Home Sweet Home

I know I have said this over and over again but time really does fly! I can't imagine that the baby I carried for nine months is about to turn 8 months old this week. A few more months and I will have a tot. *sigh*

Anyway, here is a brief guide to what your baby is learning to do at 8 months.

At 8 months your baby's coordination is rapidly improving and he may even be starting to crawl.

Motor Development

* Your baby is learning to open and close fingers deliberately. With this new skill he can throw and drop objects. So look out!
* Can use her hands to explore textures by patting, stroking and touching
* May begin crawling, oftentimes pushing themselves backwards at first. Not all babies crawl - your baby may scoot across the floor on his bottom. Babies are very creative in the ways they learn to move around
* Your baby may be enjoying sitting unsupported
* He may start pulling himself up to a standing position using furniture

Language and Intellectual Development

* Your baby will start to imitate a lot more sounds and develop quite a broad and varied range of vocalizations. All of this is building up towards first words. So encourage all those wonderful sounds!
* Some sleeping problems can arise when your baby becomes overstimulated. Your baby has now learned how to deliberately stay awake
* By this age your baby may have 1,000 trillion brain connections called synapses. The number of these connections that are made is determined by a child's early experiences

Social and Emotional Development

* Enjoys looking at own image in the mirror. May even try to kiss or pat the mirror image!
* May sometimes want to cuddle into your chest when meeting new people
* May protest at being separated from you. Give lots of extra cuddles and support and this separation anxiety will soon pass
* If learning to crawl your baby may be a little fearful of letting you out of his sight as they discover this new and important skill

Remember, your baby is an individual!

All babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then soon. If your baby was premature, keep in mind that kids born early usually need a bit more time to meet their milestones. If you have any questions at all about your baby's development, ask your healthcare provider.

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