Your baby shows definite signs of becoming more independent.
For one she is increasingly interested in her counterparts.
Secondly, she is able to self-soothe instead of relying
on you all the time. This is clearly visible in her
attachment to inanimate objects such a pillow or a
blanket or a soft toy. While it is true, you are becoming
less important, you are still irreplaceable in baby's
life. One such situation where she will still need
you the most is when she wakes up in the middle of
the night, which seems to happen quite frequently
in this month or the next. Another sign of independence
is her desire to self-feed, which seem to happen around
this time. During mealtimes, she will try to grab
for the spoon or pick up bits of food - even pureed
stuff. Right now, she can manage to grasp crackers
or biscuits with fair amount of success with her thumb
and two fingers. It is around this time too when she
starts to become shy in the company of strangers;
this is related to separation anxiety. Another notable
change is when baby holds two objects at the same
time. She compares them visually, bangs them together
and maybe even tries to fit one into the other.
His intellectual capacity grows:
Baby understands the human face now. He studies faces
to compare them. He also notices objects and points
at the ones he wants. He pays attention to details
even more. Baby is beginning to explore cause and
effect concepts. He is beginning to understand when
he repeats an action, it almost always has the same
effect. For instance, when he drops a spoon, it always
hits the floor.
His muscular development:
Muscular development is finally reaching his lower
limbs. He may kick vigorously when he is on his back.
He may also move himself around by creeping on his
tummy, using his arms to pull himself along. It won't
be long before he crawling. He may throw things; he
likes to throw things for the effect! Due to increased
muscle control, baby is able to fit smaller things
into bigger ones, build a tower of two blocks, or
gather items for sorting and building. He may also
divide his weight between his arms and legs when he
plants his hands on an unmovable object for support.
Baby will have many false starts before he learns
to crawl. When he stumbles, don't make a big deal
out of it, and he won't either. Since baby is practicing
to stand, you may be able to show him how to sit down
again safely. Make it a fun game so it is fun. Show
him how to bend forward from the waist as he begins
to sit down. This way he will land on his bums instead
of his back or front.
Baby's safety:
Your baby may have an urge to climb at this age itself.
It is instinctual and will happen, sooner or later.
You will notice baby has no problems climbing up but
getting down however can lead to calamity. He will
try all sorts of places to climb but not all of them
will be ideal or safe: it wont be long before he will
push a stool to the sink. He will be able to climb
high enough to reach the medicine cupboard. Look around
and take measures now to protect baby, such as turning
furniture so it cannot be used as a ladder. You may
need to remove objects that invite baby to climb where
he should not.
Uses both hands:
Baby still uses his hands discriminately. Sometimes
he uses his right hand to pick up something, then
he will use his left hand for something else. He is
not making the right-hand or left-hand distinction
yet. You may notice baby holding an object in one
hand. She may bang two objects together; these are
possible because of increased hand control. She is
using her thumb, first and second fingers to grasp
larger objects.
Sitting without support:
By now, baby can sit without support when his legs
are stretched out in front of him. His neck, hip and
back muscles are getting stronger and more coordinated.
You may notice baby practicing knee bends while he
holds onto something for support. This will soon progress
to squatting to pick up an object with one hand while
he supports himself with the other hand.
