(calming upbeat music)
- At two pounds and nine inches long,
your little nestling is
having an eye opening week.
Until now, his fetal
eyes were under wraps,
quietly developing beneath fused eyelids,
but now it's time for the big reveal,
as his eentsy optic orbs open and blink.
Of course, these newbie peepers
are just learning to focus.
Plus, there's not much to see
in the murk of his cozy confines.
Still, it's a big milestone.
An important practice for the moment
when your little one's eyes and yours
lock for the first time.
Are you wondering if you'll be looking
into baby blues, or greens, or browns?
Right now, the irises
are still pretty pale.
Pigmentation comes in
over the next few months
and even at birth, eye color
is often in transition.
It may not be clear if you've got
a green, blue, or brown-eyed honey
until he's at least six months old.
Your baby's first winks
of an eye may be adorable
but they're also a very
important developmental step.
Blinking is a skill that's
essential in the outside world
because it lubricates the eyes,
and protects them from foreign objects,
including your little
one's own wayward fingers.
Looking a little lower
on that adorable face,
nerves around that
bow-shaped mouth and lips
are getting a lot more sensitive now,
prepping baby for the all-important task
of honing in on Mom's
nipple once he's born.
Already, he'll try to mouth
whatever comes near those lips
including the umbilical cord.
And high inside that mouth,
higher up in the gums
than those baby teeth buds
that developed earlier,
are the fist inklings of permanent teeth.
Right now they're just tiny buds
and they've got a lot of hibernating to do
before they're ready to poke out.
But in six or so years,
they'll grow into pearly whites
that'll last your little
one his whole life.
In other development news,
your maturing baby is
better coordinated now,
especially when it comes to his hands.
He can easily make a fist, suck his thumb,
clasp his hands together
and even play with his toes.
Can't wait until you'll be able
to play with his tiny digits yourself?
Why not start some baby games now
with some poking play?
Try returning his pokes with your own
gentle prodding through your belly.
You'll both get a kick out of that!
(upbeat music)
