step & stages (7 months - 12 months)

[CanadianGirl]

Month Seven

How I Grow
- I creep on my stomach, I may even crawl.
- I can get around on my back by lifting my bottom and pushing with my feet.
- I balance myself and sit for a while with no support.
- I keep my legs straight when you pull me up, and I try to stand by myself.
- I explore my body with my mouth and hands.
- I can keep my diaper dry for up to two hours.
- I may have some teeth. I feed myself finger foods -- but I'm pretty messy!
- I play with a spoon and a cup, but I'm not so good at using them yet.

How I Talk
- I may begin to imitate the sounds I hear, that's how I learn.
- I say several sounds in one breath, like ma, mi, da, di and ba.

How I Respond
- I want to be included in all family activities.
- I like to see and touch myself in the mirror. I get excited at pictures of babies.
- I like to grab, shake and bang things and to put them in my mouth.

How I Understand
- I concentrate better now, and I spend lots of time examining things.
- I can tell if something is near or far.
- I can tell when people are angry or happy by the way they look and talk.

How I Feel
- I'm afraid of strangers, so stay with me when they're around.
- I feel strongly about what I want and don't want to do.
- I feel playful, and like to tease.

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Give me toys that make noise, such as bells, music boxes or rattles.
- Let me try to feed myself, even though I'm messy.
- Say different sounds for me to imitate.

Fun Activities
Has your child learned to blow air? Does baby use his tongue on the roof of his mouth to make clicking sounds? These are two important tricks for learning to speak. If you make a game out of blowing air and clicking your tongue, your child will try to imitate you. Put a small ball on baby's high-chair tray. Blow on the ball until it rolls toward him. See if your baby blows it back to you.

Now is also a good time to play the "touch and name" game. Touch different parts of your baby's body and name them: "This is Billy's foot. Here is Billy's nose. Where are Billy's fingers?" Touch parts of your own or your partner's body, and do the same thing: "Here is Mommy's nose. Here is Daddy's nose. Here is Billy's nose." This game helps your baby learn about himself and his body, and understand the connection between words and objects.

Most infants cannot point to a named body part until about 17 months of age. But research shows that beginning to play language games now will help your child learn more quickly.

Feeding Baby
Protein foods
Between 7 and 9 months, you can add strained or pureed meats, poultry and fish to your baby's daily diet, if your doctor recommends them. You can either buy the foods or prepare them at home. Many infants are eating mashed foods by 8 months, and diced by 10 months. Plain, single-ingredient foods such as strained chicken, strained beef and strained fish are a better buy than vegetable-meat "baby dinners." There is as much protein in one jar of strained chicken as there is in more than four jars of strained chicken and noodles.

Grains
In addition to iron-fortified baby cereal, you can add bread, toast, crackers, bagels, cooked rice or noodles, or soft flour tortillas. To avoid choking on crumbs, be sure your baby eats biscuits, crackers or small pieces of toast only while sitting up.

Fruit Juice
By now, you may be giving your baby fruit juice from a cup. Read the labels to be sure you're buying 100 percent juice, and not fruit-flavored drinks that are mostly sugar and water. Note: Wait until your baby is about a year old to try orange or tomato juice, because they can cause allergic reactions.

Read baby food labels
Wait until your baby is about a year old to give whole eggs or egg whites. When you do, make sure they are fully cooked. Egg whites can cause allergic reactions in young infants. Undercooked eggs can cause food poisoning at any age.

About weaning
Some mothers decide to wean their babies from the breast (or bottle) about now. Others wait until later. Some babies lose interest in nursing as they become more active. When you wean your baby, replace the feeding in which he or she is least interested with a bottle or cup feeding. After a week or two, replace another feeding. Do this gradually until baby is weaned. During weaning, be sure to give your baby extra hugs and kisses.

[CanadianGirl]

Month Eight

How I Grow
- I may crawl backward and forward on my stomach.
- I hold onto a toy, such as a rattle, for several minutes.
- I pick up small things like pieces of string.

How I Talk
- I let you know if I am happy, sad or scared by the sounds I make.
- I still babble a lot, and shout to get attention.
- I may recognize some words.
- I watch and try to imitate your mouth movements.

How I Respond
- I like to pat and kiss my reflection in the mirror.
- I turn and listen when I hear familiar sounds, such as the telephone or my name.
- I love to imitate people I know.

