m. until 6 or 7 a.m., except for the few days lately when he’s awoken screaming in the night or in the early hours. I’m pretty sure it’s teething but I’m hoping we can get back to a normal schedule. I like the waking up at 7 a.m. thing! I wish it happened more often.
Eating
I’ve figured it out what to cook for Paul. I refuse to make food for myself without salt, so for now I’m still making two separate dinners. Paul eats at 5 and we eat at 8 anyway, so it’s not that big of a deal. But Paul’s food tastes pretty good these days! I really like pumpkin. It’s a good base for just about everything.
TV/Movie Watching
When do kids actually notice TV/movies? We don’t have a TV but I did try to introduce Paul to Winnie the Pooh, watching it on my computer. He didn’t pay attention for more than 5 or 10 minutes.
I ask because I want to buy Signing Time and I’m not sure it’s worth it for such a little boy who won’t sit still anyway. It’s not that I want to encourage TV watching anyway, so I might as well wait, I guess. We do have an actual TV screen in storage, so we’ll have it again when we return to the USA. (We still won’t have TV, though.)
Toys
What is the best kind of toy for a 9-month old? I’m still relying on his rattles and other 6-month-old toys and they are just not enough for him. (I was going to wait until we got back to the USA to get more toys, but I’m tired of waiting and he’s bored!) I got him a ring tower and today I’m going to look for a peg puzzle. Any other ideas?
I think Paul would like toys that make noise–there are some soft toys with bells inside. There are baby “pianos” that make noise when you hit the keys. I think he would also like toys like plastic cars and people–he’d recognize them, and he will soon be old enough to really roll a car or make a person walk. Right now, a car would respond by rolling away when he hits it.
I confess, my babies at 9 months liked colorful food boxes–with pictures of the Quaker Oats man or Cheerios.Â
Toys – Have you tried a ball or cars? And games with you like peek-a-boo and making funny faces. I think 9 months is around when they start to love that they can MAKE things happen. Like make a ball roll or a car move, make you make a funny face or reappear, etc. Cause and effect stuff. But don’t be hurt if he doesn’t spend more than a minute or two on any toy (or the TV). They just don’t have much attention span yet.Â
My 13 month old still doesn’t pay much attention to the TV.  Even when it’s on and he’s in the room he doesn’t really stop to watch it. He’s way too busy chasing after balls, etc. But he does love to bop along to the music on the TV. Have you tried dancing with your little man yet? It’s pretty fun. And as an added bonus, you can kind of excercise at the same time (squats, lunges, etc.).
Sleep – Sounds like you’re doing good. Just stick to the schedule and assume the bad days are the exceptions. Even my two year old sometimes still goes through short phases where he decides he doesn’t like bedtime or naptime. He’s a buggar for a few days and then he gets back into the rythm of things.Â
Thanks for the ideas! Mom, I would try the cereal boxes, but I know they will only end up as mushy cardboard in Paul’s mouth! I think I’m going to find some balls. I did get him a little train that rolls around and he’s starting to chase after it. He didn’t for a few weeks.
As for the TV, I guess I hold off getting Signing Time or Sesame Street Old School until we get back to the US and we actually have a TV screen. I can’t see him sitting and watching my computer monitor, and so I guess the extra shipping doesn’t seem worth it right now….
Thanks for the sleep pep-talk, Nancy. I’m noticing that Mondays are the worst because Sunday he has no morning nap (and this is 9 a.m. church! I don’t know what we’d do with 11 a.m. church: he’d get neither nap!). Mondays he’s ready for bed extra early. We’re going to figure it out.