Watching your baby grow and develop is an exciting and rewarding experience for new parents. You spend all of your baby's wakeful hours introducing her to the world, exploring new sights and sounds, and playing games together. Your baby likes to hear your voice and tries to use the same sounds and patterns. She is also very responsive to your facial expressions, smiles and laughter.

Each new phase of development brings you and your baby closer. At around 6 months old, your baby is sitting up and looking around, using her hands to reach and grasp, and putting things in her mouth. Discovery on a minute by minute basis takes a lot of energy and concentration for your baby.

Along with this discovery and growth phase comes the excitement of introducing your baby to a whole world of solid foods, above and beyond regular breast milk or formula feedings. Below are some tips to help your baby learn and enjoy the solid food experience:

• When introducing solids, start with single-ingredient foods first to check for allergies. Most pediatricians recommend starting with a single-grain cereal because it's easier for babies to digest. Once baby has tried a single-grain cereal, start introducing single-ingredient foods, one at a time to detect allergies, for three to five days.

• The best way to ensure that your baby is prepared to take on the day is to start with a good breakfast, like Beech-Nut Good Morning cereals, that contain a healthy balance of carbohydrates from whole grains, along with protein, vitamins, minerals and no added refined sugar.

• Each breakfast, your baby can have up to one gram of soluble fibre per serving for a slow release of energy that keeps your baby alert and ready to learn and play all day.

• Read labels to ensure the baby foods you choose are made with all-natural ingredients and some are even formulated to feed babies the right kind of food at the right time of day. This keeps your baby satisfied and contributes to better attention span, concentration and memory, the essentials to good learning.

This is the time to relish and enjoy your baby's developmental phases. Start the day off right for you and your baby with a nutritious and enjoyable breakfast.
For further information on healthy nutrition for your baby, call the Beech-Nut Helpline at 1-800-BEECH-NUT (1-800-233-2468) weekdays 9a.m. to 6p.m. Eastern Time.

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Kids take such great pleasure in expressing their feelings toward each other, it's no wonder Valentine's Day is a huge event in schools. Here are some tips from the experts at Hallmark on preparing your child for the big day:

Ask the teacher for a class list. Be sure everyone gets a card.

Prepare treats everyone can enjoy. Avoid nuts or other ingredients that may cause allergic reactions.

Let the kids choose. There are different cards available to suit all kids' interests. The big draws this year include Ratatouille, Spiderman, Barbie as The Island Princess, Pirates of the Caribbean, High School Musical and Hot Wheels.

Get them writing. Encourage the kids to write their own messages, such as "Let's have a play date."

Let them get creative. If they're too young to write, stickers help them personalize the messages.

Remember the teacher. It's a small way to show appreciation for your child's next-favourite role model.

Although it's not always easy to determine why your little one is crying, according to a new survey of Canadian physicians, three-quarters of them agree that the crying can often be linked back to some type of digestive discomfort — like spit-up, gas and constipation. The good news is that if your baby is among the 78 per cent who suffer from these tummy troubles, there are things you can do to help ease their discomfort:

Breast is best: The best thing for babies to digest is breast milk. If you are breastfeeding, be sure to avoid certain foods, like cauliflower, or acidic foods, which can cause digestive discomforts for baby.

Bottle basics: If you cannot or choose not to breastfeed, choose an infant formula like Nestlé Good Start that is made from 100% whey protein and is partially broken down which makes it easier for baby to digest.

Burp me!: Most babies will swallow some air during a feed. Depending on the baby and the amount of air swallowed, these air bubbles can cause discomfort and contribute to gassiness. To help baby out, try rubbing the left side of his back. Start at the lower back then slowly rub up to the shoulder.
Take time out: Limiting active play and keeping your child upright for about 30 minutes after feedings can help keep food down.

Your baby's mood can often be a clue to their condition. If your baby is irritable, distressed during feedings or experiences symptoms like excessive spit-up, gas, or constipation, they may be suffering from digestive discomfort. Consult with your physician before making any feeding changes.

Credit: www.newscanada.com