How I Understand
- I am very curious, and I want to explore everything.
- I know how to solve simple problems, such as making a toy bell ring.
- I remember events that just happened.

How I Feel
- I am frightened by new experiences and by new people.
- I may be upset when you leave me, even for a short time. I feel so relieved when you return.
- I'm upset when people make a lot of fuss over me.
- I get frustrated or lose my temper when I can't find something.

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Read books to me. Point out pictures of things I see each day. For example, show me a picture of a ball and give me my toy ball at the same time. Hide a small toy under a cup or cloth for me to find. Take me for a walk outside to see leaves and flowers -- or icicles and snow figures!

Fun Activities
- "How big is baby? So big!" - At first, you might need to gently show your baby how to raise her arms up over her head while you say, "So big!"
- Hide and seek - Big brother or sister can hide nearby. You can say, "Where is ______?" The baby can try to help you find the missing one.
- Hiding things - Let your baby watch you as you hide a small toy under a cloth or cup, or in your pocket. Does she try to find it? If not, try covering only part of the toy.
- Music fun - Your baby will like listening to many kinds of music with you and trying to dance. Inexpensive music boxes can be fun, and she can learn to start and stop the music all by herself.

Feeding Baby
Now that your baby is 8 months old and may have some teeth, you can give her some foods that are mashed with a fork in addition to pureed is 8 months old and may have some teeth, you can give her some foods that are mashed with a fork in addition to pureed foods. Mash a favorite cooked vegetable or meat with a fork. Use a potato masher or a blender for foods like bananas, or cooked apples, winter squash, white or sweet potatoes, or carrots. Make sure the food has no big lumps, pieces of skin, seeds or strings. Mashed foods are a little thicker than pureed foods.

Baby Food Tips
- Don't add salt, sugar or seasonings to baby foods. Foods that taste bland to an adult are new to babies. There is enough natural sodium in foods to keep baby healthy.
- Don't give honey to a baby less than 1 year old. Honey may carry botulism spores that can make babies sick.
- Don't make baby foods out of leftovers -- they may be contaminated with bacteria. Use fresh, frozen or canned food. If you use frozen or canned food, buy the form with the least amount of added sugar, salt and fancy sauces that baby doesn't need. For example, use fruits canned in juice rather than heavy syrup.
- Raw or soft-boiled eggs and unpasteurized (raw) milk are not safe for babies. They can cause food poisoning.
- Don't give baby chunky foods such as corn, nuts, popcorn and seeds, or coarse-textured foods such as crumbly cookies. These foods are hard for baby to eat and can cause choking.

Whole grapes and round pieces of hot dog are especially dangerous.
- It's OK to serve foods cold. Most babies don't mind. If you want to warm baby food, do it just before serving. If you use a microwave oven, take care to stir the food after heating and re-check for hot spots.
- NEVER leave a baby alone while eating.

[CanadianGirl]

Month Nine

How I Grow
- I may crawl and turn around while holding something in one hand.
- I can crawl up stairs, too. But I may not be able to crawl back down yet.
- I may sit by myself and turn my body all the way around -- without losing my balance.
- I stand for a little while if you hold my hand.
- I poke my fingers into holes and other interesting places.
- I pick up small things with my finger and thumb, and big things with both hands.
- I pull myself up by holding on to furniture, but I may have trouble getting back down.

How I Talk
- I understand some words, my name and simple sentences.
- I repeat one or more sounds over and over.
- I listen to people talking and try to imitate the sounds.
- I begin to say two-syllable sounds like choo-choo, da-da and ma-ma.

How I Respond
- I like to watch people scribbling on paper.
- I like to perform for people. I love it when they applaud!
- I sometimes want praise for my accomplishments.

How I Understand
- I try to figure things out by myself.
- I know that if I look at things upside down or cover my eyes, they'll look different.
- I get upset if my toy is taken away from me.
- I may remember a game, person or toy from yesterday.
- I can tell what mood people are in by looking at them.

How I Feel
- I'm very sensitive. If I see another baby cry, I may cry, too.
- I may become afraid of a lot of things that didn't bother me before, like taking a bath.
- I'm afraid of heights.
- I'm very determined, and sometimes stubborn. It's all part of my growing up!

