we LOVE our fisher price precious planet playtime gym
this of course, presents a problem for parents. what do i go by? what should i expect? all of our doctors have said to go by the adjusted age. i think this is to keep us from getting discouraged. after all, it really could take longer for her to catch up... she did so much womb growing out here in this terrible CPAP and IV world.
for wren, we're just trying to keep her challenged and at least caught up to her adjusted age. with preemies it's ever so important to keep them stimulated... they can do so much more if you constantly
work with them. i suppose it's the same thing with termies. we can all tell the kids that have been read to, shown educational videos, and talked to at home, right? (vs. the bouncy seat containment unit and the television babysitter.)
here's the milestone chart from babycenter.com. i've highlighted what wren can do so far:
| Child's Age |  Mastered Skills (most kids can do) | Emerging Skills (half of kids can do) | Advanced Skills (a few kids can do) |
| 1 month | • Lifts head when lying on tummy • Responds to sound • Stares at faces | • Follows objects briefly with eyes • Vocalizes: oohs and aahs • Can see black-and-white patterns | • Smiles, laughs • Holds head at 45-degree angle |
| 2 months | • Vocalizes: gurgles and coos • Follows objects across field of vision • Notices his hands • Holds head up for short periods | • Smiles, laughs • Holds head at 45-degree angle • Makes smoother movements | • Holds head steady • Can bear weight on legs • Lifts head and shoulders when lying on tummy (mini-pushup) |
| 3 months | • Recognizes your face and scent • Holds head steady • Visually tracks moving objects | • Squeals, gurgles, coos • Blows bubbles • Recognizes your voice • Does mini-pushup | • Rolls over, from tummy to back • Turns toward loud sounds • Can bring hands together, bats at toys |
| 4 months | • Smiles, laughs • Can bear weight on legs • Coos when you talk to him | • Can grasp a toy • Rolls over, from tummy to back | • Imitates sounds: "baba," "dada" • Cuts first tooth • May be ready for solid foods |
| 5 months | • Distinguishes between bold colors • Plays with his hands and feet | • Recognizes own name • Turns toward new sounds • Rolls over in both directions | • Sits momentarily without support • Mouths objects • Separation anxiety may begin |
| 6 months | • Turns toward sounds and voices • Imitates sounds • Rolls over in both directions | • Is ready for solid foods • Sits without support • Mouths objects • Passes objects from hand to hand | • Lunges forward or starts crawling • Jabbers or combines syllables • Drags objects toward himself |
looking at mommy
just rolled over for daddy- that's hard work!
just rolled over for daddy- that's hard work!
grasping a toy
putting her hands together
holding her soothie
having a preemie is going to be hard. from what i've heard from all the other (wiser) mommies, i can expect a barrage of "oh, she's not ____ yet", or "____ walked/talked at ___". for any parent i think it would be hard to have a child who is "behind"... even though preemies aren't really behind- they're so far ahead! just being alive is an accomplishment for these little ones. they say that they outgrow their preemieness around 2 years old. (though i've heard many experiences that show it can actually be closer to 4 years of age.) the term outgrow is not really accurate. i think a better way to say it is "catch up to their actual age". that's the time frame it takes to get them with the rest of their peers on developmental issues, as well as physically. it usually takes them that long to get on the growth charts. that's right, most preemies don't get on the growth chart for a few years. crazy to think of it that way isn't it? here's where wren falls for now. she's the tiny red dot:
you can find out how your little one ranks here.
soo.. if she walks a few months later than "usual"... or talks a little later.. that's just fine. we're on wren time.
No comments:
Post a Comment