Just because your baby isn’t walking yet — that doesn’t mean her feet are unemployed.

For several weeks, the newborn might notice her own feet, especially during diaper changes when they are handled and held near the line of sight between her face and yours.

But there’s not much she can do about this new discovery until her brain development and motor development catch up with her observation skills.

In yesterday’s blog post, I reminisced about how to use lighter-weight blankets.

Thick blankies will be today’s focus. The bumpy ones, the ones with fringes and mysteries stitched in.

While a versatile blanket will support your baby’s overall development, a blanket that offers interesting textures will specifically stimulate motor development, body self awareness, and intellectual development.

Twenty-one years ago, I discovered that my 5 month-old was ready to play hide and seek.

I didn’t mean to.  Really.

My teaching colleagues in Panama had gifted my new baby with an assortment of of hand-appliqued blankets (sheets, actually — this was a tropical birth).

Five months later, back in the US, and past her swaddling stage, my daughter used to enjoy looking at the brightly colored ducks and ginghams that bordered the sheets.  She also spent a lot of time on her tummy, reaching for and touching the embroidery stitches that illustrated the layette.