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Talk to me. Listen to me. Take turns.
- Praise me when I do something new. I need your encouragement.
- Give me finger foods so I can practice picking up small things.

Fun Activities
Researchers who have studied young children report that curiosity is important for success in school. Teaching babies formally is probably a bad idea. Avoid "flash cards" and similar lessons. Young children learn best when they direct their own learning, not when you try to force something on them. Given freedom to explore, a child interested in the world around her will observe and learn.

Your child's first year is very important in laying a foundation for a lifetime of curiosity. You can help by making your baby's world an interesting, stimulating place, and by joining in your baby's excitement. Here are some ideas:

Sight
Surround your 9-month-old with bright, moving colors in clothing, toys and room dacor

Hearing
Let baby listen to music on the radio, records, CDs or tapes. Make a chime mobile, or hang wind-chimes to catch a breeze. Talk and sing to your baby.

Touch
Give your child textures to feel -- soft, hard, smooth and rough. Make a toy, blanket or ball from scraps of denim, corduroy, velvet and satin. Touch your baby, and let her touch your skin, hair and clothes.

Taste
Let your child try new and different foods.

Smell
Give your child chances to smell safe things, such as soap, perfume, food, flowers and dirt.

Most of all, try to see and hear things as your baby does. Share the experience. When your baby gets excited about something, she probably has had a "a wonderful idea" about it. This is what learning is all about.

Feeding Baby
Does your baby hold most foods while eating? Drink from a cup with a little help? Hold and lick the spoon after it is dipped into food? These are the first steps in learning how to eat by one's self. If your baby always grabs for the spoon, you can make meals easier by using two spoons, one for you and one for him. While he practices, you can feed him a few spoonfuls.

Let your little one try out the new skill of picking things up with his thumb and forefinger. Finger foods your baby can feed himself: Small pieces of soft, mild cheese. Big chunks of food can cause choking. Praise your baby for feeding himself, even if he is very messy. If the mess bothers you, spread newspapers under the high chair to catch dripped food.

By now, your baby can eat most things the rest of the family eats -- just take his portion out before you add salt and other seasonings. DO NOT give your baby foods that could choke him: round and slippery foods, such as whole grapes or hot dog circles, or hard foods, such as nuts, seeds or popcorn.

[CanadianGirl]

Month Ten

How I Grow
- I crawl up stairs, but I don't know how to get back down.
- I walk if you hold my hands.
- I may begin to sidestep, holding onto furniture, to get around a room.
- I sit down from a standing position.
- I climb up onto chairs and then climb down again.
- I'm beginning to show whether I'm right-handed or left-handed.
- I feed myself with my fingers, and help hold my cup.
- I may have trouble sleeping at night because I'm restless.

How I Talk
- I may understand simple sentences.
- I can say "No" and shake my head from side to side.
- I'm interested in conversations when I hear familiar words.
- I may drive you crazy because I like to say the same words all day long. Or, I may say no words at all.

How I Respond
- I react to your approval and disapproval.
- I cry if another child gets more attention than I do. I still don't like being away from you.
- I like to imitate people, gestures and sounds.

How I Understand
- I know which toys are mine, and I have some favorites.
- I will look for something if I see you hide it.
- I am beginning to think of myself as a person.

How I Feel
- I have many feelings now -- sad, happy, mad, scared, hurt.
- I can be very moody, and I get upset easily.
- I may still feel shy around people I don't know.
- I am very sensitive to other children's moods.

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Show me things you want me to know. For instance, clap your hands so I can learn by imitating you.
- Read books with me.
- Play hide and seek with me! If you hide behind a chair, I can come and find you.
- Put some pictures and a mirror down low, so I can see them.

