Veronika has developed the most impish sense of humor; she cackles with her big brother when she knows the two of them are being slightly naughty, like playing with the fabric of the couch instead of taking her nap, or giggling together in the back seat of the car. The best is when she treats us to her big belly laugh, and we’re always on the hunt for new ways to make it erupt.

Here are a few ideas to try with your eight month old! First, I fell back on the old parental favorite: making silly faces. This got big happy grins, especially when I make bubbly sounds with my lips.

Next I tickled her thighs and tummy. This got a giggle, but still not a belly laugh.

Finally, I pretended that her feet were really stinky and smelly, and made faces of disgust. Cue the belly laugh!

While you’re at it, don’t forget to nurture your own sense of humor. I sometimes tell my husband I have no brain capacity for anything more serious than a sitcom at the end of the day, and I truly mean that. After dealing with little humans non-stop for 15 hours, I need comedy!

Find one that makes you belly laugh, even if that means old re-runs.

You can also curl up with a book that makes you laugh out loud (might I recommend anything P.G, Wodehouse?) or head to the theater for laughs if you can get a babysitter. Even some kids movies these days have comedy of high caliber, like a recent family outing to Toy Story 4, meaning you can skip the babysitter altogether.

What makes you laugh these days? What makes your baby laugh? Please share in the comments!