The world of a newborn baby is full of shocking differences from the environment from which she just came.  Her world is now brighter, bigger, and louder.  No longer cramped for space, she can move her arms and legs.  Though it seems that her development is about to begin, it has, in fact, already begun; her breathing, blood circulation, and motion are just a few of the developments already complete before being born.  

In the first month, she is becoming accustomed to sounds that once were muffled.  She is recognizing her caretakers’ voices, as well as the sounds of daily occurrences which were hushed by the protective womb just weeks before.  The strength of her eyesight is not yet full, but her sense of touch is keen.  She can follow objects and enjoys faces, often more interested in the close-up expressions of people than a random object dangled before her eyes.  When her vision does become stronger, 2-tone objects intrigue her, especially black and white objects.  She may even try to grab, but her movements are still jerky. 

As she begins moving around in her seemingly unlimited space, she will begin to learn that those feet and hands are part of her and she will marvel and play with this newly discovered, extended boundary.  Another phase of her development has begun:  her imagination.

The right kinds of stimulation introduced at key moments – you can take your clues directly from her – will help to develop her motor skills.  Consider a mobile just out of reach with black and white, broad designs.  For baby toys she can hold, consider a textured doll of a simple design.  Remember:  right now her sense of touch is keener than her sight; texture will stimulate her sensory growth.   

This Cuddle Zmooz doll from Keptin Jr. is a soft and not too large towel doll. It is made from organic cotton and natural wool, the mixture of the terry feeling of the overalls and the smooth body and round head give an array of textures for your baby to experience. I give it 5 Stars.  Check it out at www.oompa.com

Month 2

By her second month, she will be interested in a wider variety of texture and sounds.  Her grabbing attempts continue; they are more controlled and intentional, but still a bit jerky.  Consider a mobile covered in soft and smooth surfaces.  Some dangling objects should have noise-making objects securely sewn in, such as crinkly plastic, bells, or tiny, plastic balls.  The aural stimulation coupled with her developing grabbing skill will develop her sense of cause and effect.  Grabbing or batting and orb containing tiny, plastic balls will produce a different sound than squeezing or pressing a puffy disc containing crinkly plastic.  She might even display a preference for particular sounds.   

This playmat from the European Haba toys called "My World Playmat" is a wonderful addition to your baby's world. It is colorful and different parts have different textures and sounds, plus pockets for little bears to hide in. They can play on it or hang it near a changing table or crib. Let their imagination run wild in this new world. I give it 5 Stars. Check it out at www.oompa.com.

By the end of the third month, her hand-eye coordination is stronger and she is opening and closing her hands more.  Although it may seem that she is batting more than grabbing, she is still developing her grabbing and clutching skills.  Her recognition of bright colors is more developed while her sense of touch is still strong.  Now may be the time to introduce sturdy, wordless picture books with bright colors and bold designs or varied textures.

In the fourth month, she will begin to attempt turning over.  This will be a new step in her grab bag of developmental skills.  Because she can successfully grab more frequently and is missing less and less, try placing an object slightly out of reach to strengthen those muscles that are needed to turn over.  At this stage she may also be drooling more and mouthing (putting articles in her mouth) objects she can grab.  She has developed her ability to distinguish similar shades, seeing red and orange, rather than seeing red and orange as one shade.  She also continues to like black and white designs, but has added an appreciation of high contrast color designs, so she will probably grab and mouth the brightest object she notices.  Make sure the object not only has smooth or soft edges and surfaces, but also is bigger than her mouth can handle to avoid a choking hazard.

By her fifth month, she can distinguish among bold colors and can roll over.  She is not only aware of her hands and feet, but will amuse herself by playing with them.  A while ago, she would turn her head only toward her caretakers’ voices; now, she will turn toward other familiar voices and noises, especially because she now recognizes her name.  She may also be able to sit without support.  Because she has developed her grabbing ability, placing a mobile with dangling objects at sitting position will encourage her to sit up from lying down to play with her hanging toys.  She even may further challenge herself to rise if the infant toys look good enough to mouth.  
 
As her first six months closes, she will have developed her hand-eye coordination, being stimulated by high contrast colors and designs.  She will be able to sit up and may even start to lunge for objects.  She will have a stronger understanding of cause and effect, creating instances to test the idea that simple actions have results, such as dropping her toys, causing mobile objects to swing, and uncovering semi-hidden objects or pictures.  She can even spot and track smaller objects.  Not only will she be able to recognize primary colors, but she will also begin to recognize subtle differences in pastels.  Recognizing where sounds come from, she will now turn toward new noises. 

To keep her developing, consider rattles and other noise making baby toys she can hold and shake, but toys that are made with parts too big for her to swallow, as she is still mouthing.  Also consider sturdy, wooden picture books containing familiar animals.  By naming animals and encouraging her to mimic their sounds, not only is her speech developing, but also engaged is her imagination, developing her understanding that her world contains other objects not limited to pictures.