photo


I like it when my babies are awake (but not crying). I used to wake them up after a long afternoon nap and play with them or just look at them when they couldn't smile yet. It was so nice interacting with them especially when they smile at you. Although at there were times that they weren't cooperative and gave me looks like "Mama, leave me alone!" or "Stop it!". Thanks to my mother-in-law I learned how to make them more lively without scaring or shocking them. Not only did it give me quality time with my babies, but it was also good session of calisthenics.

Here are some tips to make your babies livelier.

1. Remove your babies clothes and put him on top of the table.
2. Stoke his body with your warm hands.
3. Massage his legs and arms like you're kneading a bread. My babies found it funny when I used to do this, since it felt like rubbing their skin/body. You can either rub the arms and legs with a steady pressure or just tap is it.
4. To end the session, stoke his body again with your warm hands. It's a way of telling your baby that the session is over.

For starters, you can do this massage for 10 minutes and then progress to 20. You could also do this after bathing him. I also recommend using baby oil or olive oil (highly recommended by my midwife) for the massage. It makes massaging easier and leaves a nice smell afterwards.