Junior should really start interacting with objects now that he's learning these things. For instance, during feedings, he may reach for the spoon. By now, he's associated the spoon with food, and he knows it goes into his mouth - something he is skilled at accomplishing. This gives you ways to interact with him during feedings, too. Talk with your child and bond during feedings. Let him help feed himself; don't make him do all of the work, though. All of these things will help him grow.

2 Month Babies

By now, you are probably sick of picking up things he's knocked over, but let this play continue. Now that he knows things fall over when he drops them, he may look for them on the ground. For example, if he pushes the spoon off of the table, he'll look for it on the floor. This shows that he's learned what gravity does. So, even though picking things up isn't fun for you, it's a great game for him.

Mirrors will be particularly fun during this time period. Since your child has started identifying objects, like the spoon, he's at the point where he can start identifying himself. He will start to recognize that he's looking at himself in a mirror. This revelation is huge for a child. Let your baby play with the mirror - with your supervision, of course - so he can really figure things out.

The final big development in month nine is your child's ability to sit up. By the end of this month, he should be able to roll over completely and push himself into a sitting position, even if he starts out on his stomach. Enjoy this lull while you can. He's not walking yet, but this is a sign that he'll be starting to soon.

Michaela Wright has been writing and sharing her knowledge about breast feeding with people for five years online. She started a new website that shares information about breast feeding such as avent breast pump and evenflo breast pump.

You have a brand new baby. Congratulations!!! Now what? Well
here are some things to expect from baby in the first month of
life. Some of these things may or may not happen with your
baby. All babies are different, so don't be concerned if they
do not happen to your baby, in fact your life may be easier if
you don't have to go through them.

Jaundice- The yellowing of baby due to an increased amount of
bili reuben in the blood. Usually this will disappear within
about two weeks or 14 days. In some cases especially in
premature babies, babies need to be treated and stay under a
special bili rueben light until bili Reuben levels return to
normal. Jaundice is more common in boys and in babies that are
premature, jaundice is nothing to be to concerned about, your Dr
will let you know if baby needs treatment or not.

Infant Acne- You might find it odd as I did, that your newborn
little angel has what looks like little zits all over his/her
little face. This is most common in breastfeed babies because
the baby is getting extra hormones through there mother's milk.
Not to worry this will go away just as quickly as it started it
might take a few weeks, but it won't leave scars or marks. In a
few weeks you will have that beautiful soft as a baby's butt
skin you always imagined.

Taking care of the umbilical cord- Don't give baby a full bath
until the umbilical cord falls off. Sponge baths will do just
fine. Keep the umbilical cord dry and exposed to a lot of air.
Clean the umbilical cord with alcohol.

Turn the diaper down and the shirt up. Also try and protect the
skin around the umbilical cord. Alcohol can irritate the skin
and make it red. Try putting lotion or baby powder around the
belly button, and try using a cotton swab to dab on the alcohol.

The umbilical cord stub will fall off in a week or two, and
then you can give baby his/her first bath.

Circumcision- To take care of a baby after circumcision is
usually not a pleasant experience for you or your baby. To make
baby more comfortable use double diapers to help cushion baby
from rubbing against the circumcision. Now a days Dr's use a
circumcision ring and that will fall off when the area has
healed.

Bowel Movements- Your newborn baby should have 5 or more dirty
diapers a day. This seems like quite a lot but its normal. In
newborn babies watery loose stools are also normal.

Spitting Up- It may seem like more is coming back up then going
down, but this is not the case. Chances are a teaspoon or two
is all that is coming up although it looks like a lot more. If
baby is drinking formula the formula may not agree with him/her,
so discuss your concerns with your Doctor.

http://baby.ideas-from.us

In most cases, your infant's fever should be left alone. Fever serves a very useful purpose and is the body's ally in fighting infection. There are a few natural remedies, however, that are safe for babies that will help your little one feel more comfortable.

It's a good idea to see a Naturopath, Homeopath or other licensed health care provider who specializes in natural remedies before using them on your baby. He or she can point you in the right direction when choosing herbs and homeopathic remedies as well as help you with dosing.

Lemon balm leaf, chamomile, peppermint, licorice and elder flower have been traditionally used to treat infant fevers. A baby older than 2 can be given one half cup of herbal tea, up to 4 times a day, for 24 hours. For babies younger than two who are breastfeeding, it is best if Mom takes the herbs herself in order to pass along the medicinal properties to her nursing infant. Or you can purchase over the counter herbal formulations with dosages designed for infants at your local health shop.

Echinacea and goldenseal have been proven in some studies to clear up infection. Try a combination specially designed for children.

