Baby This Week: 11 Weeks Old

Your baby is becoming very handy. Although she's already aware of her hands, she's now inspecting them like Sherlock Holmes. She turns them around, the better to look at her fingers from all sides. She opens and shuts her fists, watching each finger as it moves up and down. To help your baby develop her blossoming hand-eye coordination, try dangling a toy just out of reach so she has to grab for it.

Reading to your baby, even at this young age, will pay off. Hearing you read helps your baby develop an ear for the cadence of spoken language. Varying the pitch of your voice, using accents, and singing will make the connection between you and your baby that much more interesting.

If your baby looks the other way or loses interest while you're reading, just try doing something else and give her time to rest. Take your cue from your baby's responses.

You'll find plenty of good books to read to your baby — such as "Goodnight Moon", "Good Night Gorilla", and "The Big Red Barn". Choose board books that have large, bright pictures and simple text — or even wordless books with pictures for you to narrate. At this point you don't have to be slavish to age guidelines. Books designed for older children can captivate a baby if they have clear, crisp images and bright colors.

- BabyCenter.com