When it comes to feeding baby a healthy diet, fruits and vegetables are top of the list. Yet let's face it -- even babies get bored eating the same old bananas or peas every day, and may be craving something new. To get your gears turning, we've got some fresh, on-trend ideas to feed your tot.

There are reasons why food trends get started -- for these, it's because they're super healthy. Some you may have barely heard of (baobab?) while others are old standbys served in fun new ways. Either way, they're bound to make dinnertime more exciting for everyone involved. Hop on the bandwagon with your baby!

#7 is so sneaky -- and easy! 

Image © Halfpoint/Shutterstock

You've waited nine months to (finally!) meet your wee one. Now that baby's here, you want to make sure everything that surrounds him is healthy and safe. There are tons of natural, good-for-baby items and gear out there. How do you know what's really best? Here's what to look for when shopping for those natural products.

Before becoming a mother, I was already on my journey to getting fit. At one point in my life, I was once overweight and, at another, I was once underweight. My goal for life was to find a happy medium balance and to become the best version of myself.  

Now that I am a mother, my goal is still the same, but I want to become the healthiest version of myself in order to set a good example for my children.

Here are 3 tips to becoming healthier while involving your children:

1. Baby see, baby do. Last week, while I was running on my treadmill, my son walked up to me and handed me a packet of my protein powder. He left for the kitchen and then came back with my protein shaker cup to give to me. This surprised me since he is only 16 months old, but as little as he is, he still knows, learns, and understands things. From time to time, I will see him pretending to walk on my treadmill, as well. These are prime examples that whatever you do as a parent will have a huge impact on your children. Make sure you are making positive, healthy choices and they will catch on before you even realize it!

2. Grocery shop and cook together. Who says grocery shopping has to be boring? Though this tip may be better suited for older babies and toddlers, you can always include your little one on the trip. Show them healthier products that you like or let them hold a product to help out. It will make them feel so important! One of my son's favorite foods recently has been from the Gerber® Organic line; the 3rd  Foods® Pouches! There are 2 servings of fruits/vegetables per pouch and the packaging is BPA-free. My son's favorite is the Apples, Kale, & Figs.

I usually homemake all of my son's food, but as a mommy, I tend to get busy at times and this is when I reach for this line of baby foods. It is nice to know that if I have to give my son something packaged, it is healthy and organic for him-the best choice that I could make.  

When you get home from the grocery store, show your child what to do with the products by making a healthy dinner while explaining how the meal is healthy. Lastly, enjoy eating the meal together.

3. Involve your children in daily exercise. Each night after dinner, my husband and I love taking our son on an evening walk. It is a chance for us to get our last bit of exercise in for the day, while also bonding and enjoying time away from tv and computers. We will push our  son in his jogging stroller or pull him in his red wagon. When he gets a bit older, we will have him walk with us the whole way. When you make exercise a habit, they won't know any different!  

How do you lead by healthy example for your own children?

Written by Sia Alexis, a twentysomething mom from Southern Mississippi who currently lives off the sunny coast of Florida and couldn't dream of a better place to be! She has a huge passion for working out and eating well, and those endorphins have gotten her through a lot of hard times.

Image courtesy of the author

When I had my first child in 2008 we decided to use cloth diapers as a way to save money; however, the longer my child was in cloth diapers the more aware I became of the health benefits for him using cloth diapers. Sure, I'd love it if you did give it a try; I think you'd find that it's easier than you think! I do understand that it can seem a bit daunting to add cloth diapering into your household routine. But you can make other small changes that will have a positive impact on the life that you're living right now and the health and well being of your child's life.

Since becoming a mother, I've become more conscious about the products that we consume and the foods that we eat. I am definitely not one of those moms. Y'all know, the all or nothing moms. I err on the side of moderation because life doesn't always grant us with the time or resources to "lifestyle" to perfection. We definitely go through phases depending on life's seasons, but we do what works best for our family. I'm a firm believer of doing better when you know better and through gradual research, I've been able to help my family lead a healthier lifestyle.

For years, I've dedicated time during the spring/summer to cultivate a garden. We've lived in several rentals with space limitations, but I've always made do. By growing my own vegetables and fruits, I've earned valuable life skills and a stronger appreciation for food and the effort it takes to bring our edibles from farm to table. Also, by growing my own produce, I am able to closely monitor our crops and treat them organically.

