4-Week-Old

Your baby can now probably focus on and track moving objects. Try giving her new skills a workout by slowly passing a toy in front of her face or by having a little "staring contest" during which you walk slowly back and forth in front of her. Watch how her eyes lock with yours and follow along with your movement. This skill is a building block to hand-eye coordination, which will come later.

During the first two months, your baby will also learn to lift and hold her head up for short amounts of time. This shows you how much stronger her muscles are becoming. (Some babies lift their heads within the first week or two, while most take a bit longer to accomplish this feat.)

When she's awake, let her play on her tummy so she can make her neck muscles even stronger. This is especially important now that it's recommended that all babies be put to sleep on their backs, which means they end up spending a lot of time in that position. Make sure her head and neck are well supported at other times.

How your baby's growing
Your baby may gurgle, coo, grunt, and hum to express his feelings. A few babies also begin squealing and laughing. Be sure to coo and gurgle back, and talk to your baby face to face. He'll enjoy holding your gaze now.

If you have things to do, your baby will still enjoy hearing your voice from across the room. And don't feel silly about talking baby talk — babies are particularly attuned to this high-pitched, drawn-out way of communicating that can actually teach your baby about the structure and function of language.

• Learn more fascinating facts about your 4-week-old's development.

Your life: Mixed feelings

Even when you're the happiest person on earth to be a new parent, it's common to have nagging little feelings of disappointment. Not that you want to tell anyone. But you spent nine months imagining what your baby would be like and now here he is — perhaps not exactly what you'd pictured. Parents of a baby born with a health problem are especially vulnerable to this feeling of not getting what they'd bargained for. But parents of perfectly healthy children often have such feelings, too:
• The mother of three boys who'd hoped for a little girl

• The older mom who probably won't have any more children and really wanted a little girl but got a boy instead

• The mom who expected twins at first but gave birth to a singleton after one fetus died in utero early in the pregnancy

• The mom whose baby looks like an exact clone of Daddy and not one bit like her
In all of these situations, there's a perfectly healthy baby to celebrate. And yet there's often an imaginary baby to mourn over before the real baby can be fully embraced. Rarely does anybody talk about this phenomenon, but it's perfectly normal and human. So if your joy is tinged with a little regret, don't feel too guilty. Give yourself a little space to privately grieve, and then count the blessings you do have.

3 questions about: Immunizations

Why does my baby need so many shots?
In her first year, your newborn will receive as many as 18 vaccinations. And for good reason: Immunizations have nearly wiped out childhood diseases such as diphtheria, measles, polio, and whooping cough that were once common and can cause permanent injury or even death. All major medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, agree that the benefits of lifelong protection provided by vaccinations far outweigh the remote possibility of your baby's having an adverse reaction.

How do they work?
Vaccines contain "weakened" or killed versions of the virus or bacteria that causes a disease. When injected, your baby's immune system creates antibodies that will defend her against the disease.

When are shots given?Shots given in the first year include the following:
• HepB vaccine: protects against hepatitis B virus, which attacks the liver. Three doses: at birth, between 1 and 4 months, and between 6 and 18 months.
• DTaP vaccine: protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). Five doses: at 2, 4, and 6 months, between 12 and 18 months, and between 4 and 6 years.
• Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccine: guards against meningitis, pneumonia, and epiglottitis. Four doses: at 2, 4, and 6 months, and between 12 and 15 months.
• IPV (inactivated polio virus) vaccine: protects against polio, which can cause paralysis and death. Four doses: at 2 and 4 months, between 6 and 18 months, and between 4 and 6 years.
• PCV (pneumococcal vaccine): defends against pneumococcal pneumonia, which is a common lung disease, meningitis, and ear infections. Four doses: at 2, 4, and 6 months, and between 12 and 15 months.

Vaccines your baby will get after the first year include varicella (for chickenpox) and MMR (for measles, mumps, and rubella).