Fun Activities
Anything your baby likes to play with is a toy. Look around your home. You probably have lots of safe objects to use as toys. Be sure all toys for baby are too large to swallow, have no sharp edges, and are safe for chewing.
- Baby is probably ready for nesting containers -- things that fit inside other things. You can buy a set of nesting cups or let him use measuring cups or food storage bowls. These let baby practice the ideas of "bigger," "smaller" and "in and out." These make good bath toys, too.
- Use old-fashioned wooden clothespins -- not spring-type -- and a box or coffee can for baby to learn "on and off." Show him how to put the clothespins on the can or box edge, and then pull them off. Baby can practice "in and out" by putting the clothespins in the container, and then dumping them out.
- Cut a hole in the top of an oatmeal box so he can drop large empty thread spools or other round objects in. He can take off the lid to get the objects out. Baby likes to do things with toys besides examining them.
- Making towers out of blocks or fitting rings onto a pole help his hand-eye coordination. You can make blocks out of empty, rinsed-out paper milk cartons. Open the top, and fold down the sides to make a cube. Tape each block shut. Rinsed-out, square baby-wipe containers also make good blocks.
- Baby may enjoy larger toys, too. A cardboard box with the ends cut out can be a tunnel.
- Baby can also roll over a pillow or beach ball and crawl into a paper grocery bag.
- Children love to do things their parents do. By 12 months, about one out of four babies will imitate housework. If you paint, let your child "paint" with water. Or give the child a broom, toy hammer, dusting cloth or other object to do work just like you do.
- Have fun with your baby!

Feeding Baby
Most babies don't learn how to eat with a spoon until long after their first birthday. But offer your baby a spoon as soon as he wants one. The food he tries to pick up with a spoon sometimes lands on the floor. But he is learning. And he needs practice to become skillful with a spoon.

Here are some foods that will stick to the spoon when scooped up.
- applesauce cooked cereal
- oatmeal
- cream of rice or wheat
- cottage cheese
- macaroni and cheese
- mashed cooked beans
- mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes
- mashed vegetables or fruits
- yogurt

If you're worried about your baby not getting enough food, try two spoons -- one for you and one for him. If he will let you, give him a mouthful in between his efforts. Remember to make mealtimes happy, not frustrating. Hungry babies want to eat. It's up to parents and other caretakers to help babies develop a good attitude about food. With lots of praise, a little patience and encouragement, your baby can learn a wide variety of tastes and textures in new foods. Good food habits start in infancy.

[CanadianGirl]

Month Eleven

How I Grow
- I stand by myself for a moment or two!
- I hold a toy in one hand, and pull myself up to my feet with the other hand.
- I may even wave and turn around while standing, without falling down.
- I walk if you hold one or both of my hands.
- I hold a pencil or crayon, and I love to make marks.

How I Talk
- I know that words are used to identify things.
- I may use one word to mean a whole thought.
- I babble and mumble gibberish a lot.

How I Respond
- I copy everything I see, and then I do it my own way.
- I try to get your approval, and I hide when I know you're not pleased.
- I may test you to see what I can get away with.

How I Understand
- I see your expression and copy it. I'm learning from you!
- I try to bark or meow when I see a dog or cat.
- I am learning how people, animals and things work.
- I like to look at pictures in books and magazines.
- I know that tools will help me. For instance, I push a chair in front of me to steady myself while walking.

How I Feel
- I may cling to you, especially in new situations.
- I love to shake my head and to say "No," even when I mean "Yes."
- I may cry, scream and have tantrums if I don't get my way.
- I feel guilty when I do something wrong.

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Roll a ball on the floor for me to crawl after.
- Let me help you! Leave a dishrag or dustpan out so I can bring it to you.
- Help me practice turning pages of cloth or cardboard books. Soon I'll be able to do it alone.
- Let me hold cans and boxes of food at the grocery store. Show me the pictures, and tell me what they are.

Fun Activities
Here is a mirror game you can play with your baby to help him learn what he looks like.

How to play: Hold baby on a bathroom counter or dresser in front of a mirror. Stand behind him, and point to his reflection. Using your baby's name, say: "I see Johnny. Where is Johnny? Find Johnny. Look at Johnny." Encourage him to point to himself in the mirror by copying you: "Here's my nose. Where's Johnny's nose?" Do the same thing with toys and other objects. Pick them up one at a time, and move them behind his head. Bring them out into view on one side or the other -- he will love this! Name the objects and tell him something about each one, such as: "This is a ball, and it's round." Ask baby, "Where is the ball?" Encourage him to point to it in the mirror.

Feeding Baby
If your baby is very active, you may notice a slowing down of weight gain. That occurs because your baby is using more calories for her constant activity. The fact that she may be gaining less weight now doesn't mean she isn't healthy.

Worrying about what your baby eats or doesn't eat will only make both of you nervous. Don't expect her to clean her plate or eat "just one more" mouthful. Trust her to be the best judge of how much to eat.

As your baby moves around and explores, she is becoming more independent. She may insist on feeding herself. