2 things to teach your 2 week old

I realize I might have gone a little overboard with the last post. Having a newborn is tiring, and they are barely awake so I have adjusted this post to only 2 things to do with your 2 week old.  Oh, and a song.

Love and Security
Feeling loved and secure are the most basic of needs and most important.  When you are loved and feel secure you automatically can tackle more difficult tasks. So, cuddle with your baby, flirt with them (really? yes.) caress their little bodies, tell them how much you love them, tell them about their birth (possibly leave out some of the less awesome details), and stare at their little faces.  As you fall more in love with your baby your baby will in turn feel more secure and loved.
Another way to help your baby learn about love and security is to include your spouse! According to "Brain Rules for Baby" the number one way to help your child become intelligent is to love your spouse.  Going back to the hierarchy of needs, this totally makes sense. I realize hormones are basically forcing you to focus on your baby and nothing else, but you must force yourself to remember your spouse and love them too.  Again, I know its a lot.  I remember hearing about this while I was pregnant and swearing that it wouldn't happen to me.  Well, for the first couple of weeks I didn't really care about my husband.  I had tunnel vision for my baby and my baby only.  Knowing about these motherly hormones though, I made a choice to involve my husband as much as I could and made sure to ask him how he was.  Yes it was sometimes rough and overwhelming to make sure my family felt my love but in the long run it made things a lot easier. Plus, like most of these things your baby is learning, why not show them what a great marriage looks like from day 1 (or 8).

Touch Sensitivity
Babies learn through their senses (don't we all?) so teach them about different textures using their tiny hands. They are probably getting good at grabbing so use that to your advantage as you give them different textures of fabrics.  You can do this with their blankets, clothes, burp cloths, diapers, and your clothes as well.  Describe the fabrics and how they feel.  Who knows, you might even learn that they prefer a specific feel of fabric and can use that later to help them self-soothe.

Singing
Singing to your little one can help calm them down and can help you calm down when all you hear is their cries. There is awesome music by Rockabye Baby that turns everyday hits into lullabies.  You can sing your favorite tunes to your baby and they will seem sweet and peaceful no matter what song it is. Plus, they are on Spotify!
My husband discovered this while we were pregnant and one day I was going through The Beatles albums (of course).  I listened to "Dear Prudence" and had never felt such a reaction come from John.  It was awesome!

"Dear Prudence"

Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?

Dear Prudence, open up your eyes
Dear Prudence, see the sunny skies
The wind is low, the birds will sing
That you are part of everything
Dear Prudence, won't you open up your eyes?

Look around round
Look around round round
Look around

Dear Prudence, let me see you smile
Dear Prudence, like a little child
The clouds will be a daisy chain
So let me see you smile again
Dear Prudence, won't you let me see you smile?

Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?