Newborns come out all curled up (hence the reason I call my kids “little squish” at this age!), and one great activity is to help them stretch out their limbs. I recommend waiting until the umbilical stump falls off before doing these moves. Veronika’s came off last night, so this morning, we took a quiet moment to stretch.

I laid her down on a soft blanket, and went through a short routine. First, open the arms wide, then cross in front of the chest.

Next, raise each arm up overhead. Stretch!

Then touch the left hand to the right foot before stretching back out; repeat on the other side.

Finally, cross the ankles and bend the legs up toward the tummy and back out again. You can also do little bicycle circles with the legs.

As we stretched, I sang little songs. Putting on soothing music, like Mozart, would be nice, too. We loved this so much that I plan to do it every morning when we can carve out a moment.

Babies eyes develop much later than their sense of smell (which is finely attuned already in utero!). At birth, they can only focus about 8 to 10 inches away, and are best at seeing sharp contrasts. That’s why babies love black and white.

Veronika goes nuts when I position her in front of a black and white image. She’ll stare transfixed for a good fifteen minutes, an eternity in infant-time.

You can show a graphic image from a book.

Or check your local library for board books deliberately written for this purpose. I highly recommend Black on White and White on Black, both by Tana Hoban. She also makes a fold-out version that’s perfect for tummy time.

Or placed around the bassinet. Either way, let your little one get looking!

Veronika has been home for ten days now, but today was the first time I took her on an official “tour” of the place!

Walking about the house is a great way to engage your newborn when he or she has an alert moment. Carry them slightly upright, and you can gently move them up high to see some things, and then gently swing them down low to see others. Make sure you are supporting baby’s neck and head firmly, and that they feel safe even with the movement.

Obviously this was another blog for which it was hard to get pictures (sorry for the slightly sideways pic at top!). But I loved talking Veronika through the house – things in the kitchen like fridges and sinks; pictures to look at on the walls in the bedrooms.

A very cute activity during our quiet morning together.

Baby’s receive lots of new visitors, and here’s a fun tradition we started this time around!

Before Veronika was born, I purchased a pretty jar and a little notebook, with the idea that each visitor would drop in a penny (almost like in a wishing will) and jot down a note or two of well wishes.

Big brother Travis loved the idea so much he wanted to give her some pennies to start her collection! We cracked open his piggy bank and sorted the pennies from the other coins, starting her off with a full dollar.

When we have visitors, it’s big brother’s very important job to tell them about the wish jar. We love reading what visitors have to say, and this will be a great keepsake to look back on!

Today, Veronika and I kept things as simple as possible, with the focus on making the most of our one-on-one time.

Oddly, I remember feeling with both children that solo time with the baby was never in ample supply. With Travis, we had a constant flow of visitors wanting to meet the baby, even though we were “nesting” and barely left the apartment for the first month. With Veronika, it’s a matter of having an older sibling who is almost always around!

But I love being able to carve out solo moments with her, and the key is to be deeply present.

Don’t forget, you don’t need to be doing anything spectacular with your newborn at this point. Diapering, feeding, dressing him or her, talking, and cuddling, are what the baby needs. Bathing is another great way to bond, as per our sponge bath tonight (no tub baths until the stump falls off!).

Whether you’re breast feeding or bottle feeding, try to tune out distractions in these moments. Today as I nursed, taking time to make eye contact with Veronika, I worked my way up from my toes to my head, briefly tensing each muscle and then releasing. This is a great way to relax into the moment.

Finally, just make eye contact and talk! Your baby will get to know you. As you sit together quietly, envision what you want your bond to look like over the years ahead, and what kind of parent you want to be. Here we are in her alert moment, deep in “conversation”!

Happy bonding!