Wimmer-Ferguson Infant Stim-Mobile

No, I didn't make that up. As all you experienced parents know, babies are stimulated by bright colors, clearly-defined shapes, and in the very early weeks, black-and-white and high-contrast patterns and shapes. This mobile is designed (in 2003) to fit those baby-stim needs, and has won multiple awards.

Baby's eye view. I made the mistake of thinking that mobiles move under their own power; apparently not all of them. This one has five dangles, each with two components, one horizontal and one vertical. The height of the mobile can be adjusted with extra loops to keep it out of grab-and-chew range. If you're under five months old, this view is fascinating and stimulating.

Parents' eye view. I can see a lot more of the designs from this angle, so maybe we'll leave off some of the horizontal pieces so Fish can see them too. This mobile is attached to our co-cleeper, it doesn't fit the bigger crib in the nursery, but Fish won't be in there for several months, and by the time s/he is, we'll have something else lined up.

There are lots of extra designs and patterns in the set, so we can (and should) switch things around regularly, so Fish won't get bored of the view.