One year, we subscribed to a CSA box to support local growers although we had a small garden of our own. I feel that when you adopt a healthier lifestyle, you find yourself immersed in a community of positive beings that you can learn from and thrive in.

When growing season is all over, we go back to frequenting the supermarkets for fresh and canned produce, carefully choosing brands with sustainable growing practices and solid missions. Gerber® Organic is a brand that we trust feeding our babies as they are committed to providing nutritious and yummy solutions for parents. Gerber® has long standing relationships with multi-generational farmers so they know exactly what farm, fields, and rows their organic green beans come from.

Gerber® prides themselves in ensuring that the quality and safety of their ingredients and recipes meet the needs of growing babies and toddlers. Gerber® believes little ones deserve high standards, as do I. Knowing that gives me a sense of comfort when choosing Gerber® meals as a healthier option to nourish my babes from Butternut Squash (1st Foods®) on up to Apples, Kale, and Figs (3rd Foods®).

How important are organic food options to your family?

Written by Sheena Tatum, a free spirited mama, dreamer, and wannabe hippie. While she's on a mission to be the crunchiest of them all, sometimes her kids eat chicken nuggets and use paper plates. She lives in Northwest Indiana / Chicagoland with her husband and boys (Jayden: 7yrs / Jaxon: 2yrs).

Image courtesy of the author

Before I became a mom, I just did not ‘get it’. I have three older sisters who all had babies way before me and when they would come and visit me, I would always tease them about how I was going to go and take a hot bath and relax as I was giving back their crying child.

Well, those days are over and now when my sisters and I get together with our kids and one of my kids cry, they tease me! I guess I deserve it, right? Ha!

So, I obviously did not get the whole parenting thing. Sure you can give the parent back their crying baby, but when you have your own it really is DIFFERENT. Things change, they really do.

Becoming a mom has never been more rewarding though. Sure there are hard times and times I wish I could run far away, but for the most part? I am thrilled with being a mommy to my three beautiful, healthy children!

My oldest son has always been a wonderful eater. He would eat whatever I put in front of him. He made being a mommy quite easy! So, I had another child…

My second child, a girl, was not the same as my first born. She was cranky and did what she wanted to do. That little girl had attitude at an early age! Sheesh! When it was feeding time, she would eat, but she was super picky about what she ate. It was a bit harder, but I really wanted to get her to eat healthy when she DID eat. It was hard!

Then came my third born, another boy. This little one is certainly carefree, funny and will NOT eat just anything. He is SO particular about what he puts in his little pie hole that it drives this mama nuts! Mealtime is not a fun time in this home! It really is not.

I have tried many things with my youngest son and some things have worked way better than others. He likes fruits and some veggies, so that is good. But when it comes to me making meals, and serving them to the family, he will barely touch them, even if they are things he would eat separately.

One thing my youngest son (and daughter!) will eat is Gerber® Organic baby food; particularly the  3rd Foods® Organic pouches. Oh my goodness, my youngest son will suck those up in no time flat! He thinks mommy is giving him some sort of treat when really, this is good for him. He also really likes the latest foodie combinations like:  Pears, Mangoes, and Avocado. When I feed him those pouches, I feel like at least he ate something healthy at mealtime. It makes me feel better about myself. He is just SO picky!!!

One thing I have learned raising my babies is that you have to be very very VERY patient! You have to constantly try new things so they find what they like to eat. It is not fun, but it is necessary. I have to tell myself every day that this too shall pass and one day they will be big and on their own and I will be sad! So, that gets me EVERYTIME!

I love my little kids with all my heart. They are why I live and they are my best friends in the world! I never thought I would be a mommy, but now that I am, I feel so complete!!!

How do you encourage your kids to try new foods?

Written by Kim Delatorre, a stay-at-home mommy to 3 beautiful kids, Z who is 9, P who is 7 and K who is 2. She lives in Washington.

Image courtesy of the author

A stranger's breast milk isn't what most moms put in their baby's bottle, but for mom Angela Marino, donor milk from a mom she'd never met was a godsend. Why? Two years before her pregnancy, the Westchester, New York, mom learned she had benign tumors in her breasts, which required that her milk ducts be removed.

"I knew that whenever I got pregnant, I wouldn't be able to nurse," she says. "But that wasn't something I was concerned about. I knew plenty of babies did fine on formula."

