Ivan's Guide Book at Six Months Old

Ivan Aaron Fenton – Care manual for 6 months of age


5 AM Good morning world!
Change Diaper
Early Morning Feeding
Swing or Exersaucer
Wash and Sterilize Bottles

6:30 AM Nap Time

8:00 AM Awake
Breakfast – Milk/Cereal/Milk
Change Diaper
Morning Hygiene Routine
Play on Interactive Mat
Cuddles to Music

10:00 AM Nap Time

11:30 AM Awake
Lunch – Milk/Vegetable/Fruit/ Milk
Diaper Change
Stroller Roll

1:00 PM Nap Time

2:30 PM Awake
Feeding – Milk – Vegetable –Milk
Diaper Change
Turn radio on or play record
Swing for dinner prep

4:00 PM Nap

4:45 PM Awake
Feeding
Diaper Change
Snuggles and low key play until Daddy comes home

6:00 PM Bedtime routine

6:30 PM Lights out
Prepare night time bottles
Pour glass of nice wine




Eating
Milk Feeding

> 90 ml milk in bottle, warmed by a hot stein of water, change water twice for fast heating. Ready in 4-5 minutes.

Instructions:

Use pillow to support your arm and Ivan. Rest him in a 45 degree angle to ensure he can swallow properly without developing an ear ache.

He likes to hold his own plastic bottle. Help him if needed. Watch milk fill the nipple ensuring he does not suck any air, causing gas.

After a bottle feeding, he needs to be burped. Hold him against your shoulder and gently rub/pat his back to expel gas. Never pat below the middle of his back, to avoid his major organs. If he doesn’t burp, walk him around the room against your shoulder and this will usually produce the desired effect.

Notes on thawing frozen milk: Bags of frozen milk can be thawed in the fridge in their Tupperware containers overnight. To accelerate the process, fill container with cold water. Milk must be used 24 hours after thawing. Use funnel to pour into feeding bottles.

Solids

Solids are given to him half way through the bottle so he has room to eat the foods, which are only a supplement to milk. It’s important to respect him when he’s had enough. He may not be able to talk but he communicates loud and clear. Never ask him to take one more bite if he’s made it evident that he is finished. You’ll know because he’ll stop opening his mouth when shown the spoon. Eating is a pleasurable experience.

Instructions:

1 damp face cloth
1 bib
1 plastic spoon
1 glass, microwavable bowl for food
1 bumbo chair (or high chair)

Clear table of any distractions, such as toys, phones, laptops or glasses. Place Ivan with bib in Bumbo on table surface. Put your arm around his shoulder to keep his bum in the Bumbo. He is a very curious little guy and will turn every which way to reach for things he can see in the distance. Feed him small bites in quick strokes so he doesn’t bite down on spoon. When he looks away bring the spoon to eye level and wait until he opens his mouth for more. He will try to grab the spoon out of your hand to feed himself. We are not at that stage yet. I haven’t plasticized my walls. His appetite is great but let him take the lead on how much is enough.

Breakfast: 5 tsp President’s Choice Organics Rice Cereal, mix with 5 tsp breast milk, stir into paste. Heat for 7 seconds in microwave or until lukewarm. Make the cereal only just before serving. After 20 minutes, harmful bacteria has already made a home for itself.

Lunch: 1 cube homemade vegetable, 1 cube homemade fruit. Cubes should be removed the night before so as not to require as much microwave time. Heat for 7 sec in microwave or until lukewarm. Check temperature before serving. Half way through a 2 course meal, stop serving vegetable and switch to fruit so he doesn’t fill up on just one food. Switch back to vegetable after half of fruit is gone. After a cube has been heated it must be eaten or discarded to avoid the ingestion of bacteria.

Late Lunch: 1 cube of either fruit or vegetable. Heat as above.

