It always does amaze me how much has happened since the last post I made. This little blog is like a safe heaven that I hold onto so dearly. I think of it often, and find comfort knowing I will find that special time to write about my current experiences in this whirlwind of becoming or being a mom. Currently I am breaking the rules and opened my computer to write this post when really I should be making myself dinner. I am starting to accept the fact that my normal day will continue to be filled with these toss up decisions... The baby seems occupied - should I do this chore, or take this time to sit and relax? Should I lay on the floor and play with her or should I sit next to her and read up on our current developmental hurdles? Maybe I should use this time to call one of my dear friends or family members back East to catch up... Or hey, maybe it is a good time to write a blog post?! Oh, Just kidding, times up... that baby girl just spoke up and apparently she needs me RIGHT NOW (screams in need from the other room). Those were some good ideas but let's be real, that lovely list of dreamy and not so dreamy to-dos is going to stay as it is (a list) to be considered at a later time. Okay quick, there is another free window to write, so let's get to it...
The Movement Area
We have been busy! We have set up a complete baby play/work/learn space in what was our guest room in our house. We (baby and I) have gone on our first travel adventure across the country to Maine and back. She has had her first dose of vaccinations, she has learned to roll over, she is eliminating on the toilet at almost every diaper change and she has learned to grasp and manipulate objects with her hands. Most recently she has begun to eat solid foods (purees) which has been the biggest game changer in general!
So, let's start with some photos of our Montessori- inspired baby play space... As a thoroughly trained Montessorian, I think it is important that I give my disclaimer immediately. Not that I want to discredit the hard work, time and thought that went into designing this space, but I am sure many of you (Montessori-folks) will notice that I have done some things in a not-so-by-the-book kind of way. For example, you will notice some of the materials/toys are not perfectly realistic, the books do include imaginary and real items and perhaps this giant mirror creates a bit more feedback and confusion from the room than is necessary. But HEY, I am not running a school here and the space is not only financially frugal but is also set up to be transformable to change with our baby as her development does. Also I would like to point out on a safety note, things are not 100% ready in these photos for a mobile or crawling baby as we have not quite gotten there yet.
The Area for Sleeping-A low bed for daytime naps
This is the space we use for daytime naps. It is actually just an Ikea crib mattress on the floor. The beauty of a low bed is not only that it provides a space where the mobile or crawling child can go to and easily lay down when he or she is tired, but it also is a space where the adult can curl up or sit next to the baby while he or she falls asleep. This is in contrast to a crib where the adult has to bend over the side of the crib to comfort the baby while he/she falls asleep (back pains!). The low bed also allows for the child to get a bigger and clearer image of their room. Did you know that when a child looks through the bars of a crib that he/she sees a chopped up image of the room? It's true, the infants brain does not actually have the capability to piece together the visual spectrum like that of an adult. For example, if an adult were to look through the bars of a crib, it would come without effort to know what the room looks like on the other side of the bars, but for a baby they see each space between the bars as a separate image of the room. So, having the baby sleep on a low bed allows for him or her to get a clear and uninterrupted visual spectrum of the room. Hanging above the low bed is this great zebra print fabric graciously loaned to us from my sister. Even though our baby has had the ability to see a full color spectrum for months now, she is still drawn to the high contrast of black and white imagery.
If you look closely you can see our baby taking one of her first daytime naps on this low bed. It was very easy to lay down next to her, holding her hands and saying calming words until she fell asleep. I then just rolled away and left her very undisturbed!
The Area for Feeding (nursing)
Above in the area for feeding is a very comfortable Ikea Poang chair and ottoman. Next to the chair is a side table with a glass of water, a box of tissues, a notepad and pen to write down thoughts etc, one beautiful flower (for positive visual aesthetics) and a few resourceful books. There is a trash can below the table for adult use as well. This area does follow the specifics of a Montessori area for feeding an infant. The chair does not rock (so the infant can concentrate on nursing) and the table has the necessary items within reach for the adults needs. It is a peaceful area for nursing and our baby always knows what is to come when we have a seat there together. This is because she has developed what we call a point of reference for this area. She sees the same things every time I nurse her which helps her to focus and feel comfortable with the activity at hand. She also seems to enjoy looking out the window while I burp her after she has nursed.
This is our impromptu diaper changing area in the bathroom that runs right off the playroom. We will start changing the baby standing up when she is ready for that movement, but in the meantime we will use this easy to move changing pad right on the floor. The cloth diapers, cloth wipes, ointments (sealed and secure) are all within reach for the adult changing the diaper. At each change, we take baby over to the toilet and support her as she sits on her training toilet seat on our adult sized toilet. We are going straight to the real toilet (rather than using a kid potty) so that it is a more realistic transition for the baby, as well as less clean up for the adult! We are still orienting the bathroom but will have a mirror with a bar to hold onto for standing hung near the toilet soon. This will allow for the baby to see her body when she is having a diaper change and while she is sitting on the toilet.
I picked this training toilet seat because it has handles. It is really nice that our baby has a clean place to put her hands when she eliminates. Notice the cloth diaper sprayer attached at the side of the toilet and the mirror that is still looking for the perfect place to be hung! From what I learned in my Montessori training, infants have the capability to control their sphincter area by the time they are sitting or crawling, and therefore it is good to start sitting them on the toilet during every diaper change or even more often than that. I noticed our baby using her hips and lower parts of her body as she started to roll over and also when she learned how to reach and grab her toes. This tipped me off that she might have that control over the lower part of her body already, so we started sitting her on the toilet. We have been very excited that with some sound cues and lots of repetition she is eliminating on the toilet almost every time we sit her. We are lucky enough to have the time and space to offer this to her throughout most days. If she regresses as she gets bigger (which I don't think will happen, considering we continue to offer her the opportunity to use the toilet), then at least we have set her up to have a positive interaction and experience with toileting in the future!
It feels like the last month has been a complete whirlwind of giant steps forward and huge accomplishments! We have watched our baby begin to move in new ways, talk in new ways, eat new foods and persevere through a few weeks of very serious stranger anxiety. She has adapted to many new environments/scenarios/people and places, all with a strength and courage we would have never imagined her to have at this age. She pushes us to our limits but does so in the most beautiful way. Keep an eye out over the next few weeks as I put together a post about her nursery or bedroom arrangements...Thanks for reading and please don't hesitate to write to me if you have any questions or curiosities about our Montessori home environments! <3
A close up of the movement area
Anyways, as you can see we have hung mobiles above the soft movement mat to encourage visual stimulation. There is also a grasping ring hanging from the bar for our baby to reach for and manipulate. The shelves are placed close to the mat so that the bottom shelf will demonstrate to the baby that materials go on a shelf or in a basket when they are not in use. There have been different texture blankets placed on the mat to stimulate the sense of touch and the mirror is actually a great big closet door that we found in a free pile years ago (total score!). It is large but it actually makes the room feel huge and has been a big hit so far. It provides feedback from the room for the baby, as well as gives her the opportunity to examine her reflection.
She took some special time today to look at her relection in the mirror!
Considering how often babies get to see themselves in mirrors is quite important. If you crawl around your house you might notice the lack of mirrors on a low level where the baby spends most of his or her time. Mirrors help to give the child their first experiences with building their self image which in return helps to boost their self confidence and self esteem as they grow. It is important to not hang mirrors in a way that creates infinite reflections (like putting two mirrors next to each other on adjacent walls) but placing one in all the key areas that the baby spends time.
Training toilet seat
With support, this little lady seems very happy to do her business on the toilet!