I agree with DogHouseMom about using larger blocks.
My favorite block for a baby quilt is Friendship Star. It is graphically simple, has a large center, can easily be made any size, can be set with sashing or not, and can be set with other blocks. I like using 4 or 9 patches with it. And some borders.
On page 2 of the link, there are examples of quilts using this block.
http://www.quilterscache.com/F/FriendshipStarBlock.html