Water

Ivan is allowed to have a total of 80 ml of cooled, pre-boiled water a day, if he seems to be thirsty between feedings. Warm the water in microwave for 10 seconds prior to offering it by bottle. Test temperature before serving.
Night Waking Milk Bottles

Our little darling is still waking up for a milk snack once every four hours. If he is in bed by 6:30, you can count on being up with him at 10: 30 and again at 2:30.
We use the bottles with plastic inserts for these feedings because they can be rapidly heated in the night waking state-of-emergency: you sleepwalking to care for an irate baby.
Prepare these two bottles after you’ve put him to bed for the night. Drop a single droplet of vitamin D into one of the bottles.

Instructions:

When you hear that he has awoken, go immediately into the kitchen to run the hot water and fill the stein with it. Drop the bottle in. Wait 1 minute. Refill stein with hot water again and let bottle warm for 2 minutes. All the while Ivan will be yelling in his crib. He seems very angry when he wakes in the middle of the night and it’s likely because his stomach is empty. To feed him, keep the nights off, keep him in his crib. Slide a small pillow underneath his shoulder blades and proceed with feeding. During the night he does not require burping because babies suck differently when they are half asleep. After he has emptied the bottle, put his soother in his mouth, place his dog, Fletcher, over his eyes and roll him over onto his side, facing the wall. Though he won’t go back to sleep promptly, he should settle relatively quickly after the feeding.

Formula Preparation

If there is no more breast milk, use formula, it contains all the nutritional value a baby needs.
Boil cold water on stove stop. Let cool. Fill a milk storage bottle to 180 ml. Add 3 scoops of Enfamil, enriched with DHA and ARA. Shake. Place an elastic band around the jar to differentiate it from breast milk in future. Use within 24 hours.

Sterilizing Bottles

Rinse bottles in warm water after every use. To wash them, fill the basin with warm to hot water and a couple drops of dish soap. Let soak for several minutes. The bottles are washed with the bottle brush from the bottle tree. Rinse and place in bottle strainer.

Each day the bottles are sterilized in the microwave.

Soothers and silicone spoons may also go in the sterilizer.

Instructions:

Pour 200 ml of water into the sterilizer
Load bottle parts into tray, keeping the parts separate for better cleaning
In microwave, press ‘power level’ 400, then start. Bottle will be steamed for 4 minutes.
Container is hot after process, use handles on side.
Let sit for 2 minutes before placing them on the bottle tree with tongs to dry naturally.

To clean plastic toys, place in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Sophie the Giraffe is only washed with soap and water.

Diaper change

Ivan is relatively patient when it comes to having his diaper changed. Place his head on the heart-shaped head pillow and explain to him that you are “changing his pants”. Always let a baby know what you are doing to them to lend them comfort of your voice. Block the open side of the change table with your body in the event that he rolls, a new favourite trick. Never leave him unattended on that table, even for a second, for safety. If you need to grab something else or wash your hands, put him back in his crib.

Instructions:

Finger puppet
Diaper
Cloth pad
Baby wipes
Hair dryer
Bum cream
Kleenex

All of the items above are located on the shelves of the change table. When he is lying on the table, give him his puppet to occupy his hands or he will try to help you take his diaper away which can, and does, create more mess than the original task called for. Unbutton his onesie and roll it part way up his back. Undo his diaper and lift his feet in the air with one hand. With the other hand wipe him clean. Get a clean diaper underneath his bottom, Velcro flaps on underside. Hold cloth pad over his privates and blow dry him with the dryer on the low, warm setting. Keep the dryer moving, drying the skin folds. Apply bum cream. Wipe finger with Kleenex. Fasten the diaper in place ensuring that the Velcro flaps are secured to the sides of the diaper and not poking into his skin. Remember to check the tightness of the diaper with your fingers. He should be able to breath in it; it’s not a corset. Place him in the crib, spin his airplane mobile and go wash your hands.

Hygiene Routine

Every morning his face is washed, and his fuzz head and teeth are brushed.

