Feed the Ducks

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Why is it that ducks and their quacks are one of the first sounds we teach babies? Perhaps it’s because, unless you live on a farm, your little one is more likely to have easier access these fun birds than to other common sound animals (think cows, horses, pigs, etc.). Plus the “quack quack” sound is just so irresistibly fun to make and hear. So today, we took a field trip to the park with the specific agenda to check out the ducks.

Whether or not you’re visiting fowl friends, parks are a fantastic outing with your baby. Long before he or she is old enough to play on the playground, there’s so much to see and hear at the park.

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You can sit on a warm bench in the sun, walk on easy paths, or just let your little one soak up the ambiance. Little kids will be wide-eyed watching the big kids move on the playground structures.

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Veronika likes seeing big brother Travis swing!

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After some playtime, we headed toward the pond to find ducks, and were quickly rewarded.

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Veronika listened to all the quacking and observed the way the birds splashed through the water. While we watched, I sang the little nursery rhyme Five Little Ducks (which we later watched at home!).

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If you’re going to feed the ducks, please take caution. I didn’t do my homework until after we returned, where I learned that the pita bread I had torn up (even into tiny pieces, and even only one handful) wasn’t the best option.

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Instead, I could have tossed rolled oats or defrosted peas, both of which we had at home. Sorry ducks!

Extra Large Family Photo Album

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As your child becomes more familiar with faces, not just in the immediate family but of relatives as well, pictures are a big help. That way, family and friends whom baby sees often – but not every day – will become even more recognizable. This can also ease separation anxiety, if he or she is ever left alone with these friends and relatives.

To help, we made an extra big photo album today! This project isn’t fancy; I put the pics in a single=subject spiral notebook like you used to use in school.

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Note: I would have made the pictures even bigger, except that printing costs go up as photo size goes up. But 5×7 prints seemed to work well, fitting nicely onto the pages of an 8×11 notebook.

I made a quick cover from construction paper, positioning the album in landscape mode.

On each page, affix a picture. I used tape so that no edges would curl up, which I feared would happen over time if I used glue.

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You can add a caption under each picture, which means this album will do double-duty as your child ages, and wants to go through early memories!

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Make sure to include lots of familiar faces, family friends, and big moments.

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And of course, pictures of baby too! Infants love looking at themselves.

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Veronika seemed fascinated when we flipped through. She wanted to reach out and turn the pages.

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And seemed very clued in to the faces she was looking at.

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Travis loved flipping through the album, too. Despite its very unprofessional appearance, we plan to add pictures as the months move forward, and we’re hoping this is an album we’ll treasure for years to come.

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Can You Move Like Baby?

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Travis is so excited at the ways Veronika is changing these days, more deliberate with her movements and much more vocal. I dare say I can step back and watch the two of them play now (!), which is mainly him being silly around her and trying to make her laugh. But today, it was Veronika’s turn to be the leader, and Travis’s turn to follow.

I challenged him to move in the same ways she did, and pretty soon we had lots of giggles and attempts to copy her little body.

First, he got under the playmat to bat at a toy next to her.

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Quality sibling time!

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We moved Veronika over to a blanket, where she was reaching for her socks and grabbing for her feet. Travis held on to his toes.

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She also gives lots of little kicks and arm wiggles these days, and it was hilarious to watch Travis imitate these motions.

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If your baby is rolling, older sibs can copy that, too. Meanwhile, catching the two of them doing tymmy time together was one of their most precious sibling moments yet.

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In sum, this is a great activity for older siblings or big cousins who are still wondering how they can interact with a new baby. It’s sure to produce lots of giggles in everyone. Thanks to Hands on As We Grow for the idea!

Berries-on-the-Bottom Chia Pudding

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Whip up these breakfast puddings the night before, and all you have to do on a sleepy morning is open the fridge and grab one out.

