Feature Baby: Rose

It is our pleasure to feature another one of our adorable friends, Rose!  We first met Rose and her parents Katie and Bradley in Master Movers class when she was six months old.  She was sitting and learning how to pivot on her tummy at the time. The next month, they signed up for the Master Movers three-month series.  Over the series, Rose learned how to get up on her hands and knees, crawl, and pull up to stand!  Her nanny, Elizabeth, also joined in the classes some times to learn the same things her parents were learning about how to play with Rose to encourage her motor development.  They signed up for the next three-month series, and during that series, she went from taking a couple steps to taking off walking everywhere!  It has been such a delight to have Rose and her family in classes!  She is truly a special little girl with such a sweet and joyful spirit.  In her last class with us, she brought toys to the other babies and gave them hugs & kisses - such a sweetie!  We will miss having you in classes and wish your parents the best of luck in chasing you around now that you are really On The MOVE!  

“I’m so happy that I found Babies on the Move via a Mommy Facebook group. Being a new mom in a new city I was searching for a class that would be fun for Rose, educational for me, and provide an opportunity for socializing. Babies on the Move fit that bill perfectly. Becca and Rachel are very informative, welcoming, calm, cool, and collected. We always walked away from each class with 2-3 tips on how to help Rose develop her skills. It was reassuring knowing that we were right on track and it eased our minds if anything concerning came up Becca and Rachel were right there to support us. We encourage all parents to consider taking advantage of their expertise and provide some fun for their little ones. ”

— Katie, Rose's mother

FREE trial Kindermusik Class at Babies On The MOVE on June 9, 2017

We are very excited to tell you that Susan from Kindervillage Music Studio will be with us at Open Arts dance studio in Morrisville, NC on June 9, 2017 at 12:00 noon to provide a FREE trial Kindermusik class to parents and babies who have attended our classes.  We will have our monthly Mini Movers and Master Movers classes in the studio that morning, and following class the free trial Kindermusik class will start at noon.  

The Kindervillage music studio's website states,  "Kindermusik is a classroom learning experience. We teach children music so they can become better learners. It's not about making little Mozarts. It's about developing skills in the whole child - ages newborn to 7 years - cognitive, physical, social, emotional, language and musical. For more than 25 years, we have believed music is the best conductor for learning."

We invite all parents and children who are currently attending our classes or who have attended our classes in the past to attend this FREE trial class! 

Feature Baby: Dottie

We are very excited to announce the next feature baby, Dottie!  

Dottie and her mom Sarah started coming to Babies On The MOVE Mini Movers classes in July 2016, when she was three months old.  Sarah works really close to Open Arts Studio in Morrisville where our monthly classes are held and is able to bring Dottie to work with her, so our classes were super-convenient for them to come almost every month!  Here are some early tummy time pics that show how determined this little one was to move from early on!

They switched over to Master Movers classes in November when Dottie was turning 7 months old, could sit well by herself, and was ready for a new challenge!  While attending Master Movers classes, Dottie learned how to move out of sitting by going over each side, get on to hands and knees, creep, pull up to stand, squat to pick up toys, and walk holding on to furniture!  In March 2017, at 11 months old, she came to class and showed off her cool new trick --- Taking steps all by herself!!!  We are excited for their family on this next chapter in their lives and thank them for sharing the first year with us!  We look forward to having them stop by the studio every so often to see what she's up to along the way!

“As first time parents, we wanted to start our child off on the right foot (GROAN). We weren’t quite sure how to encourage Dottie to move correctly. We questioned if we were picking her up, positioning her, and playing with her in ways that ensured that we were helping, not harming. Becca and Rachel were really great at identifying milestones and suggesting methods to help Dottie flourish.”

— Sarah, Dottie's mother

Importance of Movement and Infant/Toddler Equipment to Promote Development

We had a great group at our recent FREE class on the Importance of Movement and Infant/Toddler Equipment to Promote Development at KinderVillage Music Studio in Cary this week!  We spoke about the importance of movement in motor development and provided great information on play equipment that helps to promote your little one's development, as well as those things that might interfere with development.  It was such a wonderful, interactive group with lots of questions about their specific needs that we were able to answer for them.  We were so impressed with the staff of KinderVillage, and their interest in learning how they can help promote motor development more in their music and movement classes!  Thanks to KinderVillage music studio for hosting us!

