06: Smiles

In this episode of First-Time Dad Podcast, I talk about music. Or more specifically, baby music. I share a story about a friend of mine who let his newborn baby boy listen to The Beatles, which I wanted to do with my baby as well. However, as my baby grew older, he started gravitating toward baby music ("Wheels on the Bus", nursery rhymes, among others) which I was trying to avoid in the first place. I also share how we used music during my wife's pregnancy in our meditation sessions.

In this episode of First-Time Dad Podcast, I talk about my baby's first words. I share my thoughts on what counts as a first word, since this is a very important milestone in a child's development. I talk about the two requirements that need to be present for a word to be considered a baby's first, and I also share an audio recording of me enjoying my talking baby boy.

In this episode of First-Time Dad Podcast, I talk about books. When my wife was pregnant, her OB-GYN told us to read to the baby, even if the baby was still in the womb. Some people may find the idea absurd (Why would you read to a fetus that doesn't even understand words yet?), but I explain what I think is the reasoning behind this. I myself am a big fan of books, and I would like my love of reading passed down to my child. I also talk about board books, and how it would be best for very young toddlers. 

In this episode of First-Time Dad Podcast, I discuss celebrating first birthdays, especially in the time of the pandemic. I guess the most important takeaway here is that you should create lots and lots of memories. Take photos, shoot videos, the works... your child is too young enough to remember anything, anyway, since most people have their earliest memories at age three. With the pictures and videos, you're giving your child lots of tangible memories he can look back on when he's older.

In this episode of First-Time Dad Podcast, I discuss baby milestones. These are events in your baby's life that are worth celebrating, or posting on social media. Some of the milestones that my baby has achieved so far after nine months are rolling over on his own, pulling himself up on his own, and crawling. 

In this episode of First-Time Dad Podcast, I discuss what a baby's sleep is like. I mention how a newborn's sleeping pattern is very different from that of an infant, and as he grows older, he will be sleeping for longer and longer stretches. Eventually, your baby will have to adopt the circadian rhythm, or being up with the sun and being asleep when it's dark. 

In this episode, I discuss toys. More specifically, I talk about toys that are appropriate for very young children, like those who are less than a year old. Babies this age need what we call "sensory toys", or toys that engage as many of the sense as possible. Some of the most popular baby toys are those that look bright and colourful, have a certain texture, and make a bit of noise, which all combined engage the three senses of sight, touch, and hearing, respectively.

In this episode, I discuss a baby's smile. The infant smile, I believe, is the key to their survival, and is an evolutionary feature given to babies so that adults will always protect them and keep them close. I've seen this at work: when I feel quite frustrated with my baby for not cooperating or not doing what I want him to do, he just smiles at me. That single smile is all that's needed to wipe that frustration away.

In this episode, I share my ideas on why babies coo and shriek. I believe this is their first attempt at speaking, and during these first attempts, they will be limited to these sounds. With loudness being the only thing they can control vocally, the coo would be at the quiet end, while the shriek would be the loud end.

In this episode, I share my thoughts on the "breast milk versus formula milk" debate. We would've wanted our baby to have been exclusively breastfed for at least six months, but during his first week, he and his mum were having trouble latching, so we ended up mixed-feeding him (around 80% breast milk and 20% formula milk). But simply because of the fact that it is all-natural, I'd have to agree that breast milk is indeed best for babies.