8 Cutest Baby Milestones

8 Cutest Baby Milestones

13 Jan 2011

8 Cutest Baby Milestones

Get the insider info on your baby’s cutest milestones.

By Rochelle Bonifacio-Prado

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The fun has already started for your tiny tot as faint coos turn into noisy gurgles and clumsy claps into unwavering waves! Cheer on your little one’s cutest milestones and pave the way for bigger things to come.   


1. Smiling (6 to 8 weeks)
While your baby sleeps, you see the slightest upturned lip, rush to grab your camera, and find yourself half a second too late. “Before one month, baby’s smile is predominantly an inborn behavior,” says John Ong, M.D.,pediatrician at The University of Santo Tomas Hospital in Manila. It is a reflex rather than a response to something he sees, hears, or feels, he adds. Give your baby a few more weeks before he flashes his first social smile. When he does, you will see movement of all his facial muscles, including his eyes and cheeks.  

Let’s practice! Sights and sounds, like a favorite toy or mommy and daddy’s faces, usually elicit a social smile, says Dr. Ong. Your baby learns best by imitation. Keep wearing your grin and he will indulge you with picture-perfect smiles.


2. Lifting his head (3 to 4 months)
Look at your baby bopping his head up and down, trying with all his might to keep it still. He lies on his tummy more frequently to accomplish this curious feat, raising his head to get a glimpse of his world. 

Let’s practice! “The cutest practice drill that is motivating to the baby and satisfying to mom or dad is having baby lie face down on the parent’s chest while propping both elbows forward,” suggests Abbie Mensenares, pediatric physical therapist and managing director of Movement Matters Therapy Center in Quezon City. While moving a toy in different directions can make him curious enough to lift his head and follow the movement, nothing beats hearing the sound of your voice and seeing your face to encourage him.

Read on to learn more about your baby's cutest milestones.

3. Shaking a rattle (4 months)
From holding his bottle with both hands, he can now hold a rattle with one hand independently and soon discover that even a slight shaking movement produces a sound. 

Let’s practice! Strengthen your baby’s hand muscles during playtime with colorful rattles, soft balls, blocks, and other sound-producing toys. If your baby’s grip is a bit loose, put your hand over his and guide him as you shake up, down, and side to side until he’s ready to shake his sillies all on his own!


4. Laughing (4 to 6 months)
Surprise! Your baby suddenly bursts into unexpected laughter. While his first giggle means that his vocal chords are maturing, it is also a good sign that your little one is happy and content. 

Let’s practice! It begins with a ticklish spot here and there before funny sounds and faces trigger his first fits of laughter. Kiss his tummy, talk in a squeaky voice, make comical noises, or gently blow on his hair. Your own laughter encourages your baby to laugh some more!  


5. Sucking on thumb (5 to 6 months)
At this age, the mouth is as important in exploration as it is in feeding. While your child takes pleasure in sucking his thumb, you wonder if you should immediately stop the habit. Dr. Ong says, “Most children can safely suck their thumb without damaging the alignment of their teeth and jaws until their permanent teeth begin to appear. This usually occurs at the age of six.”

Let’s practice! Relax. Let your baby suck away without intervention. It allows him to self-soothe. Dr. Ong adds, “Children usually give up thumb sucking when they’ve found other ways to calm and comfort themselves.”  


6. Babbling (6 months)
Your baby, who is now learning to open and close his mouth and to use his lips and jaws, is in fact pursuing a higher mission, says Dr. Ong. “Latest research suggests that babies are enthusiastic code breakers decoding the secret code by which their parents communicate.” 

Let’s practice! Very simply put—talk to your baby! Though your little one cannot produce recognizable words just yet, he is beginning to experiment with uttering sounds of language. Clear and distinct words will help him approximate the right sounds.   7. Clapping (9 to 10 months)

At this time, your baby will clap his hands every chance he gets. He just loves the sound his palms make as they smack together. 

Let’s practice! Take your baby’s hands and show him how to clap. Clapping with curled fingers and half-opened hands will progress into clapping with hands flat independently. Remember, repetition is key. Practice makes perfect! He will be your one-man (or one-baby) cheering squad in no time!


