nap time

It's funny, I started this at 5am a few weeks ago because I couldn't fall asleep, and finally felt tired after creating it that I was too tired to write my first blog.  On Wednesday my professor for my field study class discussed how easy it was to document your life, as long as you write on a regular basis, he was talking about writing our final paper after our field research is finished.  So I figure this blog was created at a perfect time.  Now I can use it to document what is going on at my internship at the Infant Toddler Center at UCI.  Right now this will probably be boring for the rest of the world, but it will really help me write my paper.  

I am currently in room 1 or "nest 1" as they call it.  The kids range from 4 months to 17 months old.  Austin is the smallest one at 4 months old.  He tries to roll over when laying down, but has not completed the task yet, and he can also follow colored scarves that I wave in the air with his eyes.  He still does not respond to peekaboo.  Grayson is seven months old and can pull himself to a standing position.  he constantly puts things in his mouth and is eating babyfood from a jar and is still breast feed.  Austin drinks formula and always has.  Grayson loves to play peekaboo and is always surprised when I reveal myself to him.  Henry is 15 months.  He is eating solid foods.  It is hard for him to follow directions and listen to what I am saying.   Jacob is 17 months.  When he first saw me he stared at me for at least five minutes.  Its funny to me when you are meeting a child for the first time and don't know whether or not they can speak.  I looked at Jacob thinking of him saying all these things to me, but he never responded.  You can see him struggling to express himself by mouthing words and pointing.  Jacob has a strong understanding of object permanence.  When the teacher left and shut the door he peaked under the crack of the door to see where she had gone.  He knew there was something behind the door.  As a side note the infants take about 2 naps a day while the toddlers take 1 nap.  The infants naps are separate while the toddlers tend to sleep at the same time after lunch.  

I'm still learning how things happen at the center.  The children are given options in front of them so they can choose what they want to do.  Instead of being told "no" they are told what they are supposed to do.  We are also not allowed to mention any kind of opinions about outer appearance.  They want to boost self confidence, and take away the importance of outer appearance.  

So I guess this is the end.  I know nothing exciting happened, but I'm hoping I'll see some development over the next few weeks.