Yet in November 2014 -- just 25 weeks into her pregnancy -- Angela went into early labor and gave birth to two very premature twin boys. One didn't make it; the other, Julian, weighed just 14 ounces -- not much more than a can of Coke -- and was put on life support. That's when Angela was forced to consider carefully what would be best nutrition for her delicate baby, and breast milk became a big priority.

"I knew there were benefits of giving a baby breast milk, especially if they were born prematurely," she says. But while she had heard she could buy breast milk from moms online, that seemed sketchy to her. So she and her husband continued researching online and stumbled across a more reputable option: They could buy milk from a Boston milk "bank" called the Mothers' Milk Bank Northeast.

"I never knew there were breast milk banks until then," Angela admits.

Granted, the cost was steep -- $4 an ounce, or around $72 per day to feed Julian -- and the Marinos' health insurance did not cover it (although some do). Nonetheless, the couple decided to scrape together their savings to pay for it because the bank's numerous safety measures guaranteed the milk was safe to drink. For instance, unlike milk bought online, the volunteer donors' milk was carefully screened for viruses like HIV and pasteurized to eliminate contaminants. And it still contained all the health benefits of breast milk not available in formula.

"While breast milk benefits all babies, it's especially crucial for preemies," explains Naomi Bar-Yam, president-elect of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. "Their immune systems, brains, bones, and other systems are immature, and need even more protection and support than full-term babies."

More from The Stir: I Had Breast Milk to Sell & Men Coming Out of the Woodwork to Buy It

Currently there are 15 nonprofit human milk banks across the U.S., shipping 3.8 million ounces of milk to babies who need it. And although Julian's hospital, Albert Einstein in the Bronx, lacked the proper permit to receive and handle human milk, "when my husband and I approached them about it, they were eager to work with the milk bank to obtain the necessary documentation," Angela recalls. As a result, "Now, anyone who is interested in providing donor breast milk to their preemie will be able to more easily."

Once Angela and the nurses started feeding donor breast milk to Julian at around 3 weeks old, the mom almost immediately sensed a change in her son's health. On formula, Julian had suffered gastrointestinal problems; but those disappeared once he was on human milk, and he started gaining weight rapidly.

"Early on, his pacifier was about the same size as his head," she recalls. "On breast milk he started gaining weight at a really good rate. It was such a huge load off."

By 3 1/2 months, Julian was taken off life support. By 6 months, he weighed 12 pounds and was well enough to come home for the first time.

"One of my happiest memories was the day when I was able to put a regular-sized shirt on him," says Angela. "Another was getting to hold him. He was so tiny, I worried he'd break. That's why the donor milk was so important: We needed to give him every edge he could get."

Did donor breast milk save Julian's life? While it's hard to say for sure, evidence is on her side. Case in point: One of the biggest concerns with preemies is an infection of their intestines called necrotizing enterocolitis -- or NEC -- which can be fatal. Yet studies have found that human milk reduces NEC by as much as 79 percent.

Plus, the evidence seemed all around Angela at the NICU: her baby -- the first to ever receive donor breast milk at the hospital -- was thriving while many other preemies were not.

More from The Stir: 10 Incredible Facts About Breast Milk You've Never Heard Before

"There was another baby born two days before Julian, and he was still in the NICU at 6 months," she says. "It's heartbreaking. I don't know where Julian would be without donor milk."

Since leaving NICU, Julian -- now 7 months -- has been doing great.

"He gains weight at a normal rate and his pediatrician is very pleased with him, especially with what he's been through up until now," says Angela, who adds that they plan to continue feeding her son donor milk for at least his first two years. "He is definitely a fighter, and we will continue to give him give him the donor milk as long as we can."

Angela decided to tell her story with the hopes that other moms would consider giving -- or receiving -- donor milk. And if the cost seems steep, rest assured that donor milk may be covered by health insurance or financial aid from a milk bank. For more information go to the Human Milk Bank Association of North America, or HMBANA.org.

Images via Angela Marino (Julian at 9 days old, left, and 6 months, after receiving donor breast milk)

The first hug from my baby is not something I remember clearly, to be honest. I didn't write down the day in her baby book, like this: "April 23, 2012. She squeezed her little arms around my neck for the very first time, as I hugged her for the 687th time."

Maybe I should have....it's a significant occurrence, just like the first time my baby deliberately (and sloppily) kissed me back.

The first few months of being a new mom are months of unreciprocated love and affection. Sure, my baby stopped crying when I fed her and changed her bottle. She even smiled back at me after several weeks. But the constant kisses, hugs, and "I love you!" declarations were not returned to me for what seemed like forever.

