First Bath and Bare Hands

Yesterday was Julia's first bath. She really seemed to enjoy it (or was it just the lactose?). I will be posting a video later on tonight, assuming I can get a decent edit done. I also went to a "New Dad's" class last night, taught by our pediatrician, Bruce Block. It was held at a Montessori School so that we could see some of the things montessorians (it should be a word if it isn't) would have parents do to prepare their homes for infants. It was a great experience: I came away with many great ideas, some of which I'm sure we'll actually do. For example, a low-lying play pad with a big mirror next to it so Julia can lie on her stomach and watch herself in the mirror. The Montessori folks really have it together and have many great materials to read. The basic idea seems to be to let your baby figure things out on his/her own even if there's some crying involved, rather than always intervening on their behalf. Also, give them lots of time to just play with their hands and feet and don't keep 'em wrapped up all the time. Obvious to many perhaps, but not me, was the fact that touching things with the hands at this age plays a key role in brain and cognitive development.