Your Baby Week 50
It is just two weeks away from your baby's first birthday! You may find that his vocabulary is growing every day. If your baby isn't speaking yet, they are probably communicating nonverbally with hand signals or making sounds that let you know if they are happy or not. If you haven’t already, using sign language can help your child learn to communicate his desires. Introduce the sign and the word, and respond when your child signs by saying back to them the word that they have signed. They will soon sense the connection between the physical action and the word itself.
Clinginess
As your child is eager to assert their newfound independence, you may also notice time when they seem completely dependent, not letting go of you and not being happy when you are out of their sight. This is probably pretty common when you need to focus on something else, like catching up on work or housework. And you may find that if you drop what you are doing to attend to him, he doesn't need you anymore, the complaining stops and he continues on with his day.
If you notice your baby becoming clingy whenever you need to attend to something other than him, you don't have to drop everything to reassure him that he is the center of your world. In fact, you may want to try including him in on your tasks, if possible. If you are catching up on laundry, bring him into the laundry room and let him hold a piece of clothing while you work. Explain what you are doing and make him feel like part of the action. Even with the clingiest baby, if you get creative, you will probably find a way to make him feel included while still attending to the task at hand!
Fried foods
As your baby is weaned and adult foods become a more prominent part of his diet, it's important to make sure he is getting the best food for his growing body. Though fried foods are sold almost everywhere, they should not be a major part of your baby's diet. Try choosing healthy alternatives for your little one, instead of french fries, opt for a baked potato, and baked fish and chicken are healthier options than fried fish or chicken.
If you are preparing foods at home and are cooking with fats, try avoiding saturated fats found in things like palm and coconut oils, vegetable shortening and animal fats. Instead try cooking with olive oil, canola oil or soy oil. It will be healthier for the entire family!
