My Sister, The Family Guinea Pig 

As you must have figured out by now even at twenty-four months and a quarter I am singularly the cleverer child out of the two children family I belong too. Yes I do have something called a Big Sister, but I don't know about that child, I mean she thought a big purple dinosaur was her best friend last year, it was madness, it was Barney this and Barney that, and we all had to sing the “I love you” song till we were blue ..or maybe even purple in the face. 

You know Mother Dearest my spontaneous throwing up might have been triggered because of the constant hearing of that song, rather than your valiant attempt to feed me greens. My theory on older children is that they are test dummies, they are the guinea pigs that meld and mould the parents.. I mean.. in all actuality how can any normal person get the parenting thing right at the drop of a baby. One moment you were all carefree individuals drinking your lattes and cosmos, playing golf and maybe doing a book club for fun, and then CONGRATUATIONS you're a parent, here's your crying screaming baby, feed every two hours, change, burp, repeat...have a good life! If you're talking about my parental unit, we're talking heavy duty disasters by the truckload. The stories of regret and repent are plentiful, let's start with how Dad nearly bought the whole soft toy store, only for Big Sister to reject all and hug the TV remote instead... actually about remotes I must side with her on that one, little things with buttons make babies go crazy.. or how about the time the parents invested in the cot of the millennium, it rocked, it played lullabies, had CCTV cameras.. only the best for his little Princess, Dad said, but what did Big Sister do every night... screamed until she fell asleep on a parental shoulder, the mention of even the cot instigated meltdowns of ginormous proportions. Yes the poor parents were royally teased, plucked and pushed into the frail admonishers of discipline that they are now. 

Rules don't apply to me in this household, they are there for some pretense, you know show the in laws that we are raising children properly, as Mum says, but when Auntie Himi goes you can eat ice, run around naked, dance in the rain.. if you'd like, just don't disturb me! Yep, that's how the cookie crumbles, Big Sister got it bad... now as my mother turns a blind eye to the fact that this is the fifth cookie I've eaten and I might need a sixth soon.. I rejoice in being the youngest of the brood! Hooray for the babies in the family! We rock! 

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Why Do Babies Vomit? 

It's common for babies to vomit often in the early weeks as they adjust to feeding and as their bodies develop. You can tell when your baby is vomiting, rather than just bringing up small quantities of milk (possetting), because there will be a lot more coming out. Vomiting can be frightening for your baby, so he's likely to cry. A food allergy can sometimes cause vomiting. If your baby stops eating the food that triggers an allergic reaction, he may stop being sick. However, make an appointment with your doctor before removing foods from your baby's diet. Occasionally, vomiting can be a symptom of more serious illnesses. 

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Handling A Newborn 

If you haven't spent a lot of time around newborns, their fragility may be intimidating. Here are a few basics to remember: 

Wash your hands (or use a hand sanitizer) before handling your baby. Newborns don't have a strong immune system yet, so they are susceptible to infection. Make sure that everyone who handles your baby has clean hands. 

Be careful to support your baby's head and neck. Cradle the head when carrying your baby and support the head when carrying the baby upright or when you lay your baby down. 

Be careful not to shake your newborn, whether in play or in frustration. Shaking that is vigorous can cause bleeding in the brain and even death. If you need to wake your infant, don't do it by shaking — instead, tickle your baby's feet or blow gently on a cheek. 

Make sure your baby is securely fastened into the carrier, stroller, or car seat. Limit any activity that could be too rough or bouncy. 

Remember that your newborn is not ready for rough play, such as being jiggled on the knee or thrown in the air. 

By Mayuri Jayasinghe