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lburciaga19ahs-blog · 6 years ago

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Blog Post 3: Toddler Years (1-2)

By the time she was 15 months old, Chastity was walking like a pro! And, to my delight, she had finally started sleeping through the night on a fixed schedule; she slept almost 10-12 hours every night. The only trouble with this, though, is that when she did wake up, she often took it upon herself to climb out of her crib! We set up a baby monitor and lowered her crib to the ground to make sure she didn’t hurt herself trying to escape.

Chastity’s vocabulary at around 16 months was extensive. Among her favorite words were, yes, no, mama, bye, hi, wawa, and ball. She also became a huge fan of clapping and waving.

“Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” was our best friend when trying to get Chastity to learn body parts. At this age, she could point to these parts of her body when prompted. By the time the 18 month mark came around, she was responsive to yes/no questions and started to recognize her moms in photos!

She climbed, she crawled, she cruised. And with these new transportation skills came the need for a lot of baby proofing around the house! After all, I learned that children between the ages of 1 and 4 are “more likely to be killed by fire, burns, drowning, choking, poisoning, or falls than by a stranger's violence” ( https://www.babycenter.com/0_childproofing-around-the-house_460.bc ). So, by the time Chastity was 1 and a half, we had baby proofed everything from the kitchen drawers, bathroom cabinets, wall outlets, and toilets. We also put baby gates in every doorway and at the top and bottom of all staircases, as Chastity is quite the escape artist.

By two years old, Chastity was able to follow directions, respond to her name being called, and participate in small groups with other kids. She had also entered the telegraphic speech phase, where she spoke primarily in two word phrases. I also started to transition her into potty training. Hopefully she’ll be diaper-free by age 3!

At 2, I decided to enroll her in a local daycare. I did a lot of research and read reviews from tons of other parents for a number of day cares in my area. I finally decided to send Chastity to Building Bridges daycare in Lafayette. It had great reviews, a lovely classroom and playground, and a good, balanced number of kids. I got to stay with her on her first day and noticed that she was one of those babies who preferred parallel play (playing side by side with other kids without interacting). This didn’t worry me, as it’s perfectly normal for toddlers at that age.

Reading began to play a big role in Chastity’s life during this period of time. I read to her every night before bed. As elementary school teacher Rebecca Bellingham discussed in her Ted Talk on the importance of reading to kids, reading stories aloud to children allows them to experience and learn from the material more vividly, as they are not tasked with the tedious job of having to read and translate/process the words. This can also make them more interested in reading in the future. As is common for 2-year-olds, Chastity often wanted to read the same book night after night. Among her all favorites is Love You Forever.

Reading Love You Forever to Chastity before bed! (one of her favorites).

Dinner time with Aunt Talia. Mango!

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lburciaga19ahs-blog · 6 years ago

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Blog Post 2: Infancy (age 0-1)

March 4, 2019 was the happiest day of my life! I welcomed the love of my life, Chastity Lisa Burciaga into this world. With today marking her first birthday, I thought I’d do a recap on her first year of life.

When Chastity was around 1 month old, I read that her hearing would be fully developed at this age. As a result, I began to get into researching how I could use classical music to have a positive influence on my baby’s growth and intelligence. The Mozart effect is a theory first reported in 1993 and again in ‘95 by scientists at UC Irvine. The study found that “college students who listened to a Mozart sonata for a few minutes before taking a test that measured spatial relationship skills did better than students who took the test after listening to another musician or no music at all.” Since this study, mothers have subscribed to the idea that classical music may have similar effects on the intelligence of their babies. However, I’ve found that there is no concrete research that suggest that this is true. Whether or not this idea is true, it doesn’t hurt to try in my opinion, and researchers say that while it may not make babies smarter, it may give them an apprection for art and music. So, Chastity listens to classical music all the time!

https://www.babycenter.com/0_the-mozart-effect-classical-music-and-your-babys-brain_9308.bc

Around the 2 month mark, Chastity rewarded for the past 8 weeks of tears and sleepless nights with a beautiful smile. Just a month later, she laughed for the first time and has been a rather cheerful baby ever since. She was also able to lift her up ever so slightly at three months!

