Hands to mouth- part of being a baby

Giving the baby a pacifier is good idea if Mom doesn't like her to suck on her hands. Baby is too little to understand that Mom doesn't want her to do this.  Most babies got through a phase where they put their hands in their mouth. It is part of the brain learning about the hands and the mouth.
 

A wild way to calm a baby

This looks pretty wild, but Dad is being very careful.   He has his baby well cradled against him.  Dad is moving very smoothly so there are no big, hard bounces or jerks that could rattle the baby's brain. Baby is happy and calm.

What does a little baby like about a present?

Lots of young babies just want to play with the paper and ribbons.  They don't much care about what is in the box. This can be frustrating for parents who have put time and money into finding a special present  that they hope will  great fun for the baby.  It might seem dumb to just wrap up an empty box, but the baby will probably have a great time.
 

Head Turning Excitment

It is exciting when our babies learn to follow us around with their eyes! This Mom and Dad are having fun playing with the baby.  Being able to follow things with their eyes and head are important ways that babies figure out how things work in the world, like where Mom or Dad have gone.
 

Sad Dad, Sad Baby

This is a great example of how our emotions are catching.   This baby is very tuned into Dad and when Dad gets sad, baby gets really sad.  Something to think about when we wonder why the baby is cranky.  Maybe the baby is mirroring us. Dad does a nice job of quickly comforting his baby.

Can she do it herself?

This baby is working hard on rolling over.  Her family is great about giving her time to try, but helping her out before she gets frustrated.  They are also great about including big brother in the action.

Born to be social?

    This little baby is working hard to keep her eyes on Mom and share smiles with her.  Baby doesn't quite have control of her head and body so she often loses eye contact.  You can see her work hard to get it back.  With this kind of encouragement from Mom, baby will soon be ready to start "talking" to Mom as well.

How many holiday presents does a baby need?

    This little guy is having a good time!  Does he care about what is in the present?  Maybe, maybe not.  Kids this age want to explore the ribbons, the wrapping paper, the box, and then maybe the present.  Many babies might enjoy opening two or three presents, but that is about all they need to have a good time.

Early Roller

You just want to help this baby, but it is best to let baby try on their own. Learning to roll over is hard work. It happens early if baby is given lots of space and time to learn. Good parents both keep baby safe and give them lots of opportunities to play on the floor.

Tasty? Maybe?

    This little guy seems to know how to eat from a spoon.  Maybe this is a new taste or texture for him. 
He really reacts on the first bite.  Mom doesn't make a big deal about.  By the third bite, it seems like he is getting used to the stuff.  By the fourth bite he might even like it.

New Years Resolution: Help your baby learn the basics

Baby basics are: sleeping, eating, learning that the important people in life are there for the baby, and learning to get those peoples attention. You can help your baby learn the basics by looking for the signs that they are tired, hungry, bored, mad, etc and doing something with the baby to meet their needs. Sounds so simple, but it can be so hard to figure out. Time, patience, and attention help. This Mom and baby seem to be getting the basics down.

New Year's Resolution- Have fun with your baby

This Dad and baby are just having fun. In the New Year, resolving to take time with play WITH your kids would be great. Sometimes it is easier to let them play by themselves while you do other stuff, but playing with them makes deeper connections and memories.

Holidays, Babies, Overtired

This mom knows!! Celebrating the holiday is important! Letting the relatives far away see the babies open presents is important! Trying to keep the kids from getting overtired is important, but really hard to do!! Is it better to stick to the basic daily routine for eating and naps or is that just to hard to do? Maybe really little kids need extra naps so they can deal with the extra fun?

Swinging is fun, even if it is chilly outside

Just because it is getting colder,doesn't mean babies have to stay inside. Little ones still like fresh air and swinging. Just bundle up.

I'm hungry

This baby is really letting Mom know that Mom should hurry up with the food! Baby is upset, but mostly just communicating the best way that it can. Mom's quick action with the food helps baby figure out what works.

Feed me!

This baby knows how to let her Mom know that Mom needs to keep the food coming. Mom keeps cool and feeds the baby without shoveling it in too fast.

Daddy, I love you

This baby loves her Dad and is trying really hard to make the sounds that he makes. She isn't very old and she is already learning to talk. She even knows when it is her turn.

Tummy time: one hates it, one likes it

This baby isn't happy about tummy time.


This baby is doing much better with tummy time. Looks like Dad is laying on the couch with baby on his chest.

This little guy is having fun with his Aunt. She is playing at having him dance. He is learning to bounce. They are both having a good time. You can see that she isn't too used to playing with babies,when he almost slips and falls, but she keeps him safe.

This little piggy went to market

It is fun to play "this little piggy went to market". This baby is watching his toes and what Mom is doing. Baby likes waiting for the "surprise" at the end. Mom is tickling just enough to make it fun.