Mommy Moments: My baby's first books

I missed this meme last Friday, but anyway, I would still post something about it.  The topic's all about books.  Personally, I adored books since I was in grade school (and even younger!).  That's why I would also like my 1 year old toddler to be also fond of books.  Here's her first ever book:

I bought this when she was 5 months old.  It was not actually a story book with words, but a book with different textures inside.  I bought this so that my baby would be familiarized with different textures.  Back then she was fascinated with its textures and sounds.  Now that she had grown older, she fascinates herself with it by opening the little peek-a-boo's in each pages.  She realizes there are pictures inside the textured peek-a-boo doors, leaves, and clouds.

I observed that she was more excited now to flip pages of my mommy magazines and books.  She didn't anymore tear paper pages, but instead, she looks at pictures and words (and even try to just turn pages one by one).  That's why I introduced to her a hardbound bible book.  However, it was not a new book (it's my husband's bible book when he was little).  I make the book reading more exciting for her because I read the stories in it while she flips the pages.  Sometimes, she would babble, making comments out of the story.  We usually make the story telling before she goes to sleep.

I guess, she would love books like I do.  Curiously flipping must be the first sign of loving books! Hehe.  I don't want her to become a nerdy bookworm but I want her to appreciate books because it would increase her vocabulary and widen her creativity and imagination.

Nightime Routinesss

Now that my daughter Rian can sleep peacefully straight at night,  I can sleep for at least 6 to 8 hours, unlike before which I had to wake up in the middle of the night because Rian was crying and I had to either feed her or cradle her back to sleep (and I ended up having eye bugs and gloomy face in the morning).  Moreover, Rian can now put herself to sleep, as long as she sees us (her parents) also lying on the bed, preparing to doze off.  Getting off the bed or a nightime visit from other people is prohibited because when she sees someone else sitting or standing, she would also sit up and begin to play around (and it would be harder for us to make her prepare to sleep again!).  Well, at least I don't have to cradle her every single night (unless she wanted to make lambing, especially if she missed me so much).

I had a few practiced tricks on how to prepare her for a sound sleep at night.  Before, I usually gave her a milk before sleep, and I still do that until now.  The difference is, before, she was fast asleep after drinking milk.  Now, drinking milk relaxes her before bedtime (which is better because milk residue in her mouth while asleep would be bad for her two front teeth).  After having milk, she would either roll on bed and find a perfect spot for sleeping or just lay on her back with arms and legs wide spread.

Aside from drinking milk, we also play quietly (means no rough play like tags, hide and seek, and other active games).  We would just get few toys like stuff toys and her telephone toy and play with them on her play mat.  We would play until she gets bored and sleepy.

Story reading is also one of my techniques to prepare her for bedtime.  I would either read her the Bible Story book (which she lifts the next pages even when I'm not still done reading the former page) or create a "Once Upon A Time" story which she loved listening to because she hears her name when I tell her that the princess' name is Baby Princess Rian. She even talk back at me when I tell her bedtime stories.

When she's already relaxed, it's a signal for me to dim the lights, get the baby oil (Johnson's baby oil - lavander) and massage her all over her body.  I usually do the I-Love-U  massage on her.  And whenever I do that to her, with matching smile and cute voice saying "I-love-you" to her, she smiles back at me.  Obviously, she likes it!  When she starts to get fussy, I massage her legs.  She loves to have her legs massaged eversince I introduced it to her when she was one month old-- she was just lying on her back, watching me quietly while I touch her legs and feet.  And when I begin to massage her head, her eyes begin to feel droopy until she finally falls asleep.

Writing this blog makes me sleepy...so I'll probably say goodnight too. Goodnight everyone! :)

Daddy Jeff and toddler Rian, sleeping.  They both found a perfect spot for a peaceful sleep. 

Goodnight dearests!  Tabihan ko kayo maya-maya. :)