My boy sings!

Am I the only one who thinks it's amazing that a 13month-old can sing?

It's not much of a song though, 3 notes repeated a few times, then a chorus - one note, then back to the 3 core notes. The fact that he changes between the notes makes me think he is actually singing something, and not just making harmonic sounds. I wonder if he is singing something he has heard before, or he is a composer. Hmm, me thinks Beethoven must move over, my boy is taking over the music world.

Come to think of it, he is also a dancer of note. He only has one move at the moment though (the hip swinging), b ut I tell you, come a few years, he will be putting Michael Jackson to shame - just as long as he stays away from the crotch-grabbing move.

Do I start taking him for lessons now, or maybe I should just wait till he can at least feed himself, before I become one of those neurotic parents. Do I just let it all go with the flow and he ends up wasting his talents? Let me just wait a few years, then I'll see if I can afford to stop worki ng and have him support us with all the millions he will ba making from his music.

The good mother

When I was pregnant, I would read all I could about being a good mother. All the conflicting views regarding sleeping, routines, breast/bottle feeding, when to introduce solids, nappies (disposable or not), etc. Well, I now think I have found my own truths regarding being a good mother. I'll list a few of them below.

• Most children will make it out ok, whether they are born through c-section or naturally. I read so much of the gung-ho rubbish all over the net about natural birth. I ended up going half, natural and having an emergency c-section. I breastfed successfully (without any help) 1 hour after my son's birth. I also had no issues bonding with my boy.
  
  If you are bound to have issues regarding bonding or breastfeeding, you will probably have them whether you go naturaly or otherwise. Don't let the military-style arguments make your mind up for you. Go with your gut feel and you will have less regrets. Either way, the baby will be born. I don't think they care much what path they take on their way out.
  
  
• Have breasts - will feed. I think a lot of women read so much about other people's problems or fears regarding breastfeeding, they end up having issues themselves. Please remember that humans are meant to breastfeed.
  
  Why is it we are the only animals on earth with so many breastfeeding issues? I figure it might have to do with what society has conditioned us. Most of what we hear is about how difficult it is to get breastfeeding right. We also hear about milk coming in and let down and all that other crap. Forget that crap and you will probably have no issues with breastfeeding. If issues do come up, speak to your midwife - most hospitals have them. Forget about the milk coming in, if you are meant to have milk in those breasts, it will be there, otherwise, there's stores full of formula that you can turn to.
  
  
• I was breastfed and I don't think I turned out exceptionally better than a friend that I know who was formula-fed. Whether you are having issues with breastfeeding, you are saving them for 'children' of legal age, want to beat the sag, or you just don't feel like breastfeeding, it's your choice. Yes, brest-milk is the best thing for a baby, but formula works well enough. Stop beating yourself up with guilt and enjoy loving your baby.
  
  Anyway, breastfeeding is not all it's cracked up to be. I enjoyed it immensely, but I had some uncomfortable times - having to find a private space to breastfeed for instance. I also had issues expressing enough milk, so I would end up stuck to M the whole time because I feared he would go hungry. M was also so used to breastfeeding, he refused the bottle most of the time. If I had to do it o ver again, I would probably introduce either introduce bottle feeding after 1 month - whether it's formula/breast milk will depend on your own choice/circumstance. I was also one of the lucky ones who didn't end up with cracking or bleeding nipples.
  
  If I had to do it all over again, I would keep breastfeeding past 6 months, except it wont be exclusive breastfeeding.
  
  
• Routines just don't work for me. I tried a few suggestions from well known books, but watching the clock the whole time just didn't work for me. I know people who find it easier to run their lives according to routines and maybe they would be happier getting their children into a routine. I foud that when I was trying to get him into a routine, I spent most of my waking hours wondering what the time was and what the next chore was. When I got off the routine, I was a whole lot more relaxed and because I didn't expect M to act a certain way at a certain time, I found it easy to deal with him even during the difficult time.
  
  
• Sleepless nights. Get over it they are going to happen. What helped me immensely was just going with the flow - hence no routine. I really think sleeping-through - unless you are a routine-type person, is just plain luck. M for instance wouldn't eat more than a certain amount at a time, it didn't matter how hungry he was, so either way, he ended up waking up for his bottle, sometimes more than usual. My mother, who looked after my nephew from birth till 3, followed no routines and had no special potions, but ended up with a grad-child who slept through from 2 months old.

The gist of what I'm saying is, There is no formula. Things that work for some, might not work for you. You attitude plays a bigger role than most of the formulas dictated. Go with what works for you, and you will be the best mother you can be.