Guest Author - Jacqueline Geller

As Baby grows and becomes more aware of her surroundings, she will want to be out “on her own” more. That means that the crib, high chair, playpen and other devices designed to help the adults have a little peace of mind are not going to be satisfactory for Baby.

She wants to explore her surroundings and probably will not take “no” for an answer!

It is perfectly safe to put Baby down on a blanket on the floor or carpet, as long as adult supervision is very nearby. She will want to play more games and play with more toys. Bright colors are perfect to catch her eye and keep her interest.

Her repertoire of activities will expand; however, Moms absolutely should not listen to anyone who says, “Oh, she doesn’t crawl yet? My little Sweetums crawled at five months.”

First off, memories fade quickly. That is the reason that Moms keep albums describing when Baby did what. Secondly, all babies do things at their own pace. Some crawl at five months; some crawl at nine months or even later. The only person Mom should listen to at this point is the pediatrician, who will have the best advice on Baby’s milestones.

Usually, babies will turn over, hold up their heads, sit up, crawl, stand, then walk. They may or may not do these things in that order. Babies have been known to skip crawling altogether and just take off running.

Babies make cooing noises fairly early on if they are first in the birth order. Second and third babies have older siblings to decipher their needs and wants, so may speak later.

Cooing turns into speech eventually, although Moms swear that Baby has said something decipherable at about four months of age.

Babies CAN and DO make their needs and wants known very early on. Moms quickly learn which cry means what, although a lot of tears are shed in the process—usually Mom’s!

Children all have different sleep patterns also. If Baby has days confused with nights, it’s best for Mom to consult the pediatrician for help in this area. Baby needs to develop proper sleep habits, not only so that Mom can get some rest, but so Baby can meet her growing needs in an optimum manner.

As Baby grows, Moms should expose them to more music, more reading aloud and more experiences in general. Walks in the fresh air are great and trips to the park are the best. There, Baby learns that there are other children out there and that there will soon come a time that she will be in the sandbox playing with friends!