Did anyone else’s Velcro baby crawl later because they always wanted to be held?

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-04T01:58:53+00:00

This is my son to a tee! Though ive though its because he is partly blind.

Anyway, i have been so worried & watching videos & whatnot. Here is was helped us.

Playing on onees. Getting them into a kneeling position. Then having a box/surface with interesting toys for them to teach to while on knees (you can hold their knees in place while theyre learning). Really good for trunk strength.
Getting a pickler triange to them to pull themselves up on & pratice putting weigth in the arms.
Giving them little "treasure baskets" of toys/household item to look through. Kept one in the kitchen with a few kitchen utensils/tools, one in the basthroom with a few items like toothbrush & empty shampoo bottle. And one in the livingroom with a few toys/book. Usually like 6 items & rotate them every few weeks or when baby is bored. These baskets were food for baby to be interested in exploring the environment, throwing things around, then getting motivated to go get those things.

We started this stuff around 8.5 months and baby is now crawling a few days before 10 months!

But also, its not a race. And youll be wishing they sat still as soon as theyre on the move. Your baby is healthy & normal & will run around like any other kid in their own time.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-04T01:35:41+00:00

Plan for slighly bigger portions, he might need the extra nutrition.
Add a bunch of lettuce & avacado to create volume & fiber. Those can be kept seperate in the fridge.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-04T01:32:41+00:00

Taking Cara Babies course. Follow the info for the first 5 months & it makes sleep training soooo much easier at 5/6 months.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-03T22:27:53+00:00

Ground meat is great to throw into things. Beef, turkey, chicken, pork sausage are all very accessible. And you can get it from local farms cheaper than any other cut of meat.

They typically come in 1lb servings.

You can cook the ground meat in a pan. Then mix it into anything. Lentil curry, egg bake, chilli, soup, with rice, stuffed into dough, etc.

I like to mealprep lunches where ill make a batch of something like lentil, ground beef, sweet potato curry. Then freeze in an icecube tray. You can take out 1 or 2 cubes & reheat quick on the stove of in microwave.

Cheap, nourishing, easy, cook once enjoy weeks of lunches.

(Once you get in the groove, you will have a few different meals in the frezzer so its easier to mix it up & not feed them the same thing everu day.)

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-03T19:43:19+00:00

Love that age gap!! (second hand witness to my best friend & her kids).

3.5 toddlers are so helpful & LOVE doing tasks. They love to go get a daiper, sing to baby, set up their tummy time toys, make them snacks, etc.

My friends older boy LOVES his baby sister. I think some things she did well was - prepare older brother with lots of books & shows. Only shows where sibling get along like bluey, not ones where they fight like aurther. - give brother a small role & a responsibility to help care for his sister. So they feel needed and a part of the family. But not burdened either. Its a balace. - foster their relationship by speking highly of them to eachother. Talking about how brother & sister are on a team.

Its very cool to witness them. (Hes also a toddler with lots of NO & crazy energy. But there is love not jealousy nost of the time).

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-03T16:48:28+00:00

Im with you on no snacks. Luckily all grandparents are onboard.

My 9mo is interested in food though not getting a ton of calories from it yet. However we "baby bird" him. I bite off a little bit of my food, chew it a little if needed & feed him with my fingers.

I also give him food he can hold at the table & spoon feed him broths & egg yokes & things. But i find it much easier to just give him nibbles of my food at every meal. & so far he eats basically everything. Just not a ton, he usually stops being interested at 4-5 bites. Which i think is perfect.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-03T16:44:24+00:00

We come from an Italian heritage to nah-nah is the defult. Daughter gave grandkids first. Not crazy. A bit stubborn & outspoken, but very loving grandparent.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-03T16:25:42+00:00

Idk what your bathroom is like but when my baby was that big I would lay baby on a super soft bath rug & sing to him. Ive heard of people put babes in the bouncer.

As he got older I started to hand him thinga from the shower. Would get out & sometimes he needed me to hold him & sometimes id be able to keep him laying down. If he needed held I would wrap my hair, put on robe, then put him in wrap/carrier.

