Throughout the first year, babies check lots of proverbial boxes. It is really easy to get caught up in the "What is my baby doing?" game, but really important to remember that children develop at all kinds of different rates and, chances are, your baby is coming along just fine. If your baby is not doing something you think he should be doing at a certain age... well, that's why nurse's lines exist, right? Ask your pediatrician's office for advice. Most likely, they will tell you that your baby is well within normal range for a particular skill. If they are a little concerned, they will be able to give you some "drills" to practice with your baby to work on that particular skill. As with anything, a little time and patience will take you a long way when dealing with milestones.
As for that mommy who can't stop bragging about what her child is doing today? Ignore her. Easier said than done, I know, but really - ignore her. One day your child will do something ahead of his time and you can take the high road... or brag incessantly!
For those of you who are wondering what "typical" behaviors are for children at any given age, see below. Just remember that the ages mentioned are really averages. If you have a question about what your baby is (or isn't) doing, I'm happy to do some research and find out what the literature says about it. Just shoot me an email or comment here.
One month of age:
Makes jerky, quivering arm thrusts
Brings hands within range of eyes and mouth
Moves head from side to side while lying on stomach
Eyes wander and occasionally cross
Prefers black-and-white or high-contrast patterns and prefers the human face to anything else
May turn toward familiar sounds and voices
Prefers sweet smells
Recognizes the scent of his own mother’s breastmilk
Three months of age:
Raises head and supports upper body with arms when lying on stomach
Opens and shuts hands
Pushes down on legs when feet are placed on a firm surface
Brings hand to mouth
Takes swipes at dangling objects with hands
Grasps and shakes hand toys
Follows moving objects
Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance
Starts using hands and eyes in coordination
Smiles at the sound of your voice
Begins to babble
Begins to imitate some sounds
Turns head toward direction of sound
Begins to develop a social smile
Imitates some movements and facial expressions
Seven months of age:
Rolls both ways (front to back, back to front)
Sits with, and then without, support of her hands
Supports her whole weight on her legs
Reaches with one hand
Transfers object from hand to hand
Responds to own name
Begins to respond to “no”
Distinguishes emotions by tone of voice
Babbles chains of consonants
Finds partially hidden object
Explores with hands and mouth
Struggles to get objects that are out of reach
Interested in mirror images
Responds to other people’s expressions of emotion and appears joyful often
Twelve months of age:
Gets to sitting position without assistance
Crawls forward on belly by pulling with arms and pushing with legs
Creeps on hands and knees supporting trunk on hands and knees
Gets from sitting to crawling or prone (lying on stomach) position
Pulls self up to stand
Walks holding on to furniture
Stands momentarily without support
Bangs two cubes together
Puts objects into and takes objects out of container
Tries to imitate scribbling
Responds to simple verbal requests, including "no"
Uses simple gestures, such as shaking head for “no”
Babbles with inflection
Says “dada” and “mama”
Uses exclamations, such as “oh-oh!”
Tries to imitate words
Finds hidden objects easily
Looks at correct picture when the image is named
Imitates gestures
Enjoys imitating people in play
Shows specific preferences for certain people and toys
Repeats sounds or gestures for attention
Finger-feeds himself
Extends limbs to help when being dressed
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