This instructive and attractively illustrated book for parents-to-be takes Mom and Dad month by month through the joys and the challenges of their baby's first year. In fact, the author's advice begins before the baby's birth, with tips on acquiring baby clothing and equipment, setting up a healthful sleeping place, and generally preparing for the blessed event. This book also discusses the many details surrounding the day of a baby's birth, with information on the problems and their remedies that come within the first several days after the baby is born. Twelve chapters that follow describe developmental stages as they occur each month in a typical baby's first year. By the second month, baby smiles at familiar faces and objects, and by the fourth month, baby is starting to move around. By the ninth month, baby is sitting up and seeing the world from a new perspective. By the tenth month, baby is crawling and exploring. First words and tentative attempts at walking generally occur during the eleventh month--and walking with confidence usually happens around baby's first birthday. Closing chapters enlighten parents on such issues as breast and bottle feeding, first baby food, sleep problems, major and minor health complaints, and visiting the pediatrician. More than 120 charming color photos plus at-a-glance charts and sidebars supplement an easy-to-comprehend, fact-filled text that will guide and reassure new parents as they begin their child-rearing adventure.