My Baby Book
By: McKenzie Ball
McKenzie's Baby Book
Prenatal Development: Progress Before Birth
Embryonic Stage (2 weeks-2 months): this is the time when the mass of cells become a distinct human being. The head and its features quickly form and the embryo has all of the basic organs
Fetal Stage (2 months-birth): The stage lasts the longest and is marked by amazing change and growth. By the end of the month, all body parts will be formed, fingernails, hair, eyelashes, and toenails form, along with the maturity of the brain.
During my mom's pregnancy, she craved french fries. My parents didn't want to know my gender and went to the hospital with a girl name, McKenzie and a boy name, Garrett. When I was born and brought to my mom from the nursery, she thought they brought her the wrong baby because I had peach fuzz and blue eyes, when both my parents have brown hair and brown eyes.
The Second Stage of Life: Infancy & Childhood
Rooting Reflex: newborn babies automatically turn their face toward the stimulus and make sucking motions with the mouth when cheeks or lips are touched (this helps with breastfeeding)
Sucking Reflex: when the roof of the baby's mouth is touched, they will automatically begin sucking. It will eventually turn into a conscious effort and not a reflex
Swallowing Reflex: stimulation of the palate
Babinski Reflex: the stimulation of the outside of the sole of the foot, causing extension of the big toe while fanning out the other toe
Moro Relfex: reflex for an infant when they feel startled or like they are falling. The infant will have a startled look on their face and fling both arms out sideways with palms up
As a newborn, I slept with my hands above my head and my fists clenched, which is the grasping/palmer reflex.
Temperment
Temperment: aspects of an individuals personality; combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a person
As a baby, I had a very easy temperment. I always went with the flow and wasn't hard to figure out. At 5 months old, I took my very first plane ride, which I enjoyed very much. Today, I love plane rides and airports.
Attachment
Imprinting: rapid learning that establishes a long-lasting behavioral resonse to a specific individual or object
I had a strong attachment to my mom because she spent all day with me, but I was very excited to see my dad when he got home from work. I was very attached to my binki and we always had them laying around the house.
When I could stand up in my crib, I would reach onto the shelf next to my crib and pull down a stuffed dalmation. It was a baby shower gift and my mom wanted it to be for decoration only, but every time she put it back on the shelf, I would grab it and sleep with it. My mom eventually gave up and let me keep the stuffed animal, which I named Aggie, after my own dog. This stuffed animal has always been on my bed and I've always slept with it. I still have Aggie today.
Cognitive Development (( 0-2 years old ))
In this stage, I learned how to walk. I spent most of my day scooting up and down the stairs. When I got pretty good at walking by myself, I would push my baby dolls around in their stroller.
Language Development
My first word was uh-oh. I would always drop thing from my highchair, on purpose, and say uh-oh and laugh about it. I often dropped food down to the dogs.
Physical Development
First tooth at 4-5 months
First step at 2 years old
Cognitive Development (( 2-7 years old ))
Around the age of 3 or 4 years old, I loved to write. While driving in the car, I always had a pen and paper and was asking my parents how to spell my family members names and the words on the billboards. I read a lot of books and played with my baby dolls.
When I was in kindergarten, I learned how to tie my shoes.
Cognitive Development (( 7-11 years old ))
Lev Vygotsky's Theory
Cognitive Development (( 12 and up ))
Adolescent Egocentrism: teens and tweens belief that others are highly attentive to their behavior and appearance
Between 6th and 9th grade, I always thought that everyone was paying attention to me.
Adolescent "Personal Fable": the belief that he or she is highly special and unique and unlike anyone else who has ever walked the Earth
I always thought I was very unique and cooler than everyone else.
Adolescent "Imaginary Audience": belief that a group of followers exist who constantly watch and judge their every move
Even when I was by myself, I thought people were watching and judging me and I was always making sure I was doing or wearing acceptable things.
Parenting Styles
Permissive: these parents make relatively few demands upon their children, have low expectations and rarely discipline their children
Authoritarian: these parents have very high expectations of their children and very strict rules they expect to be followed unconditionally. They often utilize punishment rather that discipline
My parents are Authorative, which I believe is the best parenting style. This kind of parenting makes me a motivated person with high expectations of myself and a sense of what is right and wrong.
Personality Development
Intimacy vs. Isolation (ages 18-30): centers on forming intimate, loving relationships with other people. "Will I be loved or will I be alone?"
These two stages are probably the hardest stages of someones life. This is because we are trying to find out who we are and where we belong. Once we find out about ourselves, who we want to be, and how we want to live our life, we are struggling to find a partner. There is a lot of pressure, especially in my generation, to have a boyfriend/girlfriend, which can put unconscious stress on us. I have struggled with my parents a lot, trying to get the much wanted freedom but having to be sheltered still. I think I have now, for the most part, found who I am and have a good relationship with my parents and other family members.
Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle adulthood: 40's-50's): adults strive to create or nurture things that will outlast them; often by having children or contributing to positive changes the benefit other people. "making your mark on the world"
Integrity vs. Despair (Old Age: 60's and up): people reflect back on the life they have lived and come away with either a sense of fulfillment from a life well lived or a sense of regret and despair over a life misspent
In these last two stages of life, I hope to be happily married with children of my own and financially stable so I can take my family on vacations and buy ourselves the wants in life. I want my children to be mature and happy adults with a happy life. When I retire, I hope to be able to travel the world with the person I love. I want to be able to look back on my life and have no regrets, leaving my children to make a better world.