Category: 0 to 3 months

Touching Faces

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Veronika is reaching out to her toys all the time now, and I love watching every time she does so on her playmat. But even better is when she reaches out to me!

A few days ago, she reached up for the first time to touch my face, a look of wonder in her eyes. I was happy to let her hand explore. Now we take a few minutes each day for this beautiful exercise.

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As she touches each feature, I’ll then move her hand to the same feature on her own face. “Mommy’s cheek, Veronika’s cheek,” I’ll say. You can repeat this phrase for the chin, nose, forehead, etc. Eyebrows are fun because they’re furry!

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Now this is the very best kind of face time!

Flashlight Show

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Your two-month-old is still developing his or her eyesight, and still loves sharp contrast. A great way to play up this factor is to shine a flashlight after dark! This is a cozy game to play at bedtime, or as you wind down for the evening.

I sat with Veronika in her room, turned out the light, and started by shining a flashlight on different parts of her body. Those adorable feet…

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…and hands.

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Next I shined the light on various toys or objects around the room, naming them as I did so. This makes the game great not just for strengthening eyesight, but also for language development.

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Because big brother Travis loves to take the occasional bath-by-flashlight, we extended the game to bathtime. Lots of great vocab in here, including the shower curtain…

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…and the little whale who protects our spout.

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You can also play this game while your baby lies in the crib, and shine the flashlight through a toy or other object held up against the wall. You’ll get great shadows – what a show!

Up and Away

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Today was Veronika’s first airplane ride!

Okay, maybe not really, but with stronger neck and head muscles, it was time to take her for a classic baby airplane ride.

Start sitting up, with your baby’s tummy on your shins. Gently lean back, holding baby securely, then lift your knees up in the air.

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Whee, we’re flying! As baby gets older, there are fun ways to vary this. I used to joke to Travis that his take-off had been delayed (we live near LaGuardia after all!), earning huge giggles. You can also do fun landings, sound effects, silly turbulence, and more.

Thanks to big brother Travis for the pics!

Butterfly Kisses

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Veronika had a sleepy day today…. A growth spurt perhaps! But we did fit in this sweet little activity. Instead of regular kisses to those chubby cheeks, give your baby butterfly kisses.

If you’re not familiar with the term, simply lean your face in close to your infant, and flutter your eyelashes against their skin.

This is an adorable activity to engage big siblings as well. Travis leaned in close to give Veronika a kiss this way. Don’t forget to give your big kid a butterfly kiss, too!

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If you really want to up the sappy factor, make tonight’s lullaby Butterfly Kisses:

Floating Scarves

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This cute game is a new way to engage your baby with different fabrics and textures; it’s a step up from the dangling scarf game Veronika and I played at one month old. Now she’s a big two months old, and enjoyed this new version!

Talking to your baby, hold thin scarves a little above him or her, and let float gently to the ground. After the first few times, Veronika was looking up in anticipation.

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When the scarves landed, I quickly took them away from her face, but let her feel the fabric on hands and cheeks.

We varied the game by using feather boas…

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…and then feathers from the craft store.

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These last were super fun and tickly.

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Customize the Baby Gym

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At two months old, chances are your baby spends a lot of time on his or her back staring up at the toys on a playgym, and will continue to do so until he or she can sit in another few months – that’s a lot of time staring up at the same toys!

Today I did a little switch-e-roo for Veronika, mixing up the toys. Snap-on ones from her Cricket Crate were perfect, as well as a few other Velcro toys that hang down and can attach safely.

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She seemed to love the change of scenery, doing lots of reaching…

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…and kicking.

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Whoops, she seems not so sure about Mr. Octopus here!

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This a great thing to get in the habit of doing weekly for your little one. I even hung a set of plastic teaspoons for Travis, when he was a few months old! Anything that can safely dangle and entertain will keep that little one happy while you get things done around the house.

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Indoor Sledding

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Why should big kids have all the sledding fun? Here’s a wild idea I never would have come up with until spotting in a baby game book. The cardboard “sled” is great for developing your little one’s muscles.

Lay your baby on a large, flat piece of cardboard; make sure the cardboard is completely smooth, with no staples, tape, or other items protruding out.

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Very gently start to move the cardboard back and forth – this isn’t a downhill ride folks, just a gentle motion!

Veronika seemed to really enjoy it!

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She instantly picked her head up to see what was going on, great for muscle development. Tummy time on steroids!

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Because she was relaxed and happy, I also experimented with moving the cardboard forward and backward. Whee!

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Here’s a quick clip of her ride:

 

 

 

White Noise

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First-time parents tend to be nervous about noise and napping babies… But as a veteran, I can promise you that nothing is further from the truth. First of all, I recommend making noise as your child naps, simply so they don’t become precious sleepers. Travis can sleep through just about anything!

But perhaps even more counter-intuitive, common “loud” appliances actually provide white noise that helps babies sleep, provided they are not too close to the source and the decibel level isn’t too loud. Rather, it’s sharp, sudden noises that might startle a baby awake. (That adorable Moro reflex isn’t so cute when it interrupts a much-needed nap).

Perfect examples? The dryer, as Veronika models at the top of this post, and also the dishwasher.

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Other things to try include humming air vents, or baby swings that come with built-in noise, such as the Mamaroo seat.

And yes, the vacuum… tho here’s Veronika checking it out very curious and awake!

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Unwind Outside

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Happy New Year! We took advantage of an unseasonably warm January day to get outside… This simply activity felt magical with a baby who was born just before the weather turned cold, and hasn’t had many opportunities yet simply to be outside.

As long as it’s relatively warm and dry, head outside and let your baby nap in the fresh air. The air and sunshine will feel so wonderful, even as they doze!

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After a little while, Veronika woke up. I laid down a thick picnic blanket, and put her on her back under a tree.

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Even with no leaves, the pattern of the branches against the bright blue sky was just gorgeous. We took a great pause together, and I pointed out colors (blue sky, brown branches) and let her feel blades of grass.

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A beautiful pause in our afternoon.

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Face to Face

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The other day, my husband attached Veronika’s car seat into the stroller base facing away from me – and it felt so wrong!

It’s a reminder of why I always make sure to face her car seat or stroller attachment toward me, and was the perfect prompt for today’s activity: put in face-to-face time with your infant.

If your baby faces you in the stroller, you can narrate everything you see while shopping or walking. Travis likes to engage Veronika, too!

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Likewise at home, I made a point of engaging Veronika face-to-face while in the Ergo. I  lifted her up slightly so our faces were near each other, and narrated the happenings in our home and kitchen,

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Her big happy eyes tell me she loves the interaction!