Feature Baby: Sydney

This month we are featuring our adorable little friend Sydney!  We first met Sydney in September when she was almost four months old.  At that point, she was comfortable doing some tummy time, but we showed her parents Danielle and Matt ways to make it a little easier by getting her weight back off her chest a bit.  We also showed them how to help her roll over and support her in sitting with good alignment.  After their first Babies On The MOVE class, they signed up for a three-month series of classes.  At her next class, we could see how much stronger Sydney was getting!  She was doing really well on her tummy, propping on her arms and lifting them up off the floor.  Not only could she lift her head really well on her tummy, but she was also lifting it really well when she was lying on her sides and when she was lying on her back!  Her parents held her in sitting with great alignment, just as they had learned in class.  At the class the following month, she was able to sit without them holding on to her, just being there for when she lost her balance!  We taught her parents things to encourage when she was on her tummy to help her work towards crawling.  In the last class of their three class series, Sydney was starting to move onto her tummy from sitting all by herself!  She had good balance when her parents held her supported in standing, using techniques we taught them to keep her from going up on her toes.  Sydney was also starting to move towards getting on her hands and knees by moving over the sides is sitting.  By the time we saw Sydney next, she was crawling all over and pulling up to standing on furniture!  We gave her parents ideas of things to help her be more stable on her feet and get her on her way to walking.  We can't believe this sweet little girl is going to be walking all over the place in the next few months!       

“Babies on the Move has been such a great experience for our family. Sydney is our first child and I’m sure as most first time parents we fly by the seat of our pants. Even with my ABA background and understanding of developmental milestones, I was in uncharted territory when it came to helping Sydney with her motor development. Rebecca and Rachel do such a great job, explaining and training the parents on how to help their children develop their mobility while having fun at the same time. Each month Sydney seemed to be emerging into the next motor milestone, and after going to class and working with Rebecca and Rachel she developed more confidence in her ability to meet those milestones. It was just incredible to see. They also helped my husband and I feel more confident and capable with our ability to help Sydney grow. We would recommend these classes to every parent, first time or veterans!”

— Sydney's mom Danielle

October Babies On The MOVE Baby Classes

October brought the beginning of a new series of classes at Babies On The MOVE.  In our Master Mover classes, we talked about standing and getting into standing.  It brought us to the conversation about shoe recommendations for little feet.  We recommended babies be barefoot at home and talked about the type of shoes that are best for new walkers when they are outside. The Mini Mover classes brought lots of new little babes.  We talked about what's important about playing on your back and side, as well as how to make tummy time more fun!  There was an impressive showing of dads at the Sunday classes!  We frequently have more of a mommy & me showing to class, but dads are of course always welcome and encouraged to come too (or instead)! Looking forward to our November classes which are right around the corner. 

Feature Baby: Jane Marie

It's time to showcase another one of our adorable babies!  This time, we want to highlight the journey of Jane Marie.  

Jane was born at 34 weeks growth restricted.  She was a tiny 4 pounds and stayed in the NICU for 3 weeks until she was able to go home.  Her parents, Kenneth and Deanna, were prepared for her to develop at a slower rate than her peers and were told that there was a possibility that she would need Physical Therapy.  They were proactive and signed up for our MINI MOVERS series of classes then continued on with MASTER MOVERS classes as she grew.  At the first class, she did a great job with tummy time, but her parents were concerned that she was not able to roll from her tummy to her back yet.  One month later, she was lifting her head to help with rolling and sitting well with support, but her parents were concerned that she was still not rolling and she was not sitting up by herself.  Despite their concerns, they knew that Jane's determined spirit would help her get where she needed to be developmentally.  Then, Jane had an explosion of growth and development where she learned how to roll over, sit by herself, and crawl!  We were very impressed with how great Jane's motor skills looked!  She was no longer moving along her own curve, she was a true MASTER MOVER!  Jane was able to avoid needing Physical Therapy and is a thriving, active little MOVER!    

We asked Deanna and Kenneth to share their experiences with Babies On The MOVE classes, and here's what they had to say:

"Becca and Rachel were so helpful in helping me feel secure in Jane's development and they assured me that I was doing the right things.  I asked questions about how to encourage her to roll.  I was taught how to help her sit up from a side position.  Becca and Rachel assured me that we didn't need to purchase expensive equipment or toys, but that Jane was on her own time table.  Babies On The MOVE helps us to know what to expect developmentally and gives Jane time to interact with others who are near her age."  

- Deanna

"As a first-time father, I wanted to be informed and feel comfortable about my own parenting. I knew that Jane would develop fairly well, and the pediatrician was confident about Jane's growth also. Attending some of the MINI MOVER classes was a great way to become more informed, dispel myths, and socialize with Jane and other parents. Rachel and Becca were welcoming of having a father in the group, and never created confusion or left unanswered questions. I'm also very pleased that having the added consult helped Deanna and I sort through motor development without feeling overwhelmed or guilty. Jane has made appropriate progress, and seems very happy when she succeeds at practicing movement. I feel it was an overall great socialization for the family and good information to develop our parenting."  

- Kenneth

Thank you Deanna and Kenneth for sharing your experiences.  We have a passion for helping parents confidently guide their children on the path of early movement success!  We have enjoyed watching Jane blossom into the active little girl that she is and can't wait to see her taking her first steps!!