Garlic also has antibacterial properties. If your baby is older than 9 months, you can make a batch of chicken broth with garlic, and serve it to your baby.

Ginger tea can help with a fever. It's also great for stomachaches. Ginger has warming properties and is wonderful for babies who are chilled. Make a weak tea with grated fresh ginger. If your infant is over one year of age, add a drop of honey to sweeten.

Homeopathic remedies are effective for infant fevers, but the specific remedy must match the individual child's symptoms. Check a homeopathic reference book to find the right one, or call a Doctor of Homeopathy.

Be sure to keep baby well hydrated with clear liquids. If baby is nursing, offer the breast frequently so that baby will get plenty of fluids and the natural immune factors in breastmilk.

Keep in mind that if your infant is younger than 6 months old, it's a good idea to call your Doctor about a fever. Additionally, if baby is listless, lethargic, acting unusual, having difficulty breathing or complaining of a stiff neck, phone your Doctor immediately.

Natural Baby can help you raise a healthy baby in a toxic world. Visit and find natural baby care tips, products and other resources for your little one.

Brand: Baby's Own

A large proportion of babies at around six months of age start to see their milk teeth emerge. By the age of 2 1/2 the majority of all 20 of your baby's first teeth would usually have appeared. Each tooth is constituted of two sections, the Crown, which is visible within the mouth, and the root, which secures the tooth into the jawbone, concealed by the gum. The coating of the tooth is made up from enamel. This provides a strong and robust protection for the Crown and also provides a strong plate for chewing. Given the enamel has not formed to its fall capacity during the early stages, the addition of calcium and other minerals are essential between six and 12 months to ensure it is strengthened.

The minerals required to strengthen the enamel are located within the saliva and plaque in your child's mouth and under ordinary circumstances will gradually accumulate upon the teeth. The problem is however that the calcium and phosphate contained within the compound of the enamel, regularly come under attack from harmful acids that are manufactured by the bacteria residing in plaque. The bacteria utilises carbohydrates to generate the acid. You will be aware of the need for your baby to consume carbohydrates and thereby increasing the acids which is fine. However, food and drink containing significant amounts of simple sugars such as sucrose and fructose, allows for the increased manufacture of these acids which can lead to damaged teeth.

Not only the quantities of sugar your baby consumes which affects your babies teeth, but also the frequency that he or she consumes sugary food and drink. Liquids consumed slowly or even sugary foods eaten over an extended period of time, ensure the sugar content of the mouth remains high thereby ensuring the calcium and phosphates are being removed for longer and less time is available to substitute them.

Generically speaking, the lower the sugar content of drinks and food the more beneficial they are for your teeth given it is the total sugar levels, and not just the added sugars which count. It is for this reason you should not add sugars to your infants food or drinks and why it is standard practice to dilute concentrated drinks and provide it to your baby in a training cup and not in a feeding bottle.

Jamie has been successfully writing articles online for several years and runs many websites. His latest Home Gym Machines website around fitness equipment is worth a visit. See his new review of the Ironman Fitness Equipment range and see what we have to offer.

The first month has passed and you are headed for the second month with your baby. In the first month, you would have noticed a lot of things that your child can and cannot do. This would have included recognizing mummy's voice, staring at bright colors and dependence upon you to hold up his or her head.

In the second month, you can also look forward to several new things that will both amaze and please you and a few of these things are as follow.

Role in one Direction

Around this time you will find that your child is moving his or her body a little bit more. So much more that he or she may role over into one direction. You may place him/her in one position and when you return you may find the baby in another position. Therefore, a little bit more care will be needed as to where you place your little one to rest.

Lift Head a Little

Even though your baby will still depend on you for help in supporting his/her head, when you place him/her on the tummy (belly), he or she will lift the head a little. This is a milestone in you child's life because not only does this speaks of the growing strength of the baby, but this also speaks of his/her step into self-independence of the body.

Less Twitching

When your little one was born, you would have found that he/she twitches consistently. That is, there was no control over his/her hands and feet. Well, even though this month will not bring an end of this, you will find that it is happening a little less and eventually ceases as the muscles relax.

After nine long months of joyful anticipation, hours of labor and a couple of pushes, your baby is finally here! Your first reaction may be a mixture of joy and surprise as you focus on the wet, pasted look on his face. You remind yourself that this marks a new life for you and your husband.