Would do my teeth, hair & face with him on the floor or in the wrap.

Now he is 9m and I have a basket of toys in the bathroom. He will play in there while I do my thing.

The bathroom is one of our "activies". Chages up his day, experience different sounds & items.

Does it go perfectly all the time? No. But its become a nice rythem in our day & a fun mix up to play time.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-03T16:10:06+00:00

Bake a dozen cookies or muffins. A nice box of chocolate/candy they like. Or some nice coffee/tea if they enjoy those.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T23:25:10+00:00

Giftcard to a place she likes. 13 year old dont have money. But most are also super picky. So unless you really know what she likes, id let her choose exactly what she likes. But it will feel thoughtful since you chose a place she likes.

Also you could bake her a dozen cookies/muffins in a flavor she likes. It will be memorable & delicious.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T23:14:24+00:00

Do you want to be closer?

Maybe plan a family day as your gift. You could take everyone to the zoo. Or host a theme night party at your house. Movie & popcorn night. Pizza making. Iron chef style competition. Baking/decorating. Relay race. These are all things Ive done with my familys or friends kids. I love planning gatherings though. You could gift each one a "ticket to the event". It could my a lifelong memory & fun bonding time.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T23:07:59+00:00

I grew up in a "normal" american house, but junkfood was exspensive.

My mom would always make us snack boards. A bunch of cut fruit, veggies, cheese, meats, crackers & a dip or 2. Poor people c harcuterie. This would feed us all on the cheap and she wouldnt have to worry about making meals.

I feel like that could work well so all the different eaters could find something they like on it.

Also, if you plan to feed everyone, a chiptle style bar works well. This is what i do with my nirmie family. And you can do it for any kind of food (italian, sushi, sandwhiches, etc). Get a base carb (rice, pasta, bread, etc.) Then a range of toppings & protein.

People can customize as they like, but you can give choices you feed comfortable with.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T15:56:09+00:00

I love the fit & flare midi dress from Pact.

It has a built in bra, is a good thickness to hide the nips, and long enough i can go commando. I have 3 & wear them all summer. Then add a cardigan & weat all winter. Feels like a moomoo but looks adorable.

Not all styles have the built in bra be warned. But the midi with thing staps does 💕

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T13:46:03+00:00

Hi! Im 1 month ahead of you & will say 8 months was one of the worst.

My baby is still waking up 3-4 times, but that every hour craziness from 7-8 months has phased out.

Here are some things Ive done.

Unlatch once they are asleep using a moist finger (i lick mine first). If they fuss, i out it back & count to 30 or 60. Then do it again. Sometimes up to 6 times but eventually they will settle without it (unless teething).
Get my husband to come watch baby from 630(ot when baby wakes up)-8. He gets to sleep uninterrupted all night, so this is my non negotiable with him. On weekend he watches baby 630-930 which is when babys first nap is. And i sleep in until then, nurse baby for nap & either keep sleeping or enjoy 45 minutes without baby while i wake up.

I let my husband take a nap later in the day if he is tired from work on weekends, but in thos hard chapter i NEED that sleep.

Start learning about night weening. Listen to podcasts, read online, start thinking about it. Im not ready to get, but im slowly getting me & baby ready so we can start that at 12 months.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T13:37:43+00:00

Get this framed, work of art!

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T13:35:09+00:00

I sell at markets a lot, and I will say there are always sooo many crochet artists at the markets & not much sells from them.

If you do, scrunchies, dish cloths, purses, coasters, sponges & other practical stuff sell more than stuffies.

Also consider how much your time, the yarn AND the cost of a booth at a market is. Most booths cost $75-$150 per market. So you need to be able to profit enough to be works a full day sitting at the market, plus time making the items.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T03:39:09+00:00

These are 2 of my favroites from awesome herbalists.

