Benefits Of A Dog With A Baby

I was wondering if there were any real benefits or dangers, of having a dog in the house with a newborn baby. So I researched this topic. Interestingly enough, there is benefits of having a dog with a baby. Experiments have shown that there is 30% less chance of a baby to experience coughs, ear infections, and symptoms such as stuffiness, runny noses, sneezing and congestion. This is very interesting because my parents thought that having a dog with Sara in the house was a bad idea. Another thing that was interesting was that, the effect was greater with dogs instead of cats, so that also proves that dogs are better than cats.

Some benefits that I've seen is that my dog is really protective of Sara. She wouldn't let us get near my mom for the first few days. She also knows when to give the baby some space. My parents say that once Sara grow older, they'll let my dog get closer to her. The first thing they did when they brought Sara home was introduce her to my dog. They did it in order to avoid causing any animosity between Sara and the dog. But there is benefits to having a dog in the house.

Jaslow, Ryan. "Babies with Dogs Less Likely to Develop Colds, Ear Infections as Infants." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.

Everyone Wants To See The Baby

I've noticed that everywhere we go, at least two persons ask about Sara. They always want to see her or hold her. At stores, she always draws the attention of a lot of people. At  church, every time Sara starts crying, my mom will pick her up and carry her until she falls asleep again. I've noticed that the people behind us always smile when they catch a glimpse of Sara. I can't blame them because, I think Sara is adorable too. I'm amazed at how much hair she has because she is barely 3 weeks old. When Sara was barely being born, the doctor said, "Oh wow, she has a lot of hair!"

Anyways, I've noticed that most people tend to get really happy when a baby is around. Of course, there is always that one grumpy person, but generally, everyone gets happy, excited, and curious when they see Sara. They always want to pinch her cheeks. My friend came over to my house a few days ago, and when he saw her, he wanted to pinch her cheeks. I've researched why people do this, and I've found out that people do that to get to an emotional equilibrium. This is a big subject to explain, so I'm just going to let you read the article for yourself.


"Why Do People Cry Tears of Joy and Pinch Babies’ Cheeks? According to Science, It May Help You Calm Down." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.

Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/11/13/why-do-people-cry-tears-of-joy-and-pinch-babies-cheeks-according-to-science-it-may-help-you-calm-down/

The Euphoria Dies Down

As the week progresses, I have noticed the euphoria of having a baby has died down for my sister. Since the arrival of Sara, a lot of the chores now rest on me and my sisters shoulders. I don't mind, but my sister does not like this new change at all. Yesterday she said, "I always have to do everything!". I don't like doing chores, but I understand that with the arrival of a new baby, my parents will need our help with cleaning the house, so I do the chores with no complaints.

I've noticed that my parents have stopped being so overprotective. When Sara barely arrived, they were really overprotective. They wouldn't leave her alone for a minute because they feared something bad was going to happen. Now they just send me or my sister to check on her every 5-10 minutes.

My Parents

Ever since Sara came to the house, I have noticed that my mom has been getting really tired. Which is understandable, because caring for a baby is not a walk in the park. Both my parents wake up really late at night, either because Sara is hungry or she needs her diaper changed or she just feels like crying. She doesn't wake me up because I'm a really deep sleeper. During the day, my mom cares for Sara and cleans the house. So by the time I get home from school, she is tired. When Sara falls asleep, my mom sometimes falls asleep too. My dad goes to work really early, so its been kind of hard for him to adjust to this new sleeping schedule. Lately, Sara has been sleeping more than before, so both my parents are starting to get their rest.

That doesn't mean my parents don't like taking care of Sara. My parents love taking care of Sara. Every time Sara smiles or does something, they laugh. They even think her farts are cute. Which is weird because every time my sister or me fart, they get disgusted and kick us out of the room. I think farts are the same, whether they come from a baby or someone old. But I guess everything a baby represents is cute. 

Changes

Since the arrival of my new baby sister, named Sara, I have noticed that there has been drastic changes in, not only my sister, but my dog too. My other sister, named Fatima (age 11), has been getting more annoying than usual, and it seems that she is striving for attention. She hasn't acted like this before, so my best guess is that the arrival of Sara has affected her attitude. At the same time, there has been positive change in my sister. I have noticed that she has been growing more responsible. Which is really surprising. She adores Sara, and will want to carry her at every opportunity she gets. When Sara needs her diaper changed, she changes it without hesitation. Although she does gets disgusted while she is wiping Sara, and her reaction is hilarious! I admire that she wants to change her diaper, because when my parents try and make me change it, I refuse. So although my sister Fatima isn't used to the attention being diverted from her, she still loves Sara a ton and is starting to be really responsible.

 My dog rarely acknowledged me before Sara was born. Ever since Sara was born, my dog has been showing me a lot of affection these past few days. Whenever I get home, she starts jumping all over me, and trying to get my attention. Whenever I go to the kitchen or the living room, she always gets up and follows me. You could even say she has become my shadow, my constant companion. One time I was in the bathroom and she wouldn't stop scratching the door, and I kept telling her to go away but she wouldn't even listen. Its amazing how one event can change so many things.

New arrival = New attitudes

I have decided to switch my observation project. I know that its really late in the year to switch it, but going to Pickett park is no longer going to be easy. So I have decided to observe the attitude changes of my family. Recently, my mom had her baby, and I have noticed a lot of changes in my family these days. What I want to observe is the way the arrival of a newborn child changes the daily routine of a family.