2-Month-Old: Week 4

Your baby is becoming very handy. Although she's already aware of her hands, she's now inspecting them like Sherlock Holmes. She turns them around, the better to look at her fingers from all sides. She opens and shuts her fist, watching each finger as it moves up and down. It's almost as though she's using her hand like a puppet and putting on a private show. To help your baby develop her blossoming hand-eye coordination, try dangling a toy just out of reach so she has to grab for it.

Your baby will also place a finger or as much of her whole hand as possible into her mouth. That's another way she's learning about her hand — its textures, how big it is, and what it tastes like. The hand is, well, handy for exploring this way because it's right there in front of your baby and never gets lost. But eventually, you'll find she's discovering all sorts of things around her as she puts them into her mouth. This is an important way for babies to gather information about their world (and a time for you to make sure yours can't put anything into her mouth that will cause her to choke).

How your baby's growing

Reading to your baby, even at this young age, will pay off. Hearing you read helps your baby develop an ear for the cadence of language. Varying the pitch of your voice, using accents, and singing will make the connection between you and your baby that much more interesting.

If she looks the other way or loses interest while you're reading, just try something else or give her time to rest. Take your cue from her responses.

You'll find plenty of good books to read to your baby — such as Goodnight Moon, Good Night Gorilla, and The Big Red Barn. Choose board books that have large, bright pictures and simple text — or even wordless books that have pictures for you to narrate. At this point you needn't be slavish to age guidelines. Books designed for older children can captivate a baby if they have clear, crisp images and bright colors.

• Learn more fascinating facts about your 2-month-old's development.

Your life: Handling unwanted advice

When you have a baby, everyone in the world seems to have an opinion about it: "Shouldn't she be wearing a sweater?" "He won't grow big and strong if you don't feed him solids now." "If you let her suck on a pacifier, she'll ruin her teeth!" Whether the advice is right or wrong, it's the sheer intrusiveness of it all that can irk a mom.

How to deal with it?
First and foremost, don't take everything you hear seriously. There's no quicker way to undermine your confidence than to listen to every shred of information you're offered by friends, relatives, and strangers. Do what you think is best.

Realize the advice is mostly well intentioned. People are drawn to babies. Sometimes they make "helpful" comments simply to have something to say. In response, say something noncommittal like, "Thanks for your concern." Or, "I'll think about it." A great way to handle grandparents who have their own ideas about feeding or sleep is to enlist a third party: "Thanks, Mom. I'll see what my doctor says."

3 questions about: Colds

How did my baby catch a cold?
It's practically a given that your baby will catch a cold during his first year — the numerous viruses that cause colds are nearly impossible to avoid. They're spread through airborne droplets and by contaminated hands and objects, such as doorknobs and toys. Your baby can't fight them off as easily as you because his immune system is less developed than yours.On top of this, your baby is constantly putting his fingers near his eyes and in his mouth, giving any viruses lurking on his hands easy passage into his body where they can set up camp. If your baby is in group daycare or has older siblings, he's even more likely to come into contact with cold germs.

How can I make my baby more comfortable?
Suction stuffy nostrils with a rubber bulb syringe, and use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier in the room where he sleeps. These steps help keep his mucus thin and moving so he can breathe more easily.Raise the head of your baby's mattress by a few inches, if possible, to ease his postnasal drip. Never use pillows for this purpose, though. If his crib mattress won't raise, try putting him to sleep in his car seat in an upright position.Don't give your baby any over-the-counter cold remedies. Pediatricians typically do not recommend them for children under 6 months of age because it's unclear whether they help, and their risk of side effects may be high.

When should I call the doctor?
Play it safe and call the doctor if your baby:
• has a fever above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) taken rectally;
• exhibits labored or rapid breathing (more than 60 breaths a minute), has a worsening cough, or is wheezing or gasping;
• has a discharge from his eyes, which may signal conjunctivitis (pinkeye) or an ear infection;
• tugs at his ear or cries when sucking during a feeding, which also suggest an ear infection; or
• seems to get sicker after five to seven days or has ongoing symptoms for more than two weeks.