Instructions:

Face cloth
Organic soap
Cloth pad
Tooth brush
Hair brush

Sit him in the nursing chair on your knee and use the soft bristle brush in circular motion around his scalp. Do this quickly so as not to annoy him.
Spin his airplane mobile to entertain him and let him know you are not trying to put him to bed. While he is in his crib go wet the face cloth with warm water. Return to him; place the cloth pad on his chest to keep his clothes dry. Give him one end of the face cloth to suck on to clean his teeth. Keep your fingers clear of his biting maw. Afterwards, go back to the bathroom sink and rinse the cloth, get one end of the cloth soapy with the bar. Sing the single word wash/rinse song to him as you work your way around the face and under his chin with the facecloth.

AhhHHH, wash-a-wash-a-washA, wash-a-wash-a-washA, awash awash wash wash wash, Arinsa-rinsa-rinsa-rinsa rinsa rinsa, rinsa, a-rinse rinse rinse.

He should laugh and giggle the whole way through as you sing to him. Place used cloth in his bathtub for later on in the evening. His toothbrush is on the plate on his dresser, rinse it with warm water. Gently run it over his gums and flick the bristles against his 6 teeth. He is open to this step for only a short period of time. Pick him up and cuddle with him afterwards. Take him out of the nursery and move onto another activity.

Naps

Ivan is ready for more rest after an hour an a half to two hours of being awake and active. Watch for signs like eye rubbing, yawning, his grunts or mooing sounds.

How to:

While he is busy in a secure activity center (i.e. swing or exersaucer) go to his room:

> Straighten his crib sheets
> Lay his ‘snugglie’ out on a bed
> Soother is located on plate on his dresser. Check the soothers integrity by pulling on the nipple. If any holes or cracks in the silicone, throw in the garbage. Wash his soother in hot water and dry with paper towel.
> Turn white noise on
> Turn lights off

Collect little Ivan and take him into the room to put on his snugglie. Lie him on the bed and tell him “it’s nap time”. Use those same words please. He’ll fuss a bit. Pick him up take him to the nursery and gently lay him in the crib. Put his soother in his mouth, place his dog, Fletcher, over his eyes and roll him over onto his side, facing the wall. Rub his back momentarily, but not too long or it will dawn on him that you are still in the room and he’ll ask to be picked up by stretching out his arms towards you, whimpering. Leave the room quietly and pull the door shut just beyond the half way point so as to avoid the noise of the creaky door jam. Go to the kitchen, turn the stove fan on for added white noise. Turn baby monitor on. Listen that he settles. Minor complaints are okay but if he start to really get upset, go back into his room and repeat the soother, dog, sideways roll step. If he is supposed to be napping do not take him out of his crib to appease his grumpiness. Sometimes he must learn to soothe himself to sleep. By this I mean, let him cry for five minute intervals and check on him to let him know you are there. Rub his back, ssshhhh him. It usually doesn’t come to this anymore.


Bedtime Routine

At 6 PM prepare Ivan for bedtime. The routine should only take a maximum of a half hour. Keep it short so not to overtire the babe.

Instructions:

Run a lukewarm bath in the infant bath tub.
The bath requires two people, one to scrub (person 1) the other to hold on to him (person 2).
Ivan likes the water. He will kick and smile. Add soap and he becomes very slippery. Hold on to him always.

You will need a fresh onesie, facecloth, a bath towel, the sponge, baby body wash, and his rubber duckie.

Person 1: Wash his entire body with the sponge, but not his face, gently and quickly. Be sure to get in the folds of his skin, under the arms and along the legs. Rinse cloth under warm water and go over his body again. His least favourite part of the bath is having his head washed. Hold your hand over his forehead to make sure soap doesn’t go in his eyes. Rinse as above. Lift him out of the tub carefully and lay him on a pile of two towels on the floor, one adult towel and one hooded baby towel. Transport him onto the change table.

Person 2: Play the Nat King Cole CD. Go warm final bottle of milk.

Person 1: Rub him dry with the towel. Blow dry his private parts and fasten new diaper. Dry the rest of him with the hair dryer, moving the nozzle so as not to spend too much time in one area. Put new clothing on him. Dress him in his snugglie as mentioned above in the ‘nap’ section. Read to him in the nursing chair.

Person 2: When milk is ready and you’ve returned to the nursery with the bottle, change the CD to white noise.

Repeat steps in ‘nap’ section to help him fall asleep.