Babies go through all kinds of phases and stages. It’s amazing really just how quickly they scoot through each phase.

Newborn phase … Although this phase seems an eternity, it really is only a couple months at the most. Baby won’t always be getting up every 2 hours to eat round the clock. Baby won’t always have a “witching hour” where all they do is cry. I know I geared myself up for getting up 3-4 times a night in those first weeks. I knew, for a season, sleep would happen in 2-4 hour increments instead of at least 8 solid hours straight! Once we started using the Miracle Blanket at around 6 weeks we went to 2 feedings during the night with 3-5 hour stretches in between. As much as I “dislike” the newborn phase, there really is nothing sweeter in life than holding a sleeping newborn – especially when that newborn is yours!

Three to Five month stage … I’ve heard it said that this is a baby’s “Golden Age” because they are content to lay on the floor and play. Baby is easily containable because he/she can’t crawl! During this stage Little Bug loved her Floor Gym. She would lay under there for sometime even up to half an hour just kicking her legs, watching the lights and listening to the music/nature sounds. Towards the end of this stage, Little Bug got so bored so easily! I know now that her curiosity of the world was at all time high and she was ready to be getting on the move … but developmentally, her little body just wasn’t ready. I used my carrier a lot towards the end of this stage when I was home alone with her trying to get things done and she was bored. In the carrier she went and she was happy again because she  could see the world around her.

Six to Eight month stage … We made great leaps in the sleeping department during this stage! Little Bug dropped her 11pm dreamfeed and began sleeping 10-11 hours straight without waking. I felt like a new woman putting my child to bed at 8:30pm and having until 7-7:30am the next morning without having to do anything baby related (except an occasional peek on the monitor, of course!). When Little Bug started sitting up I found she didn’t get bored as much. A new world was opened up to her just in the simple fact that she could now sit and play! But, of course, when the time came and Little Bug was so ready to crawl but her arms ad legs just weren’t there yet, there were many frustrating days for both her and me until she learned to crawl. :)

Nine to Twelve month stage … And here we are at 9 months. Little Bug is crawling, pulling up and is saying two words. If I had to pick a favorite stage, THIS would most definitely be it! I LOVE THIS STAGE! It is so much fun. Little Bug is a sponge and soaks up everything. Her natural curiosity (for even such things as our automatically opening and closing trash can – this is her newest obsession!) make every day a new and fun adventure for us. I love teaching Little Bug about any and everything that she is curious and interested in learning about. I find it absolutely amazing that she will sit on my lap and listen to books as I read them. She is so adorable when she reaches out to touch a texture on the book made for baby to feel. She will touch it and then pull her hands back and wait for me to turn the page so we can keep reading!

I told myself from the day we brought Little Bug home that I was going to enjoy each and every stage. And I have. Yes, even the newborn stage! As much as I honestly couldn’t wait for her to get past that stage, I will forever remember those precious moments of holding my baby girl on my chest at night while she slept and relishing in the fact that she is mine!

- Elaine