Cootchie coo! Five of 2012's most popular baby videos

Cootchie coo! Five of 2012’s most popular baby videos

By Deborah Netburn

Dec. 8, 2012 12 AM PT

It wasn’t just cat videos that made us go “awww” this year. We also enjoyed watching babies doing cute things like slay a stuffed dragon, refuse to eat unless “Gangnam Style” is on, or dance when Daddy plays guitar.

Baby videos may be the unsung hero of YouTube. As the site’s trends manager Kevin Allocca points out, 70% of YouTube’s views come from outside the United States, so videos that have global appeal tend to do well. And adorable babies -- especially ones who don’t keep you up at night -- totally fit that bill.

1. “Dragon Baby” is a “Kill Bill”-inspired short film starring a Montreal filmmaker’s tiny son. Parents, there is no need to worry if your little guy isn’t quite up to this baby’s level of dragon slaying. Dad relied heavily on CGI to give baby Romeo Elvis Bulte Boivin some serious martial arts moves.

2. Who didn’t fall in love with these two little girls who start swaying in gleeful unison when their dad begins playing guitar? And they’re eating peas! In the first week of September, this video was the most shared video in most U.S. cities -- across all ages and genders. It was also popular in Japan, Mexico, Germany and other countries.

3. In “Baby Oliver wakes up with every emotion,” a series of expressions pass across a 2-month-old baby’s face as he wakes up from his nap. He flashes discomfort, unhappiness, disgust, confusion and suspicion, and then his face opens up into a beautiful baby grin. Happiness. Some wondered if he was actually going to the bathroom, but his dad says he checked Oliver’s diaper after shooting the video and it was clean.

4. Babies and Psy collide in this video posted by a London dad, showing that his baby Benjamin refuses to eat solid foods unless “Gangnam Style” is playing on the computer. Dad has assured the Internet that Benjamin gets to watch Psy do the horsey dance only during meal times.