8. Waving bye-bye (At 12 months)
Congratulations are in order! Your baby has achieved not just a simple hand gesture but good eye-hand coordination, muscle strength from his shoulders down to his hand, and an understanding of the purpose of the movement, Mensenares says. What a giant step for your little one!

Let’s practice! Your baby is now a keen observer who likes modeling your every move. Couple your waving action with verbal cues (“mommy waves bye-bye!” or “bye-bye baby!”) and a hand-over-hand demonstration for starters. 
“Making it a part of his routine will help your child learn the skill easily,” says Mensenares. ✱


Toys for tots
With an infinite selection of infant gadgets in the market, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Keep it age-appropriate, stimulating, and safe. Here are a few suggestions:
•    Rattling Teethers allow baby to experience different textures, and to hear distinct sounds. 
•    Soft Toys that baby can touch and shake.
•    Activity Gyms give your baby a fun, sensory workout.  
•    Music Mobiles play soft music while turning. They enhance your baby’s auditory and visual tracking skills. 
•    Hand Bells stimulate your baby’s auditory skills. Plus, give his hands something fun to do. 
•    Foam Toys of different shapes stimulate the tactile sense. They also make for perfect bathtub companions.


Photography by Jun Pinzon

First foods: Which weaning foods to introduce when

Written for BabyCenter Philippines

• Very first foods
• The next stage
• From 7 to 9 months
• From 10 months
• What should babies under 1 year old avoid?
• How much fat should babies and toddlers have?
• How much fiber?

Very first foods 

The Department of Health, through its Promotion of Breastfeeding Program, encourages exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months after birth. After six months, breast milk alone may not provide your baby with enough nutrients, in particular iron, so other foods are needed. 

Waiting until your baby is 6 months old to introduce solid foods into her diet helps to minimize the risk of her developing adverse reactions to foods and allergies. This is particularly important if you have a family history of allergies, as the incidence of adverse food reactions, allergies, and celiac disease does decrease if you delay weaning until this time. 

If you feel your baby needs to start solids before 6 months, do discuss it with your pediatrician first. This is particularly important if your baby was born prematurely. Experts recommend that solid foods should not be introduced before the end of your baby's fourth month (20 weeks). 

One of the first things your baby has to learn when weaning begins is how to swallow "non-fluids." So that your baby doesn't have to cope with new flavors as well as using different muscles, bland baby rice mixed with baby's usual milk is the most common first food. However, there's no reason why you can't try vegetable or fruit purées first. Introduce one food at a time and give it for three days before introducing another type of food. This way, you can tell if your baby reacts adversely to something in particular. In time, you may want to mix baby rice with, for example, apple or carrot purée. 

Try: 

• Purées of vegetables such as cooked carrots, potato, kamote (sweet potato),kalabasa (squash), sayote (chayote), or cauliflower 

• Purées of fresh ripe fruits in season, such as cooked apple, peach, pear, mango, papaya, avocado, or mashed banana 

• Lugaw (rice porridge) or gluten-free baby cereals, such as iron-fortified baby rice or maize flour, mixed with baby's usual milk. 

The next stage 

Once your baby is happy eating from a spoon, increase the range of foods you offer to include: 

• Purées of lean meat or poultry 

• Purées of lentils or split peas 

• Purées of mixed vegetables with potatoes or rice 

• Purées which include green vegetables, such as peas, cabbage, spinach, pechay(Chinese cabbage), kangkong (water spinach), talbos ng kamote (sweet potato tops), malunggay (horseradish leaves), or broccoli 

• Try to limit the number of sweet or cereal purées to one a day, and always include a vegetable purée. Gradually make the food a thicker consistency. 

•Experts recommend that you avoid giving cow's milk or milk products (cheese, yogurt, fromage frais), fish and shellfish, soya beans, citrus fruit (including orange juice), or eggs, until your baby is 6 months old. 

• If your family has a history of allergies, such as eczema, asthma, or food allergies, your baby should avoid nuts and sesame seeds up to the age of 3 years. 

