By now, your baby may play with his or her hands and feet for a few minutes at a time. You may notice him or her doing one action over and over again until the result is clear, then switching things up a bit to see if the result changes.

Suddenly you'll realize it's strangely quiet in the bedroom and look in, only to discover that your baby, who until now has needed your attention for most of every waking moment, is perfectly happy self-entertaining in the crib. You might be able to start reading magazines again – well, maybe just looking at the pictures.

Eating less frequently

Your baby has a bigger tummy now, so he or she may not need to fill up as often. If you're breastfeeding exclusively, you'll probably nurse six to eight times a day. If you're formula-feeding exclusively, your baby may be satisfied with four or five bottles a day (of 6 or 7 ounces each).

Your baby may have doubled his or her birth weight by now and is still gaining, of course, despite a more mature eating schedule. (The content of your breast milk has also changed, with more fat and minerals to match your baby's nutritional needs.)

Don't expect maturity in his or her eating habits though: Your baby is easily distracted now, and feedings can become frustrating as he or she stops to watch a sibling or respond to an outside noise. You might try to minimize distractions by doing feedings in a quiet, dimmed room.

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