Sometimes while I was feeding her and she lay across my lap, she would loop her arm around me. But it wasn't the same. I carried her all over the house, all around the park, snuggled her to my chest while I avoided chores with the best of them, but I was always holding onto her, securing her to my body, while she draped her arms wherever they wanted to go.

When she finally, deliberately, hugged me, with her little, squishy arms around my neck and I squeezed her back as close as I could without breaking any precious part of her, I felt the love she had for me, her mama. I felt her desire to hold me close as I had always held her close, and to not let go until she was ready. She was always ready before I was, and I waited impatiently for the next hug to squeeze her close. It made all of those unrequited shows of affection from me to her absolutely, completely, and without a doubt, worth it.

Do you remember your baby's first time hugging you back?

About GFunkified: I am a stay at home wife and mom of four kids. I have a Master's in business, but that doesn't help figure out how to get my kids to keep their clothes on. I live in the Kansas countryside, and try my best to keep the chaos contained.

Image ©iStock.com/evgenyatamanenko

Remember when your baby first discovered his or her hands and stared on them for minutes on end. This was by far one of the most entertaining newborn milestones.

When my son was about 2 months old, his vision was good enough and his dexterity developed enough to bring his hands into his field of vision. Once he could see his hands, he would stare at them. He'd open them out flat and then close them in to a tiny fist over and over again.

You could almost see his brain working. Indeed these appendages were new to him - as were all his little fingers. No longer were his arms just flailing about without direction. He knew that they were there, and that his arms were by far the most interesting things about him. During this time in his little life, it was like his hands were his favorite playthings.

I could almost hear him saying, "Woah, mom. Have you seen these things? They are called hands and they are amazing! Watch, look what they can do! Did you just see that? Woah. Totally cool."

This phase didn't last long but while it did, it certainly was entertaining - for both of us. 

What baby milestone did you find most entertaining?

About christina f: My name is Christina Fiedler, and I am a parenting writer based in Los Angeles, CA. My husband and I are parents to a four year old boy, and we are currently expecting our second baby boy due this summer - I always knew I'd have a bunch of boys! I'm so happy to be sharing my personal stories with you and can't wait to get started!

Image ©iStock.com/ArtisticCaptures

Parents have been drilled like crazy on car seat safety -- after all, knowing how to properly install the seat and buckle your baby in is what can keep him safe in case of a crash! Yet while you might assume that car seat safety issues end once you've turned off your ignition, that's surprisingly not the case.

In fact, one study found that every year, nearly 10,000 babies in the U.S. are injured in their car seats not due to a collision, but while the car seat was outside the car. So how exactly did these accidents happen? Read on to get the lowdown on car seat dangers beyond car crashes.

What parent hasn't done #1?

Image via Ilya Andriyanov/shutterstock

Today, moms have the right to breastfeed wherever they want. Yet while moms are legally in the clear, nursing in public can still dredge up mixed emotions in many ... even those dads whose babies are benefiting from this on-demand food.

Of course, if you ask your husband or partner how he feels about your nursing in public, most will respond with a PC, "Whatever you're comfortable doing, honey!" Yet deep down, if given the chance confidentially to speak their true feelings, men have a lot more to say on this subject.

Curious how dads really feel when their partners breastfeed in public? Read on as 10 men with very different perspectives spill the beans.

Image via Markus Gann/shutterstock

If you're a mother who bottle-fed your babies, the news that it's World Breastfeeding Awareness Month may bring up some pretty unsettling feelings. As a mom who didn't breastfeed, I always felt -- and sometimes still do -- that when I make that admission I somehow need to exonerate myself. 

For example, when you tell people -- especially other moms -- you're not breastfeeding, very often they stare back in a mix of horror and disbelief, waiting for you to either weep about your guilt or explain the grievous medical condition that precludes you from giving your precious infant the most nutritious cocktail on the planet.

Well, personally, I never offered anyone an explanation, because, really, it's none of their business, just as how they choose to feed their babies is not my concern. 

More from The Stir: Mom Breastfeeds Elementary School Daughter & Doesn't Care What You Think About It

But! If I'd had the guts, I'd have offered outlandish excuses to all those who reeled back in shock as they watched me shake up a bottle of formula and temperature-test a few milky sprinkles on my wrist. The following are my top 10 favorite:

Just as I don't ask women to justify why they're still nursing someone who could capably gnaw through a porterhouse, I don't feel moms who choose formula should have to supply an explanation. Who's with me?