• The risk of developing celiac disease is reduced by avoiding foods containinggluten, such as wheat, rye, and barley-based foods. That includes bread, flour, pasta, some breakfast cereals, and rusks until 6 months old. Oats are best avoided until 6 months old, too, in case they contain traces of gluten. 

• Avoid follow-on milk until your baby is 6 months old. 

• Don't add salt, toyo (soy sauce), patis (fish sauce), or other food seasoning. Also avoid adding sugar, honey, or other sweeteners to your baby's food. 

From 7 to 9 months 

From now, your baby's ability to join in with family meals increases enormously. You should offer him a wide range of foods to fulfill his nutrient requirements, and to get him used to eating different flavors. There are also fewer foods to avoid. 

If you are buying commercially-produced food, the ranges normally go from 4 to 7 months, and 7 months upwards. In fact, there's no nutritional reason why a baby of 6 months can't eat jars of food labeled seven months plus (although the consistency may need adjusting). 

Now's the time to introduce: 

• Mashed or minced food, not purées. Be sure to include some lumps. 

• A wider range of starchy foods -- rice, bread, couscous, pasta, baby breadsticks, breakfast cereals, oats, in addition to cornmeal, potatoes, rice, and millet. Give two to three servings a day of starchy foods. 

• Cooled boiled water from a beaker with a soft spout, when she is thirsty, in addition to her daily breast milk or 500-600mls / 17-20oz of formula. If you do choose to give fruit juice, keep it to mealtimes only and dilute it 1 part juice to 10 parts of cooled boiled water, and use a beaker or feeding cup, not a bottle. Keeping juice to mealtimes helps with iron absorption and reduces the risk of damage to emergingteeth. 

• Citrus fruits, such as oranges, dalandan, and calamansi (Philippine lemon). 

• Eggs which are well-cooked, fish and shellfish can be added to the other protein-rich foods in her diet -- lean red meat, poultry, and lentils. Aim for one serving of protein-rich food a day. 

• Nut butters are fine for babies who don't have a family history of allergic diseases. Use unsalted smooth versions, or make your own. 

• Dairy products, such as fromage frais, yogurt, and cheese. Although you should wait until your baby is 1 year old to introduce cow's milk as a drink, you can use it in cooking or in your baby's breakfast cereal, so make a cheese sauce to add to vegetables or pasta. 

• Follow-on formula can be used, if you wish. 

• Finger foods are great once your baby can hold things, and allow her a degree of control. Try cooked green beans or carrots, cubes of cheese, slices of banana, or soft pear. 

From 10 months 

Meals should be more adult-like now. They should be chopped or minced and follow a two to three meal a day pattern, along with one or two snacks and 500-600mls / 17-20oz of breast milk or formula milk. At this stage, your baby should be having: 

• three or four servings of starchy foods, such as rice, bread, pasta, or potatoes, a day 

• one serving of meat, fish, eggs (completely cooked), or two of pulses (lentils, peas, beans) or nut butters 

• one to two servings of cheese, fromage frais, or yogurt as well as breast milk or formula milk. 

What should babies under 1 year old avoid? 

• Still keep off salt, sugar, honey, and artificial sweeteners. Try sweetening desserts with mashed banana or a purée of stewed dried fruit if possible, or use expressed breast milk or formula milk. 

• Avoid the temptation to add a little tea to baby's bottle. The tannin in tea interferes with iron absorption, and the caffeine it contains is not recommended for children. 

• Avoid giving fruit squashes or diet drinks to your baby. Artificial sweeteners are not suitable for babies and young children. 

• Avoid foods which may carry a risk of food poisoning, such as soft mold-ripened cheeses (brie, camembert), liver pâté, and eggs that are raw, soft-boiled, or fried sunny-side up. 

• Don't give cow's (or goat's or sheep's or carabao's) milk as a main drink to babies under 1 year. 

• Skimmed and semi-skimmed milks, low-fat spreads, yogurts and reduced-fat cheeses. Always offer your baby the full-fat versions -- they need the calories. 

How much fat should babies and toddlers have? 

Up to the age of at least two, fat is an important source of energy for your baby, so full-fat versions of milk, cheese, yogurt, and fromage frais are important. When she is two, and only if she is growing well, and eats a well-balanced diet, you can gradually introduce lower-fat versions. By the time she is 5 years old, only about a third of her energy should be provided by fat. 