When 4 months rolled around, so did Chastity. She could roll over from her back to her stomach! I was so proud.

When Chastity was around 5 months old, the teething nightmare began. I constantly gave her teething toys to play with in an attempt to soothe her throughout the process, but she still cried often, as teething can often be a somewhat painful or uncomfortable period for babies.

Shortly after this, as her teeth were starting to poke through, I began incorporating solid foods into her diet. This included very finely cut up or mashed vegetables, so as to ensure that she didn’t choke. At six months, Chastity could hold and drink from her bottle on her own, too!

At around 9 months, Chastity said her very first word: Dada. Chastity does not have a Dada, but it’s the thought that counts. During this month she also became a very active crawler. When this started we began implementing more precautionary baby-proofing methods in the home, such as power-outlet covers in the wall sockets and locks on the toilet and cabinets.

At 12 months, Chastity can take steps with little to no help! She is growing too fast!!

This first year of motherhood has come with some decision making on my part. When Chastity was around 2 months old, I contemplated piercing her ears as my mother had done for me when I was this age. In many Latin cultures and families, such as mine (I am half Mexican on my dad’s side) piercing your baby’s ears is very normal and even celebrated. In the modern day and age, however, many people criticize this practice. I am grateful that my ears were pierced so young--it saved me the fear and trouble that comes with doing it when you’re older. Additionally, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics, there’s no risk in doing it as a newborn. Because of these reasons, and in order to link Chastity with her Latina roots, I pierced her ears at 2 months old. And she looks adorable!

https://www.vogue.com/article/baby-pierced-ears

https://childrensmd.org/browse-by-age-group/newborn-infants/ear-piercings-for-babies/

Baby Chastity listening to some Mozart and showing off her stylish pierced ears!

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lburciaga19ahs-blog · 6 years ago

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Blog Post 1: Pregnancy

At 36 weeks pregnant, I might just pop at any moment. I should be meeting my new daughter any day now!

Her name will be Chastity, the Latin word for purity and innocence; perfect for mommy’s little angel! As she’s been cooking soundly, Chastity and myself have surpassed so many important milestones already. They grow so fast!

It all started with an inexplicable wave of nausea. Around five weeks into the pregnancy, before I knew I was expecting my bundle of joy, I found myself falling victim to morning sickness. Perhaps to an even greater detriment to my daily routine was my new aversion to some of my favorite foods. Taco Bell made me GAG. Additionally, I had to cut out sushi (raw fish!!) and alcohol, which contain teratogens that can be harmful to the development of my baby.

This was all made worth it, however, when I got to see my baby’s beautiful limbs and facial features developed at my 9 week ultrasound. It (I didn’t know it was a ‘she’ yet!) looked just like mommy!

I was extremely relieved after finishing my first trimester of pregnancy. Not only was this the point when my morning sickness began to die down, but I also knew that, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, most miscarriages occur in the first trimester. So, I was very grateful to get past this point in my pregnancy without complications. On a happier note, the second trimester, around the 18th week, was when I found out that I was expecting a beautiful baby girl. I was ecstatic!

I can’t wait to bring my baby girl into this world, with the help of my companion, Ashley. Although single parents are perfectly capable of getting the job done on their own, research shows that two parent households can put less of a strain on the parents as well as the children. A 2015 Princeton University Report concluded that children raised by co-parents tend to have “better physical, cognitive and emotional outcomes, on average, than children raised in other circumstances.” The Report, “Why Marriage Matters, Third Edition: Thirty Conclusions from the Social Sciences,” also shows that co-parented kids tend to live longer, healthier lives both physically and psychologically and do better in school.

Research:

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/socialissues/marriage/marriage/30-years-of-research

http://www.americanvalues.org/search/item.php?id=81

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