Image via MJTH/shutterstock

Changing anti-vaxxer minds is a difficult proposition. Past research has shown that most arguments don't make much headway in convincing people that vaccines are important, but a new tactic -- showing anti-vaxxers evidence of the damage done by vaccine-preventable diseases -- seems to achieve what those others couldn't.

To some people, vaccines are a scary proposition. For whatever reason, they don't trust the advice of their doctors or the guarantees from the FDA or the pharmaceutical companies behind the product -- but what most people will trust, given the chance, is the evidence offered by their own eyes.

More From The Stir: Treating Anti-Vaxxers Like They're Idiots Won't Get Us Anywhere

So in a new study, the researchers tried something new. They divided study participants into three different groups, and gave each group some scientific reading material. One group got something totally unrelated to vaccination, and another got some literature explaining the total lack of relationship between vaccination and autism. (Seriously: There is none. Zero. Zilch.) And the last group got a pile of material detailing the ugly effects of measles, mumps, and rubella on the bodies of small children -- including the firsthand account of a mother whose child had become ill.

More from The Stir: Don't Use My Autistic Son as a Reason Not to Vaccinate

The researchers measured the partcipants' attitudes toward vaccines before and after the reading, and the first two groups both felt a little more favorable to vaccines by the end. But the group that had gotten the firsthand details of illness had a jump in vaccine approval that was five times bigger than what the other groups experienced. Just the idea that anti-vaxxers' minds can be changed is a big deal, let alone the idea that we could improve our chances of convincing them by that much!

Let's be realistic: Sometimes it just feels good to wade into a Facebook argument about vaccination or post a funny meme, even if we know that yet another argument on the subject probably isn't going to win over any hearts or minds out there. But let's all do our best to take our hands off the mouse and step away from the keyboard, because really, these kinds of debates often only serve to push anti-vaxxers even further into vaccine denialism. But videos of babies struggling to breathe through a racking case of whooping cough? Stories of children blinded by measles, or rendered sterile by mumps? Images of miserable children with uncomfortable rashes and feverish eyes? Anything you or I say can easily be ignored -- but the evidence can, and should, speak for itself.

Image © Rafe Swan / Corbis

When my baby started cooing and grunting at around 2 months, it was like music to my ears - some of the sweetest sounds I had ever heard. The more I listened and observed him do it, the more I wanted to engage him and have him do it some more. I couldn't get enough.

I remember spending a whole afternoon, just laying next to my baby as he batted about with toys and kicked in delight. I put my face near his and cooed right along with him. It seemed as if we were singing together. The more I made soft baby noises at him, the more he responded. It was amazing to have his full attention.

Face to face time with your baby is so important, not only for bonding but for helping him or her develop new found skills. By sitting with him that afternoon, I felt like I was helping him understand that his cooing was a form of communication with me! 

How do you encourage your baby to talk?

I had a feeling that my baby would be familiar with my voice from the moment he popped out of the womb. I'm a talker, always have been and always will be. So, the poor thing was subjected to my constant jabbering for nine months straight. At just a few weeks old, his eyes lit up and his body wiggled when he heard me. 

But I wondered when he would be able to recognize my face? At about three months, I noticed that he knew my face in particular. He could hold his gaze on me, and even track me with his little eyes as I moved from one corner of the room to the next.

At this very moment in his life, I was the most important thing. While it made my heart swell, it also made me realize the importance of my job as his mother. I was responsible not only for his physical well-being but for living up to his high expectations. I would always be there for him.

And it wasn't just my face that he seemed to recognize. It was also my smell. There was a time when my son was about two months old and I had to go out of town for a friend's wedding. My son was very fussy and not knowing what else to do, mother let his use one of my t-shirts as a swaddling blanket. Lo and behold, he seemed to quite down. He was comforted by my smell. 

When did you realize your baby could recognize you by sound, sight, or smell?

Mom of two Hilaria Baldwin shared a photo of her new baby breastfeeding, but this time it's from her own mama's view. It couldn't be sweeter. This perspective may look wonderfully familiar to a lot of us.

Baldwin posted the photo to Instagram to mark national breastfeeding week, but she was careful to include all moms in her caption. "In the end, regardless of our methods, #AllMommiesUnite and whatever way we love and nurture our children is beautiful, perfect, and inspiring."

