Less Like An Old Wizard MONTH 3 WEEK 1

Approved by the What’s Up Moms Medical Advisory Board

Baby’s done with the “4th trimester.” Pretty big deal! Now she’s officially graduated from newborn-hood into actual baby-hood, and boy has she come a long way. She’s sturdier, stronger, and, most thrillingly, looking less like an elderly man and more like a cherubic babe. She’s alert to her surroundings, smiling more frequently, and doing genius things like putting her hands together. And the best part of all: she saves the most delicious, twinkliest smiles for YOU. She recognizes — and, frankly, prefers — YOU.

Makes all those sleepless nights feel kinda worth it.

Across the board, baby’s flexing new muscles and trying new things. On hearing your voice, she may look right at you and even try to respond to you in her own babble-icious language.  She also might be swatting and trying grabbing at whatever toys are within reach — time to remove hanging mobiles — so go ahead and hand baby all kinds of toys for her to touch, hold and discover. Oh, and those mini pushups she’s doing are pretty impressive by now, right? Next stop: rolling.

Because baby’s senses have developed almost to adult level, this is a great time to get out and show her all kinds of awesomeness. Local, simple outings are, to her, like an amusement park. Nurture your inner Martha Stewart and visit a fabric store so baby can touch all kinds of textures while you dream big about DIY projects that you may or may not ever complete (or start). Visit the grocery store or farmer’s market and explore colorful produce. Lay a blanket out at the park or even in your backyard and spend some time touching the grass and flowers. If you can find some outdoor music, baby will love to see and hear that.

A cheap date who’s impressed by everything. You really can’t beat it.