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/2 cups raspberries
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup, divided
  • 3 and 1/2 cups vanilla coconut milk
  • 1 cup chia seeds
  1. In a bowl, mash together the raspberries with 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Divide evenly among 6 (8-ounce) ramekins or jars.
  2. In a second bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup, coconut milk, and chia seeds, whisking for about 1 minute, or until slightly thickened. Divide evenly among the ramekins.
  3. Cover and refrigerate overnight. We left ours ungarnished, bur you could add more fresh raspberries or toasted coconut on top for a pretty presentation, if desired!

Quick Change Baby

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Does it seem like your baby’s mood can change in a nanosecond? You’re not imagining things. Even a relatively mellow baby like Veronika can go from perfectly content to fussy in a moment, and every parent needs to be prepared for these occasions.

After you’ve ruled out the obvious – a hungry baby, a diaper change – sometimes a baby just needs a quick change of pace. Today, I focused on strategies for when these moments strike. Here she is happy one minute…

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…and oh no, cranky the next!

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My first go-to strategy is animal pictures. Veronika loves gazing at animals, so her Ranger Rick Cub magazine is perfect. If I open to one of the pages, she instantly calms.

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Second, find out what toys are your child’s favorite, and have those on hand. A cozy, favorite seat helps too. Today, Veronika got a little overstimulated watching her brother use a tracing toy…

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…but between this swing and her beloved “Joanna Banana,” she was suddenly all smiles.

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Uh oh, here she is getting fussy during tummy time.

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And when she’s really fussy, that’s when I call in the troops (Travis that is!). Big siblings have a knack for getting smiles out of babies when no one else can. A little dance and some soothing music (yes, that’s Mozart’s Symphony #40 you hear) might just do the trick.

In sum, pay attention to your child’s triggers, and be one step ahead. Armed with just a few things that can calm baby fast, you’ll outscam that quick change baby every time.

Toys That Light Up

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My poor little girl has her first fever today, which was bound to happen after her older brother brought it home from school. It breaks my heart when babies are sick – more so than with big kids – because you can’t explain to them why they feel so crummy! She just wasn’t her usual self, with no smile on her face, and no interest in her favorite textured and crinkly toys.

Times like these, I reach for toys that light up, ideally ones that are easy for a baby to grab and hold onto at this age. The added visual element seems to perk up even the fussiest baby, which is also what makes light up toys great for when you’re on the go and a child is stuck in a car seat or stroller. That’s why our light-up puppy is Veronika’s go-to when we’re out and about.

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Indeed, the colorful elements on this little doggie rattle caught Veronika’s eye today, and she was enticed to reach for it despite feeling ill.

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The look on her face in these pictures just breaks my heart, but she’s trying!

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As a happy ending, here she is playing with the rattle once she was feeling much better in the afternoon.

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And the changing red and green lights still caught her eye.

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Get Out and About

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Veronika is four months old, and that’s a great age for field trips! Although I posted a few suggestions for getting your infant out and about early on (to museums or plays, for example), let’s be honest; Veronika slept most of the time.

But now she’s wide-eyed and alert for roughly 2 hour stretches, and it’s a great time to revisit some of these old suggestions, plus add in a few new ones.

To wit, when I took her to an art museum this time, she didn’t doze off in front of the canvases. Instead, there was lots of wide-eyed gazing at the bright colors on the wall, even if she didn’t know what she was looking at.

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Or she occasionally preferred devouring a toy over admiring the art.

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Our particular local museum is perfect for families with children, with just two rooms, and activities for the big kids. Veronika loved watching Travis craft…

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… and paint on a digital computer.

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Whoops, she was sleeping by the time we were at an art gallery down the street! But that’s the other great thing about field trips with your 4-month-old. They still nap easily on the go, and hopefully she soaked up some of the ambiance.

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Another place to take baby at this age? A sporting event! This can mean a local high school game, or a minor league stadium, both of which are family-friendly. In our case, we hit up a local tennis expo.