I couldn't agree more, whether you breastfeed or formula feed. What could be more beautiful than the sight of your baby feeding, cuddled up next to you? It's such a warm, cozy feeling for you and for your baby.

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Rafa's favorite spot ð���. There is no one right way to feed our babies, but this week marks #nationalbreastfeedingweek and I would like to extend my support to mothers who have taken this path ð���. In the end, regardless of our methods, #AllMommiesUnite and whatever way we love and nurture our children is beautiful, perfect and inspiring â�¤ï¸ï¿½

A photo posted by Hilaria Thomas Baldwin (@hilariabaldwin) on Aug 6, 2015 at 3:15pm PDT

More from The Stir: Hilaria Baldwin Censors Her Own Co-sleeping Photo

For those moms who do choose breastfeeding -- who are able to -- it can be a struggle, and the support of other breastfeeding mothers is incredibly valuable. This photo could help some moms keep going even through the soreness and fatigue.

But above all that it's just a reminder of how precious our babies are to us and how gratifying it is to feed our children. We treasure these quiet moments. They get rarer and rarer the older our kids get, so you have to appreciate them!

Image via Taborsky/shutterstock

When photographer Alessandro Della Bella's son Claudio was born last year, he took plenty of pictures ... including, as a lark, his baby in a camera bag.

"As a professional photographer, it was clear to shoot the picture for Claudio's birth notice myself," he says. "First, l took some 'classic' baby pictures of him. The one in the photo bag was not standard at all, and my wife and I liked it best."

From there, the photo went viral among photography circles -- and beyond -- inspiring other photographers to post similar pics.

Ning Wong, for instance, was shooting pics of her 3-month-old Maya and "wanted to do something that incorporated her with my work. So I stuffed her into my bag -- carefully -- and snapped away!"

At first, Wong admits, "My wife was highly annoyed, but after she saw the image, she forgot about it and fell in love with it. We love this photo because it shows a balance between work and family life -- everything I do is for my family. And, she just looks so cute!"

More from The Stir: Hello, World! 20 Brand-New Babies Making Some Seriously Funny Faces

Meanwhile, Denver, Colorado–based event photographer Drake Busch photographed his baby Grayson not only in the camera bag, but with a press pass!

The reason: "Leaving your child behind as you go out on assignment can be rough, so a friend gave Grayson his own press pass so he could always accompany his daddy," Busch explained. "Naturally I did what any photographer would do: gently place my 2-month-old son in my camera bag and snap a few photos. I love how the bag and equipment in the photos helps to give a good sense of scale on the size of this soon-to-be photographer."

Speaking of scale and size ... Della Bella took this fun trend one step further by photographing his baby in the camera bag again at the 8-month mark.

See how much he's grown?

You've gotta love when people find creative ways to involve their kids with their work. Plus they prove babies are happy just about anywhere! As Della Bella explained, "We like these photos a lot because Claudio is such a wonderful, joyful, easygoing, relaxed, happy baby."

Images via Alessandro Della Bella; Ning Wong; Drake Busch

Is there any sweeter sound in all the world than a baby's laugh? That's rhetorical, because of course not. Now, thanks to the largest study ever conducted on why babies laugh, we know exactly how to get those little loves to make with the giggles whenever we need a fix.

Researcher Caspar Addyman from the University of London conducted a recent survey of more than 1,000 parents from all over the world and came up with the best research to-date to tell us exactly why and how our babies laugh.

Here are 5 surefire ways to crack your babies up, according to science.

1. They have to be ready

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A baby's first laugh comes, at the earliest, at about 3 and a half months old. Babies start smiling at about 6 weeks. 

2. Tickling

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Tickling is the top way to get your baby to laugh. But, Caspar found just the tickly feeling isn't enough to get the giggles going. Babies have to see and know that you're intentionally tickling them in order to laugh.

3. Peekaboo

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A game that makes you a master magician the likes of which Houdini could never match, Peekaboo makes all babies laugh. You make yourself disappear and reappear at will, and babies around the world and across cultures just crack up. It's just one of life's lovely facts.

More from The Stir: 7 Moms Bare & Share All

4. Stupid parent tricks

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Much like tickling, babies can tell the difference between when you're performing an everyday task, like putting away groceries, and when you're making something appear and disappear just for their enjoyment. It's only funny when the adult is performing just for them. And for the record, the study said moms and dads were equally able to get kids to laugh.