PARENTHOOD FOR THE FIRST TIME

For both Mommy and Daddy, the first few weeks of baby's stay at home may be a period of learning together. Always remember that you are not only parents but partners as well. Therefore, both sides require full cooperation. When my husband and I were new parents, doing things alternately for baby was a big help. I would look after him tonight, feed him and change his diapers. Then tomorrow, my husband would do the same thing so I could take a night off. If things start to heat up, ask someone to baby-sit for you. Remember, you are not only a mother or a father, but a wife and a husband as well. Don't feel guilty about going out and sometimes leaving your baby. These 'breaks' are healthy for your marriage.

WATCH BABY GROW!

The joys of watching your baby grow up into a healthy little boy or girl is priceless. Do not worry if baby seems to be developing at a rate different from that of his brothers or sisters. Remember, baby is an individual and when it comes to growth and development, all babies are different. However, there are basic general characteristics that all babies share.

During the first five months, your baby starts to coo repeatedly and make gurgling sounds. You would usually hear a 'goo-goo' sound from him while he watches faces and moving objects intently. By this time, his sense of sight has started to develop. Your baby may reach for things and take it with his hands. He might even turn his head and smile at the people he recognizes.

For baby's 6-12 months' growth, he starts to babble. He also responds to your voice and to new sounds as well. In this way, it is obvious that he pays increasing attention to speech. Your baby might even try to imitate words such as "mama" and "dada". Baby also starts to crawl forward on his belly and creeps on his hands and knees. He tries different positions from sitting to crawling to lying on his stomach. He can also pull himself to stand and walk by holding on to furniture. Make sure that nothing sharp or anything harmful is in his way as he might walk two or three steps without support.

Looking back from the day your baby was born to the time that he starts to walk and talk, it is clear that he has made a huge development. As you face more childhood years of your baby, the best thing to do now is to provide him with the right nutrition as well as encouragement and a supportive environment. Before you know it, he'll be going to school and all your hard work has paid off.

Your baby goes through various milestones in his or her development

And whilst all babies do not develop at the same pace they do pass these milestones in the same order. It is possible to gauge with some degree of certainty how your baby will develop over the first twelve months of his life. The rate of development goes through spurts as does the rate of growth. Movements are jerky when a baby is very young but become smoother with time.

One month

Your baby's body will be quite curled still but he will be able to lift his head slightly. His hands will make tight fists and he will have a reflex action which will cause him to grasp anything which is placed in the palm of his hand.

Two months

Your baby will be able to lift his head a bit more and will be able to hold it in this position for a second or two. His hands will begin to open more and his grasp will become more voluntary.

Three months

Your baby's body will now be uncurled and his legs extended. He will be able to hold his head up. His hands will now be much more open although he may not be able to grasp things for long.

Four months

Your baby should now be able to support his upper body on his forearms and if placed on his tummy will be able to roll on to his side or even on to his back. He will become fascinated with his own hands and sucking them and playing with them will give him endless fun.

Five months

Your baby will be able to push up fully on his arms and will be able to roll from back to side. He will begin grasp objects with both hands and will particularly enjoy using this new skill to suck his feet.

Six months

Your baby will be able to sit unsupported for a few seconds and will be able to twist in all directions. He may be able to rotate his wrist and hold an object between his thumb and forefinger.

Seven months

Your baby will be able to sit unaided for longer, particularly if he leans forward to balance himself. He will now be able to hold an object in both hands.

Eight months

Your baby will be able to sit completely unaided and will be able to turn around. He will begin to show signs of getting into a crawling position. He will be able to grasp small objects with his hands.

Nine months

Your baby will be trying to crawl and may be doing a 'commando' style crawl by using his arms. He may start poking things with his finger.

Ten months

Your baby will be able to crawl with straight arms and legs and will enjoy pulling himself in to a standing position. He will also be able to hold two objects in one hand.

Eleven months

Your baby will be able to toddle when supported and will be able to 'cruise' along the furniture by himself. He will be able to feed himself and give and take objects.

Twelve months

Your baby will start to stand unaided or even take a few steps. His coordination will improve constantly and he will be able to roll a ball across the floor.

These milestones are just a guideline. Your baby will go at his own pace don't try and force him to more quickly than he wants just help and encourage him as much as you can.

Lisa Davies is a writer and mother of two. Learn more about babies and toddlers at http://www.babies2toddlers.com

It is easy to make baby skin care organic product. Parents would be surprise to learn how easy it is to make a baby skin care organic product. When making organic skin care products for example, all parents really have to do is mix together the organic and natural ingredients.

Some of these ingredients may require a bit of cooking of some sorts but no need for expert culinary skills for that. A number of products can even be directly applied or ingested requiring nothing at all. Also, every homemade product is just within reach at all hours of the day.

