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By 3 months old baby has discovered her hands – and her mouth. Her fists will uncurl more and she’ll be able to start grasping. She may hold things for a moment and then lift them to her mouth to suck. Almost everything she grabs is likely to end up in her mouth.

During this stage babies also become much more aware of their environment. They respond to tickling, and other games you play with them. Now is the time to start introducing more interactive toys and activities that promote bonding and encourage baby to expand her boundaries.

At this stage introduce…

- Nursing Necklaces: At a few months of age babies start to pinch, and pull at mom during feeding. Nursing necklaces (also called breastfeeding necklaces) give baby something else to hold to prevent mom from being hurt. They also provide baby with visual and tactile stimulation that furthers cognitive development.

- Books: Baby is now able to focus on objects at different distances so it’s a good time to start reading to her. She’ll be able to see the pictures and words on the page and even at this young age will begin to associate words with sounds.

- Handheld Toys: Baby can now hold onto objects and wave them around. She’s also aware of the differences between her toys. Now is a good time to introduce different textures and sizes of toys that she can use by herself. She’ll love the independence and you’ll notice her hand eye co-ordination greatly improving.

- Varied Music: Now that baby is more aware of her surroundings, you’ll notice that sometimes she’ll prefer to listen to a gentle lullaby, while at other times she’ll want to hear more active music. Introduce a range of music at this stage so that she hears different musical instruments and tunes played at various speeds and volumes.

We are big believers that “the more involved the kids are in the cooking process, the better they eat!” Here’s a great idea for a fun family dinner that everyone will love.

Pizza Party Night

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough (either homemade or store bought)
Premade Spaghetti Sauce (see note below)
Toppings of choice
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Notes:
Premade Spaghetti Sauce – I like to buy the chunky veggie sauce. This way, I know my kids will get some type of veggies in their meal. If you do not have the chunky veggie sauce, you can always take some canned, or cooked veggies, and puree them into the sauce. This way, you are guaranteed to get some veggies in (and the kids will have no idea!)

Topping Suggestions – ham, bacon, pepperoni, cut up hot dogs, mushrooms, onions, pineapple, green pepper, tomatoes

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Recipe Created By:

Bek Davis is a trained chef and a work at home mom. You can find more recipes, cooking tips, and mom resources on her highly recommended websites: http://modernmom.info and http://iwebdesigns.org.

For the first few months babies do little more than sleep and eat. In fact some sleep as much as 20 hours a day! Make the most of the time they’re awake by choosing toys and nursery accessories that stimulate them and encourage them to use their developing senses.

When playing with a newborn, remember that they see best when objects are about eight inches away from their face. Make sure they can see you by leaning in when talking to them and holding toys close.

At this stage introduce…

- A Mobile: Scientific research has shown that babies who are given appropriate stimulation show sustained developmental advantages over babies in less stimulating environments. Although they won’t be able to focus on the specific shapes hanging from the mobile, babies are fascinated by the movement of a mobile and it encourages skills such as pattern recognition, eye/hand coordination, gross motor activity, and a sense of object permanence. Choose one that plays music and it will do double duty!

- Music: From the time they’re born, babies can hear high pitched noises and are soothed by low pitched noises. Numerous studies have concluded that playing music to babies in the womb and in the early years helps build the neural bridges along which thoughts and information travel. It’s known as the Mozart Effect, a theory which is credited with boosting IQ, improving health, strengthening family ties and even producing the occasional child prodigy. It has also been shown that music can also stimulate the brain’s alpha waves, creating a feeling of calm.

- Simple Toys: Experts agree that babies get a great deal out of the toys that they can amuse themselves with. They learn many different things through their senses at this time, and through their senses, they discover their world. The most fascinating toys to a baby at this stage are those that make noise, or that use a lot of high contrast black and white, or bright colors such as red and yellow.

I first tried a variation of this dish a year ago and since then it’s my staple for potlucks and large family dinners. It’s always a huge hit! Try it, I guarantee your family will love it.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup minced onion
3 T. powder garlic
16 oz. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
30 oz. Frozen Southern Hash Browns
10.5 oz. Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cups sour cream
1/4 lb. butter, melted
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Mix all. Put into 9″x13″ greased casserole dish. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees, covered. Cooked uncovered for 15 minutes.

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Recipe Created By:

Bek Davis (Chef Bek) is a trained chef and a work at home mom. You can find more recipes, cooking tips, and mom resources on her highly recommended websites: http://modernmomnetwork.com, http://www.iwebdesigns.org, and http://www.iFreeRecipes.com.