Toys for Hand-Eye Co-ordination (0-6 months)

I found an article about toys for new babies to help develop their hand-eye co-ordination which I thought was interesting and useful. :)

Baby's first few weeks
Baby's hands and eyes don't work together, baby just watches.  His favourite things are bright / colourful and things that move.  Some toys and games for baby are . . .

• his reflection in the mirror
• the toys on his gym or a mobile
• shining a torch on the ceiling of a dark room, and flashing lights

6 weeks +
Baby is more ready to swipe at things with his hands, so he'll have fun with:

• the toys on his gym, bouncer or stroller
• a rattle that you hold for him

2-4 months
Now baby will start to grab things and shake them, so . . .

• get him toys that have small enough section for him to grab and hold onto

5-6 months
Baby's grasping is more deliberate and he'll reach out for stuff without constantly monitoring his hand, and he may like to pass things from one hand to the other, so toy's he'll like are:

• toys that he can pick up, take to his mouth and pass from hand to hand
• toys that make noises when he grabs them
• toys with textures
• soft toys that he can cuddle
• toys that he can bat with an open hand

Well now at least I can buy (the correct) toys with a purpose in mind. :D

How the Family Found Out

They all found out during week 12, and here are the fun ways we "told" them :D

I made little mini banana breads and added some cute tags:

Hehe.  I found this pic and thought it was so cute and funny.

And then for Noob Dad's mum and gran I decorated some tea cups (because they're HUGE tea drinkers and I knew this would be a good way to tell them, hehe) and wrote the message inside the cup so that they'd have to drink their tea and see what the message says:

And there was a "great-grammy" one for the granny. :)
But now I first have to explain how this "great reveal" went down - Noob Dad's bro and wife were expecting a baby too, he was actually due a few days after our news . . .  sooooo, grammy and great-grammy first thought that the message was in relation to their already-known-about grandson on the way, and that I'd just made some cute cups to remind them of that, lol.  So when me and Noob Dad realized that they didn't realize what the message was about, I told them "but this one's due in December!" and then they clicked - so that was amuzing, hehe.

Ok, on to the next ones!  For MY mum and gran I wrapped up our first sonogram pics like this:

And I told them to open these at the same time.  I don't think my gran knew what that picture was, haha. . . so she may not have clicked what's going on, so my mum had to explain what it is, hehe.  My dad was watching them unwrap so he got the news at the same time (and just before they were done unwrapping I gave my sis one of those banana breads above, so that everyone would find out at exactly the same time!)

However . . . I actually intended to tell my family with this little bowl:

We went there for dinner and I was going to serve snacks in this bowl (which I decorated too, duh) and wait for someone to find the message at the bottom inside the bowl . . . but things ran a little late and by the time we got to their house we went straight into dinner, so no time for snacks . . . and that's when I decided to just tell them with the gift boxes above.  I was going to give it to them after THE NEWS anyway just for fun.

I wrapped up a scan as well for Noob Dad's mum and gran:

And we used the same idea to tell Noob Dad's aunt the news too, but with a little mini gift box I made instead:

We also used the banana breads to give the news to Noob Dad's dad and wife - when he gave them the breads they just thought it was a little gift, nothing more.  So I had to tell them "but now read the tags!", so the wife does so but she doesn't click AT ALLLLL, I dunno what she was thinking but it looked as if she just thought it was a cute bread with a message that didn't really seem to mean anything to her, lol.  Then I told her "look at the pic!" 'cause maybe THAT would get the message over . . . but NO, haha.  Ish.  By this time dad has actually looked and read at it and has clicked - I just got the unbelieving STARE, lol - it was too funny.  So I told him "Ok, I suppose YOU get it!" and he said yes he does, but he doesn't believe it, and THEN his wife suddenly clicks from I dunno what.  That was really amuzing too!

So ya, we had some fun. :D

Needless to say everyone was excited and happy and shocked and surprised and all that, hehehe.

(HERE are some more fun ideas to make the announcement)

Fun Ways To Announce Your Pregnancy

Since none of our family know that we're ttc, there's NO WAY that when it finally happens, we're just gonna tell them in a boring old way.  So here are some cute and fun ways to announce your pregnancy!  :D

Sonogram gift
Make copies of your sonogram and wrap it up in a cute little gift box.  Give it to them next time you see them.

Printed T-shirts
Have the announcement printed on a t-shirt and wear it next time you see them,eg:

• "bun in the oven" 
• one for you saying "mum to be" and one for your husband "dad to be"
• "coming in May" with a pic of a baby underneath (use whatever month your baby will be due)
• "brand new mum"  & "brand new dad" with an "established in 2012" beneath it (use whatever year baby was made)
• "mum in training" & "dad in training"
• "(your surname) in the making", with an arrow pointing to your belly below
• "baby under construction, check back in May" (use whatever month baby is due), or use a cute baby pic with "under construction" beneath it
• print a pic of a "baby on board" sign on the shirt
• "look what I got" with an arrow pointing toward your belly, and a pic of a bun in an oven where your belly is
• at the top of your shirt print "(egg pic) + (cute spermie) =" , with an arrow pointing down toward your belly and "baby (your surname)" printed where your belly is
• print a cute pic like the one below . . . hehehe!

Bun in the oven
Bake some muffins, wrap up a single muffin for everybody and tie with a tag saying "we have a bun in the oven".  (wrap the muffin in clear wrapping paper / cellophane, otherwise the whole purpose of the muffin will be lost)

Pink & blue cupcakes
This is a cute idea if you're telling a group of people, like the whole family at the same time or making an announcement at your office.  Bake some cupcakes and ice half with pink and half with blue icing, and put a + on each of them.  Wait for them to click. :)

Photo frame
Get a 3-photo frame, place a photo of you in the first photo, your husband in the second and a photo of your + pregnancy test or a copy of your sonogram in the 3rd one.  Display it in a prominent place when you're having guests and wait for it to be noticed, or wrap it as a gift.  Or just frame the sonogram and gift that.

Say it on a plate
Invite everybody over for dinner.  Have some plates or dessert bowls painted with a message on the bottom (eg "we're pregnant!" or "baby (your surname) on the way" etc).  Make sure you dish up their food or dessert, then wait until they finish their food and see the message at the bottom.

Get the doggy in on it
Print a shirt for doggy to wear, saying something like "I'm not the only baby anymore" or "I'm getting another sister or brother" and wait for someone to notice it.

Update - aaaaaaand . . .THIS is how we made our announcements! :)