Organic baby products do not cost much. In fact, they may be actually cheaper - some won't even cost anything at all since these organic ingredients are probably just growing out in their backyard. Parents just need to invest in time and effort. For example, organic nappies are not just good for baby's skin but they are way cheaper than using disposable ones. Organic skin care products meant for babies are easily made and some even last up to many months of use - truly a money-saver.

Let us look into the use of an all-natural baby powder - baby skin care the organic way. It was found out that baby powders, especially the ones made of talc, are actually dangerous to your baby's health. The small particles that make up talc baby powders can cause serious respiratory problems or even cancer with long term use. Doctors recommend just airing out your baby's bum to heal it of rashes. Or, you can make an all-natural baby powder by combining a cup of arrowroot powder and a tablespoon each of ground dried chamomile and dried lavender. This organic baby powder keeps baby's skin, especially around the bum area, dry and keeps bacteria from thriving on the skin.

The essential oils used in this natural baby skin care cleaning product keep the skin moisturized and safely heal irritations, especially rashes. Use tea tree oil as it is a good antibacterial or antiseptic agent, making it a staple ingredient in any natural baby skin care cleaning product. Calendula and aloe vera have inherent anti-inflammatory properties that are perfect for sensitive skin like those of babies.

A baby shampoo may not be all it appears to be as it may contain traces of harmful chemicals that can get into your baby's system. Use a natural shampoo infused with organic herbs to better care for your baby's scalp. Try making this rosemary shampoo as an alternative to the usual baby shampoo you use on your baby. Gather a bunch of fresh rosemary, half a pint of distilled water, 4 1/2 fl.oz of unscented baby shampoo and 4 drops of rosemary essential oil.

Use the water to slowly boil the fresh rosemary for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture into a container, then add the essential oils and shampoo. Give the bottle a shake to mix the liquids well. You now have an all-natural baby skin care cleaning product that you safely use as a shampoo.

Organic baby care products are really more than commodities. With all the stuff that can silently damage children, they are the best alternative that allows the parents to give out a huge sigh of relief, and be free of all baby care anxieties.

Shawn likes to research on things that affect people and in return shares and teaches others. Visit his blog on Organic Baby Care Products at Organic Baby Care Products

Typical Play Development

By 3 months of age, while lying on his or her back, your baby should:

o Visually track a moving toy from side to side
o Attempt to reach for a rattle held above their chest
o Keep head in the middle to watch faces or toys

By 6 months of age your baby should:

o Reach for a nearby toy while on tummy
o Transfer a toy from one hand to the other while lying on back
o Reach both hands to play with feet while lying on back

By 9 months of age your baby should:

o While sitting in a high chair, be able to hold and drink from a bottle
o Explore and examine an object using both hands
o Turn several pages of a chunky (board) book at once
o Imitate others in simple play

By 12 months of age your baby should:

o Finger feed itself
o Release objects into a container with a large opening
o Use thumb and pointer finger to pick up tiny objects

By 15 months of age your baby should:

o Stack two objects or blocks
o Help with getting undressed
o Hold and drink from a cup

Typical Physical Development

By 3 months of age, while lying on his or her tummy, your baby should:

o Push up on arms
o Lift and hold head up

By 6 months of age your baby should:

o Use hands to support self in sitting position
o Roll from back to tummy
o Accept entire weight with legs while standing with support

By 9 months of age your baby should:

o Sit and reach for toys without falling
o Move from tummy or back into sitting
o Creep on hands and knees with alternate arm and leg movement

By 12 months of age your baby should:

o Pull to stand and cruise along furniture
o Stand alone and take several independent steps

By 15 months of age your baby should:

o Walk independently and seldom fall
o Squat to pick up a toy

Signs you should watch for in physical development to report to your healthcare professional include:

o Has difficulty lifting head
o Stiff legs with little or no movement
o Pushes back with head
o Keeps hands fisted and lacks arm movement
o Rounded back
o Unable to lift head up
o Poor head control
o Difficult to bring arms forward to reach out
o Arches back and stiffens legs
o Arms held back
o Stiff legs
o Uses one hand predominantly
o Rounded back
o Poor use of arms in sitting
o Difficulty crawling
o Uses only one side of body to move
o Inability to straighten back
o Cannot take weight on legs
o Difficulty getting to stand because of stiff legs and pointed toes
o Only uses arms to pull up to standing
o Sits with weight to one side
o Strongly flexed or stiffly extended arms
o Needs to use hand to maintain sitting
o Unable to take steps independently
o Poor standing balance, falls frequently
o Walks on toes

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use the information in this article to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's condition.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Written by: Connie Limon, Please visit my website for articles like this one at http://smalldogs2.com/aboutbabiesandtoddlers