5. Your Laughter

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Babies don't just laugh at you, they laugh with you. If you're happy and laughing, chances are your baby will be right there with you.

Image via Ann Thomas/Corbis

On a recent episode of Vermont Public Radio's The Frequency with Lizzie Post and Daniel Post Senning, the question was asked about what's the proper way to breastfeed your baby at a party.The etiquette experts suggest you take your baby to a quiet area of the house and nurse in private. I think that's a pretty stupid idea. 

Why would you want to go hide in a private room at a freakin' party? It's a party! Why should everyone else have all the fun while you go hide in a quiet room just to feed your baby? That's nonsense. The question that was asked was: 

As a young woman who plans to have children one day, I would love to know, what is the proper etiquette for breastfeeding at a party?

And even though both radio hosts said that breastfeeding is natural and wonderful, they said the other guests may be made to feel uncomfortable because breastfeeding may be something that they don't encounter daily and mom and baby may feel more comfortable nursing in a quiet room of the house. Away from the party guests. It's my opinion that this is pretty stupid advice, so how would I suggest you breastfeed at a party? Here are my tips for guests who encounter a mom feeding her child in the middle of a party.

1. Continue Talking to the Mom 

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If a mom whips out her breast to feed her infant while you are discussing Orange Is the New Black, don't stop talking to her! Breastfeeding can be boring, and the mom is probably dying for some adult conversation. Simply continue your discussion as usual. 

2. Offer Her a Delicious Beverage 

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A glass of wine or other refreshing cocktail won't harm the baby and may help with letdown when it comes to lactation issues. Moms can totally drink alcohol while breastfeeding. As long as mom isn't driving while drinking, she should totally be able to enjoy a cocktail. So stop being so lazy and selfish and go get her one. 

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3. Offer Her a Yummy Hors D'oeuvre

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Breastfeeding burns a lot of calories and can make new moms pretty hungry. Stop hogging all the pigs in blankets and mini quiches and share the wealth. 

4. Put On Her Favorite Song

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It's a party for crissakes. Moms like to party, but no one wants to party when the music ain't pumpin'. Ask her what her jam is and go take over the stereo. 

5. Stop Staring at Her Like a Freakin' Weirdo 

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What? You have never seen boobs doing what boobs are supposed to do before? Get over it. Stop staring. Sheesh. 

Image via © deux/Corbis

Do babies belong in theaters? One outdoor stage venue in Manitoba has said absolutely not -- by sending home a woman and her 2-month-old infant who'd arrived to see a show, based on their strict "no babies allowed" policy.

Mother Olivia Billson says she wasn't aware of the rule, which bans infants too young to sit by themselves in a theater seat, at the time she bought tickets. When she arrived with some other family members to see Sister Act at Manitoba's Rainbow Stage, she discovered that she and her baby wouldn't be allowed admittance. (The policy is noted in the theater website's FAQs section, but it's something I didn't notice while browsing around the ticket sales area of the site.)

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I don't think that it's necessarily the case that babies should be allowed everywhere at all times, and apparently no-baby rules are common practice in the theater world. And as I've done some small-town community theater acting, I know how distracting noise from the audience can be to the people on the stage as well as those watching the show.

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But banning young infants from this venue still seems like a strange place to draw the line to me. For one thing, a 2-month-old is still essentially a potato at this stage; if we're going to keep out certain ages of kids, I suggest banning 3-year-olds. For another, a baby who started squawking and who immediately got hustled out of the auditorium was always a lot less distracting to me when I was on stage than the one disturbance that was nearly omnipresent: a bunch of glowing little smartphone-screen rectangles bobbing up and down in the darkness. Or that one person who brings a giant bag of chips into the theater and eats them one at a time, crinkling the bag vigorously each time he searches for the precise chip fragment he wants. (If this is something you do, by the way, you may be unfit for human society. Get your Dorito fix on the way to the show.)

Babies in theaters are annoying, but so are lots of grown-up behaviors, and if Rainbow Stage's policy doesn't extend to showing the door to phone-browsers and chip-crunchers, it doesn't make much sense, especially for an outdoor showing of a family-friendly musical. Distractions are distractions, and unlike the discourteous adults disturbing performers and fellow audience members, at least the babies don't know enough to be able to help it.

Image via CTV News Winnipeg