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Another great option is a local market. We love our town’s farmers’ market, so I was thrilled to learn an indoor version is held in winter.

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Both kids loved this; Veronika got to take in the sights and smells – vibrant red apples, the yeasty aroma of fresh-baked bread – and Travis got a morning of culinary exploration and taste testing. Many markets – including ours – also feature musical entertainment, so check your local listings.

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Finally, we headed to a garden center. As with the farmers’ market, there were so many sights and smells here for a baby to soak in.

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We got lucky that the annual flower show had just opened, and was divided into areas featuring each of the five senses. Veronika got to smell flowers up close…

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…pause to hear waterfalls splashing in the “sound” area…

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…and marvel at butterflies and colors in the “sight” portion.

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Where else have you taken your little one? Please share in the comments!

Jack and Jill Go Up the Hill

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On the heels of The Grand Old Duke, here’s another fun rhyme with movement play for your baby. Oh the giggles this one got, when Jack and Jill reached the top of the hill!

I sat down with Veronika on my lap, my legs straight.

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As a refresher, here are the words:

Jack and Jill went up the hill.

To fetch a pail of water.

Jack feel down,

And broke his crown.

And Jill came tumbling after!

On the first line, I brought my knees up, up, up and up. You can just prop up your baby, but Veronika particularly loved being lifted to the top of my knees. What a gummy grin!

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On “Jack fell down”, lower your legs quickly (but be sure to support your little one!) Finally, on the last line, give a little tip to one side – whee.

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Here’s a quick clip!

Where’s Bear?

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This game is a fantastic way to teach your four-month-old about object permanence, i.e. the idea that something still exists even if he or she can’t see it. We hid bear in layers upon layers, and then had to find him!

First, I showed her a stuffed teddy, saying the word “bear” clearly for her.

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I slipped bear into a brown paper lunch bag, letting her watch, then crumbled it shut. “Where’s bear?” I asked.

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The bag next went into a toy box (any box will work, including a cardboard box from your latest package delivery). The lid went on, and again I asked, “Where’s bear?”

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Finally, I draped a scarf over the box. “Where’s bear?” I asked again.

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I accompanied the words with the sign for “where” in baby sign language – a simple waggle back and forth of the hand with the pointer finger up.

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Now it was time to undo the layers. First off came the scarf…

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Then the box lid…

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She helped pull out the brown bag – what strong hands, Veronika!

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And finally, we opened the bag for the big reveal!

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You can add even more layers if you like, bags within boxes within bags, although don’t go too crazy or you might lose baby’s interest.

We played again with her favorite toy; oh no, she looked almost alarmed when he first disappeared!

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And so relieved to find him.

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Sweet Potato Breakfast Strata

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If you do the prep work for this strata the night before, all you need is 1 hour to bake it in the morning. Perfect for weekends, in sum – or heck, any weekday before school if you have early birds like I do!

Ingredients:

  • Cooking spray
  • 4 Lightlife bacon pieces, chopped
  • 1 cup peeled and chopped sweet potato
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped Granny Smith apple
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 cups cubed whole-grain bread
  • 4 Ener-G eggs
  • 1 cup oat milk
  1. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add the Lightlife bacon; cook for about 4 minutes, until crisp and browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
  2. Recoat the skillet with cooking spray and add the sweet potato and onion; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the apple, maple syrup, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for a final 2 minutes, then remove from heat and return the bacon to the pan.
  3. Arrange 1 and 1/2 cups bread cubes in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.  Top with the sweet potato mixture.
  4. In a bowl, whisk together the Ener-G eggs, oat milk, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour over the sweet potato mixture. Top with a final 1/2 cup bread cubes.
  5. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight.
  6. Bake at 325 degrees F for 50 minutes, uncovered. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

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And although we do like this for breakfast, it’s also great as a side at dinner! Try serving with Gardein chick’n and peas.

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