How much fiber? 

Be cautious about introducing too many wholegrain foods and pulses for babies and young children. These tend to be bulky and can fill up a small tummy, leaving little space for other higher energy foods. So give your baby and toddler a mixture of white and wholegrain cereals and breads. If your toddler regularly eats pulses and lentils as part of a vegetarian diet, make sure that she has some white bread, rice, and pasta as well.

Roasted Almond Chocolate Crunchies - Chef Buddy Trinidad

INGREDIENTS:

Roasted Chopped Almonds         1/2  Cup

Cherries      1/2 Cup

Corn Flakes      1   Cup

Melted Dark Chocolate      2  Cups

PROCEDURE:

Chop the almonds then roast in the oven.  Set aside to cool.

Chop the cherries and set aside.

Melt the chocolate and temper to 31 degrees.

Combine all ingredients till well coated.

Spoon on a parchment lined sheet pan

Chill.

I was planning to start my baby on solids at four months. It this a good idea?

Written for BabyCenter Philippines Last reviewed: November 2010

The BabyCenter Philippines Editorial Team answers:

It's best to wait until your baby is six months old to introduce him to solid food. 

By six months, your baby should have doubled his birth weight. You'll probably notice that he's becoming more active all the time. After six months, breastmilk or formula milk won't provide your growing, active baby with enough nutrients, so he'll start to need other food. 

Waiting until six months to introduce your baby to solid food protects his health. It reduces the chance that he will develop allergies or pick up an infection from food, because at six months his immune system is stronger. 

It's especially important not to give your baby food before six months if you have a family history of allergies or celiac disease. Celiac disease is triggered by the glutenin grains. Introducing solids earlier than six months also increases the chances of diarrhea. 

If you feel your baby needs to start solids before six months, talk to your pediatrician first. This is particularly important if your baby was born prematurely. 

Before you try your baby with solid food, look out for the signs that he really is ready to be weaned. 

Does he still seem hungry after a good milk feed, even after you've tried increasing milk feeds? Can he sit up when supported? Does he try to pick up food and put it in his mouth? 

The Department of Health says that babies should be exclusively breastfed for their first six months. This means no solid food or water before, at the earliest, before the end of their fifth month (23 weeks). 

Young babies will push food out of their mouths. This is called the tongue thrust reflex. Your baby may lose the tongue thrust reflex at about four months, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is ready for solids. Your baby will find it much easier to keep food in his mouth, and chew it, from the age of six months. 

If you do decide to wean your baby onto solids before six months, there are some foods that you should not give him. These are: 

• gluten, which is found in grains and cereals
• dairy products
• fish and shellfish
• citrus fruits
• eggs

PANCIT LUGLOG
INGREDIENTS:
1 kg thick rice noodles or luglog
water for soaking noodels
500 grams shrimps
2 cups water
½ cup atsuette/annatto oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all purpose flour
8 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. patis (fish sauce)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
(FOR TOPPINGS)
4 pcs hard cooked eggs
1 cup squid rings (saute’d in garlic)
400 grams pork strips (saute’d in garlic)
200 grams chicharon
a bunch spring onions
½ cup toasted garlic
kamias
calamansi
PROCEDURE:
1) Soak the noodles in water for 4 hours.
2) Cook the shrimp in 2 cups of boiling water with a little salt. Take shrimps out as soon as they turn pink.
3) Peel and devein the shrimps and set aside in the chiller for use later as topping. Make sure to put the heads and shells back in the broth and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
4) Cool the broth (with the shells) and pour into a blender. Blend and strain. This will be your shrimp stock.
5) In a saucepan, sauté the garlic in the annatto oil for 1 minute, add the flour mixing continuously until you get a smooth paste let cook for a minute. Then add the shrimp and chicken stocks gradually stirring continuously. Wait for it to boil and lower heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
6) Season with patis and pepper to taste.
7) In a big pot of boiling water boil the noodles for 2 to 3 minutes and drain.
8) Spread the cooked noodles in a nice platter and pour the sauce over it and then arrange the shrimp and toppings on the sauce.