Burping

I have always burped my kids by tapping their backs like any other typical mom. My son burped so easily and when my daughter came along she did burp but it took a bit longer.
One day my mother fed my daughter as we were talking and then went to burp her. She hadn't burped after 5 minutes so my mom (without saying anything) just started rubbing my daughters back. She did this by holding her like she would if she were going to burp her normally (over the shoulder), then she firm but gently ribbed my daughters back up and down. She burped in less then a minute!
I had never thought of burping this way before. Apparently it works very well for my daughter and she always burps very quickly this way.
I felt like a light bulb went on and that I needed to share this as soon as possible.
I hope it helps someone whose baby is a tough to burp also.

Pacifier

Most babies use them and they are so hard to give up!
I recently has my daughter give up her pacifier (at 7 months) She did pretty well. I took them all away on a Saturday morning because she woke up every hour of Friday night looking for one. That is crazy! No sane person can live like that. More importantly, it is now one less thing for me to remember before we leave the house. She only had a meltdown for her first nap without it. She cried for an hour. The second nap she cried for 5 minutes. And, that was it.

For my son, we got rid of them at 11 months. We used to put ten in his bed and he would always find one. There was even a time when he would fall asleep with 2 in each hand and and 1 in his mouth. Awful! One day we went to the pediatrician ( who thought I should have gotten rid of them around 4 months), and she mentioned me still allowing him to use one. She also mentioned the longer I waited to get rid of it the harder time I was going to have. So that day at nap instead of handing him a pacifier I handed him a lovie, swiped the pacifiers and walk out of the room. He fell asleep just fine for 2 days. Then on the 3rd day at 3am he had a 1 hour and 30 minute meltdown, then it was all over.
He is 3 1/2 and still sleeps with the lovie! I don't care if he wants to take it to college with him. Lol

Water

You can start giving your baby water at 6 mons. At first you are going to think it's a joke. You will give them a sippy of water with each meal. Try not to put the water in a bottle. At 6 mons the baby should be trying and I stress trying (my daughter still will not do this) to eat 3 meals a day. Offer a sippy of water with each meal. Hold it up to their mouth and usually they will chew on the spout. At some point between 6-8mons, they will actually drink water from the cup.
This is a really good lead into cups and breaking your child off a bottle. I throw out all bottles the day my child turns 1.