Kids who know they’re cared for and cared about have fewer behavioral problems and stronger relationships. - Heidi Murkoff

Still unsure if you’ve bundled your little bundle just right? Don’t check his hands for confirmation. A baby’s hands and feet are usually cooler than the rest of his body, because of his immature circulatory system. You’ll get a more accurate reading of his comfort by checking the nape of his neck or his arms or trunk (whichever is easiest to reach under his clothing) with the back of your hand. Too cool? Add a layer. Too warm? Peel one off. If he seems extremely cold to the touch, or dangerously overheated, click here.

Researchers have found that a woman’s brain-cell volume actually decreases during pregnancy (which could explain why you won’t remember what you just read about in that last paragraph). And — for reasons unknown — women pregnant with girls are more forgetful, on average, than those carrying boys (who would have guessed?). Fortunately, the pregnancy brain fog (similar to what many women experience premenstrually, only thicker) is only temporary. Your brain will plump back up a few months after delivery.

Ring Around the Rosie, baby edition. Make this preschool favorite baby-friendly by adapting it for the lap. Hold your baby in a standing position on your lap and sing, “Ring around the rosie, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down!” at which point you help him or her plop down to sitting. A variation is to substitute “hopscotch, hopscotch” for “ashes, ashes” and to pop your lap (and baby) up at each one. You can also play a traditional Ring Around the Rosie while holding baby in your arms — standing and turning in a circle before plopping down on the floor together.