7-Month-Old Baby

You know that song your 7-month-old baby seems to love? Hope you like it too, because you'll likely be called upon to sing it about a thousand times — and when you're done, your 7-month-old will be begging for an encore.

Babies (and toddlers and even preschoolers) love predictability. It gives them a sense of power and mastery: "See how smart I am! I know what's going to happen next." So play it again, Mom (or Dad)!

Easier said than done, of course, but sufficient slumber for tired, busy parents is essential for good health — an exhausted body is more susceptible to illness.

If your baby doesn't sleep through the night, repay your sleep debt by napping with your little one during the day, making sure you hit the sack early. Relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing and stretching can also help reduce fatigue and enhance energy.

Why it’s worth celebrating: Baby's ability to bring two hands together means that she is developing hand-eye coordination and fine-motor skills — both of which will eventually allow your little one to do things like catch a ball and hold a crayon.

How to make the most of it: Clapping is contagious, so put your own hands together whenever your baby does anything worth cheering for. Don’t forget to say "yay!" a bunch too.

Now that she can clap, your little one will also enjoy patty-cake a lot more, since she’ll be able to do at least some of the hand motions.

Worried about the germs on your floor? Sure, they're there, but they don't amount to a surplus, and there aren't any that your baby hasn't already encountered in all that playtime at your feet.

Even unfamiliar floors — at a friend's house, say — don't often harbor dangerous bugs. Which means it's probably okay to hand back the bit of cracker or rice cake that just dropped on the kitchen floor and let your baby finish it.

But because bacteria can multiply frequently on wet surfaces, the ick factor is just too high on bathroom floors or any place with puddles — or on a once-sodden biscuit that your baby has abandoned and then rediscovered hours later.

And outside, you have pet waste and other nasty stuff to worry about. In those cases, you're better off confiscating any fallen food and replacing it with fresh stuff (so always have some spares handy).

Butternut squash and sweet potatoes are great baby food choices. Why? These vibrantly hued veggies aren’t just packed with flavor — they also contain a healthy dose of vitamin A, which boosts your baby’s eyesight and immunity.

Cut a batch of vegetables into chunks and roast them in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then set some apart to serve as a side dish at the adult dinner table. Puree the rest for your baby until smooth, adding a pinch of cinnamon to tantalize your baby's tiny taste buds.

A new plushy friend or homemade sock puppet might inspire you to sing a different song, tell a brand new story, play an unfamiliar game or even just try a funny accent.

Maybe your previously picky eater will open wide for lunch if a puppet is wielding the spoon. Or perhaps your bath-averse baby will enjoy the tub more if you use a washable puppet bath mitt — one that chats and entertains as she works, of course.

Just like stuffed animals and dolls of all shapes and sizes, puppets are stand-ins for people. That means they offer lots of learning opportunities. Puppets can play peekaboo, act out stories or songs, and keep your baby company in unfamiliar places.

The give-and-take she enjoys with that puppet buddy is a perfect precursor to playing with a (human) friend — it's a super way to build social skills.

Formula and baby cereals are iron-fortified for a reason: Not only does this mineral play a vital role in the production of hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body), but iron also helps brain development — including building motor skills and memory.

Make sure your baby gets 11 milligrams of iron a day by offering iron-fortified formula or cereal as well other iron-rich foods (once she's eating solids), including meat, chicken, fish, eggs, avocado, broccoli and spinach.