Six months into your parenthood and your baby slowly and steadily grows from an infant to a toddler. He/she keeps getting more mobile, inquisitive and sprightly whereas you keep getting more and more awestruck with your baby’s development pace, don’t you?
This is the time when your little one is fully engaged with the world, thereby learning something new every day and surprising you every now and then. With the tiny steps of growth they undertake in each passing minute, you know there are precious moments you’ve spent with the apple of your eye, you’ll never get back again.
The following three months will see the coming of more firsts starting from advancing motor skills to uncanny attachments with funny soft toys.
Look out for these milestones your baby will be achieving on his 7th, 8th and 9th months of
7th Month:
After weeks of rolling sideways and flipping into their tummies, the tiny tot finally starts sitting without support and balancing his/her weight with those tiny legs well enough to bounce when you hold him/her, in the seventh month.
Your junior is now more sensitive to the tone of your voice thereby actually responding when you call his/her name and sensing your warning when you say “no”. It is also quite important to know that your baby thrives on the interactions he/she has with you at this stage, so shower them with instant games, cuddles and replies to encourage their communication skills. It’s a critical time for their language development.
Do childproof your home and keep the space safe for him/her to explore.
8th Month:
By the time your bundle of joy is 8 months old, he/she is not only an eager explorer but also more cautious and curious about things around them. He/she would amuse himself/herself by putting things in containers and taking them out again. By trying to comb his own hair, drinking from a cup and even pretending to talk on the phone for that matter.
Watch out for these!
You might notice your little baby crying on seeing other babies cry, which is nothing but ‘reflexive crying’. This is him/her developing the feelings of empathy, pity and compassion.
Your 8-month-old baby’s mealtime should now start including baby cereal, fruits and vegetables as well as mashed and pureed meat. His/her diet should slowly start switching to solids from liquids at this stage even though he/she might still require 16-20 ounces of breast milk till his first birthday.
9th Month:
Three-quarters of the way through your munchkin’s first year and your baby has come a long way from the time you first brought him/her home from the hospital. This is the time when your cute little baby will babble on to glory. Little do we know that this is when they’re actually trying to talk to us- we just fail to understand them yet. Your little one also develops social skills and will turn into quite a social animal, responding to gestures like blowing kisses or waving.
He/she will also become quite the mimic, mimicking away your expressions and actions. Separation anxiety will also be at its peak at this time and you can help them by warning people to approach slowly or let your baby make the first move.
Babies this age might soon be able to cruise along the edge of the couch or the coffee table to your surprise. They can also pull themselves to a standing position perfectly enough to amaze you.
This is also a tough phase to travel with your fast-growing baby since travelling might disturb her routines and your child expects predictability. Do be prepared for a grumpy, clingy version of your little one during this time and be prepared with distractions to cope with it.
Your baby might either reach milestones ahead of schedule or might even lag behind. What is important to remember here is that it’s pretty much normal and there shouldn’t be any reason to worry. However, consulting your baby’s doctor regarding this wouldn’t be a bad idea after all.
At the end of the day, every baby is different in their own way and develop at their own pace. Make sure you don’t miss out on these milestones and cherish each and every moment as they pass by.