How to play

Like many first moms, I had never played with a true baby before. I've played with toddlers and even babies around a year old, but I never even considered how to play with an infant. After watching my aunt play with him, I began to pick up my own kind of style.

The trick to playing with babies is to not make any sense at all while using a high voice and tickling them. For instance, when he's just wearing a diaper, I'll say "Woooo!" while I dip my head and tickle his stomach with my hair. Sometimes, I'll make my hands into spiders and, to the Jaws theme song, crawl up his legs and tickle him under his arms. When he's wearing a shirt, I push my face slightly into his stomach and shake it around going "Hooooo!" and if he's shirtless, I make the same noise while blowing on his stomach.

All of these make him wide eyed, kick his legs, making cooing sounds, and sometimes even smile.

Other times that I play with him are distractions for what is about to happen. For instance, if he's in a bad mood and I have to change his diaper, I'll whoooosh him around and make airplane noises as I lay him down on the changing table. When he's fussy and I'm at my limit, I'll put him in his stroller and do "drunken baby strolling" which consists of lots of swerving, light bumps, and warnings of "Ohhhh nooo Jude, you're gonna crash!!"

Sometimes, I set him in his bouncer and turn it sideways. He turns his head to the side and watches TV with me. Seriously! I had no idea that little babies did this, but he looooves to watch TV, especially music videos. (Preferably rock.)

I love to dance around with him, but I don't see this as playing. I see it as practice for later :)

Sometimes we play "Where's Jude?!" which is either when I pull a blanket over his head and whip it off, or when he's in his crib and I hide underneath it and pop my head up. That's one of this favorites.

Some of the things that I learned from Miki that are bunches of fun? Cute little baby games that integrate a small rhyme that he's already learned to anticipate something fun. (He either gets really still and waits, or he gets really spazzy.) Also, when he's crying for no reason, you can make funny noises by moving your finger to and from his mouth. (Turning Waaaaaaa to Wa-a-a-a-a-a) Sometimes the noise makes him stop crying!

So, be stupid. Babies love it.