The Big Chill

News today is that local health jurisdictions may be moving Pfizer COVID vaccines to offices. We’ll be ready with our ultracold freezer. ❄️

Baby Steps: Language

 

There are two parts to language and communication:

 

Receptive language is the language you receive.

This is when you baby listens to what you are saying.

 

Expressive language is what your baby can say with words, motions, and expressions.

In the first months, your baby will coo with mostly vowel sounds, “ooh,” “aah.”

Consonants will come in later as baby starts to babble. Babies should have one word or sound by their first birthday.

 

Practice receiving and expressing with your baby.

When baby makes a noise, talk back to your baby. This give and take is practice for taking turns having a conversation. Use real words and sounds. Babies respond to high-pitched voices. Use sound and rhyme! Find old favorite nursery rhymes and learn (or create) some new ones.

 

Babies learn language by hearing it—just like you would learn a new language. Talk about what you are doing, name the things you are using. If your family speaks more than one language, talk, sing, and read in those languages.

Mask Up to Move On

Calvin says, wear your mask!

As families venture out more and things open up, it’s important that children wear masks.

Here are some resources for introducing (or reintroducing) masks.

Face Masks for Children from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Tips for Helping Kids Wear Masks

Helping Kids Get Used to Masks

Mask Toolkit: Tips for Success

7 Tips to Help Your Child Wear a Mask

For children with special needs, in addition to the Mask Toolkit above, there are articles on masking and coping.

General Public: Vaccination Information

Thank you for your interest in Pfizer COVID19 vaccinations.

We are accepting appointments starting Monday 5/17/2021 for all approved ages. 

Please follow our vaccine availability online at http://www.vaccinefinder.org

The link to patient JOTFORM registration for the COVID19 vaccine that must be completed BEFORE the appointment.

Thank you for your interest in getting vaccinated!

COVID 19 Vaccination Game Plan: for Patients

Thank you for your interest in COVID19 vaccinations.

We are accepting appointments starting Monday 5/17/2021 for all approved ages. 

Please follow our vaccine availability online at http://www.vaccinefinder.org

Fill out the JOTFORM patient registration for the COVID19 vaccine BEFORE the shot appointment.

CDC information sheet for tweens and teens.

Thank you for your interest in getting vaccinated!

Baby Steps: 2 Months Get Ready to Roll

Baby Steps: 2 Months Bound to Roll
Back to sleep is the safest position for babies, but since the change from sleeping on their tummy to their back, babies started rolling over a little later. Twenty-five years ago we expected babies to roll over by 4 months. Now with Back to Sleep (which has significantly reduced the rate of crib death), we expect babies to roll over by 6 months.

Babies who put waking time in on their tummies will push up on their hands in that classic baby “bear rug” pose. Often they will accidentally lose balance and roll from tummy to back. Once they discover this move, they’ll repeat it. Get your baby ready to roll with the best of them by letting them play on their tummy! Being on their tummy also sets them up to be in the right position for crawling. Remember: tummy to play, back to sleep.

 

Baby Got Shots?

Baby Got Shots? Here’s the 2021 schedule for birth through kindergarten. Seem complicated? It’s not! We’re happy to review it with you at the next well care visit.

Drive-In: Now Open

We are resuming urgent morning sick visits.

This includes COVID19 testing with rapid and PCR tests.

Patients should arrive between 8:45 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

As these are drive-in appointments, there may be a wait. Patients will be triaged for level of illness.

Park in the labeled parking spaces along the south side of our building and CALL the office at (925)939-7334.

This lets us know you have arrived. Staff will screen patients and direct patients to be seen inside or outside in our satellite area.

Patients MUST bring the current insurance card for every visit. This helps us validate what lab to send tests to.

The only stable thing about the pandemic is change. We encourage you to call the office and listen to the overnight message to confirm that the Drive-In is open.

Baby Steps: Read to Your Bunny

Babies learn language the way you and I learn new languages: by repetition. Talk to your baby and child! The more words they hear, the more they learn. Talk about what you’re doing, name the items that you see and use. When your baby babbles at you, respond to your baby. This is how they learn the back-and-forth of conversations. Skip the baby talk for real words.

Read to your baby everyday. There are board books and picture books galore. Point to items and name them. Talk about what’s going on in the picture.

Books also develop motor skills. Books like Pat the Bunny are meant to be touched. Learn to turn pages from the edges. Your baby and toddler can practice turning with cloth books and then magazines to protect that precious picture book you had growing up.

Singing songs and reciting nursery rhymes are excellent language builders. Rhyme and rhythm develop pre-reading skills and memory.

If your children’s songs and nursery rhymes are a bit rusty, check out your local library for virtual offerings.

It’s never too soon to get a library card so your family can enjoy unlimited resources. The pandemic has made things a little different, but libraries have modified their services for the pandemic.

 

Baby Steps: 1 Month

Mix it up to keep baby moving!

Starting tummy time early and scheduling routine tummy times—like after diaper change—can make baby accept and enjoy this time “face down.” Change up the surface for baby: different textures, different colors. Sing and talk and gently touch baby and name body parts. Never leave baby unattended during tummy time.

If you didn’t start tummy time from day one, never fear. No one trains for a marathon by going out and running one. Some may even walk a block then run a block. Build up tummy time and watch baby’s neck, back, and arm muscles strengthen.

Don’t force tummy time on an upset baby. Start when she’s settled and build duration and frequency day by day. You can start tummy to tummy with baby, or lie baby on your lap. You can also supervise baby and place a rolled up blanket behind the back to support baby in side-lying. Never leave baby unattended in this position.

To keep your baby’s skills on track, avoid baby positioning gears like infant seats, swings, carriers, and the car seat whenever you can. This means at home and at daycare. If you must use them, limit your baby’s time in the gear to no more than 2-3 hours per day.

Don’t let your baby sleep in baby gear. You don’t want a light sleeper! Have baby fall asleep where baby is supposed to sleep: in the crib, tummy-up.

Alternate everything to make baby strong!
Breast fed babies change positions to nurse on the left and the right. Bottle-fed babies can too! Switch the hand you use to hold the bottle. This goes for burping and carrying. Change the location of toys and mirrors to make baby look around. Rotate the position of the baby seat, the high chair, everythi