Weeks 37 - 40
Almost Walking. Can't keep up with your baby these days? If he/she's been crawling for a while, chances are he/she's jetting all over the place now - going foward and backward, turning, even attempting to scale the stairs. If your baby's not crawling (which is also totally normal), he/she's probably getting mobile in other ways - scooting, creeping, or pulling him/herself up to a stand. All of this is prep for him/her first solo steps, which could come as early as a couple of weeks from now, or as late as 15 months or beyond.
Talking more? Your baby's vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. Even if he/she hasn't started talking yet, he/she undoubtedly understands far more words than he/she says. You can get a clearer picture of what he/she knows by asking him/her to point to something familiar, such as a ball or a favorite toy, or by giving him a sample, one-step direction such as, "bring me you shoe." your baby's comprehension will continue to outstrip his/her speaking abilities for months and even years to come because the physical development of his/her mouth, tongue, and larynx will be slow, and his/her growing cognitive ability to combine words such as nouns and verbs into the proper order takes lots of time. He/she might, however, find other ways to indicate his/her needs, by pointing, bringing things to you, or even using baby sign language. As long as he/she's getting his/her message across, it's okay. I can say for myself that actually around this age we taught Kara some sign language, you may want to start earlier so that you know sooner but I didn't think about it until she was around 10 months old, you can look online and find websites that show you signs for baby's such as for milk, hungry, all done, more and other such words. Its really worked for us as Kara caught on quickly on how to sign for milk so when she was thisty she would let me know without whining.
Increasing Physical Skills. The first time your baby pulls him/herself up is a thrill for both of you - and perhaps a bit of a surprise, too, since one minute your baby was grabbing the edge of the table, then next he/she's at eye level with it. But it won't take him/her long to figure out that now that he/she's standing up, the most interesting thing he/she can do is to cruise, or sidle along the edge of the furniture while holding on to it for support. Of course, some babies go straight from crawling to walking, while other pull themselves up, then want to grab onto you hand as a built-in support. No matter how your baby gets to walking, you can increase his/her confidence by cheering him/her on - and laughing when he/she falls down, so it won't upset him/her too much.
Playing with you baby. Another great way to help baby learn physical coordination - along with memory and other important skills - is by playing a few classic baby games. Some good ones to start now: So Big: Ask you baby, "how big is (Sophia)?" then hold up your arms for him/her to imitate and answer "Sooo big." It's a big hit with most babies. This little piggy: The funny toe-tickling game teaches baby about his/her body. Pattycake: Help him/her cycle through the motions of the baker baking a cake; the game will help him/her see the difference between your hands and his/hers.
Milestone Watch. At 10 months old your baby might be able to stand on his/her own for a short time. If he/she's comfortable cruising, he/she might add a new twist to his/her physical repertoire by bending down and picking up a toy from the floor while holding onto the couch or table. And if you hold onto his/her hands, he/she might take a few shaky steps forward! So offer him/her lots of chance to practice. When will baby start actually walking? For early steppers, it could be anytime, but as with most milestones, there's a huge range in what experts consider "normal." It's not uncommon for kids to hold off on walking until 15 months, or even 18 months in some cases!
At the same time, you baby's language development continues at a quick pace. He/she might respond when you ask him/her to do something, such as wave bye-bye or pick up his/her sippy cup. He/she might say a few actual words such as "Mama" or "Dada," or imitate animal sounds, by barking like a dog, for instance. You might notice that he/she shakes his/her head when he/she hears the word "No," or puts his/her finger over his/her mouth when you say "shh." Cutest of all, he/she uses exclamations, such as saying "Uh-oh!" when the juice spills or he/her drops his/her toy keys.
For more Information of these Milestones, Please visit Parents.com
Have an Oh So Wonderful Day!
Catrina
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