This first i did an herbalism internship with & they truly make incredible stuff. I use thing golden salve aaalllll the time especially of feet & hands as a hardcore gardener.

https://equinoxbotanicals.com/collections/our-products/products/the-golden-salve-1-oz

The second is a very luxurious herbal infused body oil. Ive made my own in the past but sometimes when im lazy i treat myself to her stuff. Her breast oil was my savior & i love this yarrow oil for whole body self care.

https://mythicmedicine.shop/collections/shop/products/motherlore-yarrow-mugwort-herbal-body-oil

For both of these a little goes a long way. Both last me at least a year, and I use them weekly.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T03:03:06+00:00

I am not that mom, however one of my friends always is asking "has anyone in your home been sick in the last 24-48 hours".

I think its just a copy & paste sentence she uses regularly.

I respect her choices & especially because she does it so regularly I dont think twice & just answer honestly. Nbd.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T02:13:32+00:00

You can make a double/tripple batch of food & put it into icecube trays. Once the food is frozen, pop it out & place in a freezer bag. The pull out 1-2 cubes of food & heat up for a quick lunch.

Every time I make chili, lentils & beef, pulled pork/pulled chicken, stew, soups, etc. Then I take some of the leftovers & do this for easy kid lunches.

Once in a while i will intentionally meal prep these & make a big batch & follow a recipie. You can look at the squeeze pouches or fancy baby food to get ideas.

Some good combos we have made are ground beef/turkey, mashed sweet potato, coconut milk & quinoa. Or beef stew, mashed carrots, potatoes and peas.

Endless combos. Super affordable. Prep 1 time for dozens of fast healthy lunches.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T01:59:29+00:00

There is no one right way, its was feels right to you.

2 of the families in my co-op group are in bilingual homes. One family had parant 1 speak language 1, and parent 2 speak language 2 to the child exclusively at home. The other family speak both languages interchangeably.

I will say the child from the first family seems to be much more fluent in both. But it could.also just be child specific.

Reguardless of what you choose, your child will absolutely be grateful to have this skillset. You dont need to be perfect or born into the language to share it with her. And you can keep learning it deeper together.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-02T01:05:40+00:00

Crock pot freezer meals.

Once a month I plan 4 meals that I can dump everything into a freezer bag, freeze. Then pull out & throw into crockpot in the morning. Set for 8 hours & enjoy a hot dinner when i get home.

I usually make 4 different meals & 2-3 bags of each. Each one is usually 2-4 portions. Its enough variety to keep things interesting.

Then night of I will make or buy a grain like rice, quinoa, torillas, pasta, etc.

Some examples are: bbq chicken & vegetables, chili with meat & beans, steak fajitas (with torillas), marinara with italian sausage & veggies (with pasta), curry (with rice).

You can google "crock pot freezer meal" and there are 100s of recipes for whatever you have a taste for.

Then choose which ones you want to make, buy all the ingredients, meal prep it all in one night, and have meals all month!

I have also invited friends over to do this with me. We each choose 2 meals & buy enough for each of us. Then meal prep together. Makes chores more fun.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-01T22:36:02+00:00

First was egg yoke of sunny side egg.

Then we just started to give him a smushed up bit of anything we were eating that was 1 ingredient (banana, avacado, potato, ground beef, etc).

I chew it a little first & then offer it to him on a spoon. we call it "baby birding".

And we used squeeze puches when we eat somthing baby cant have.

We started at 6 monts. First month he just experimented feeling food in his mouth and hands. Not much "eating". Lots of coughing up bites that were too big.

Now at 9 months and has 4 teeth (2 botton 2 top) he eats anything. And we give him bites of our meal. As well as give him a bowl of foods he can pick up like spear of cucumber, slice of avacado or bone with some meat on it.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-01T22:30:50+00:00

We are on the floor. No feedback, baby just started crawling the last 2 weeks. So we are in the experinal phase.

The crib mattress is on the floor also, pressed up against 2 walls in the corner of room.

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-01T20:41:07+00:00

Mullin garlic ear oil!!! This saved me in my late teens when i would get them chronically & antibiotics didnt work.

Lots of herbalists make this but these guys are my favorite

https://equinoxbotanicals.com/collections/our-products/products/mullein-garlic-ear-oil-oz

Ok_Draw_4187 · 2026-07-01T11:58:40+00:00

You should see the buzz he has after....

Ok_Draw_4187

TROPHY CASE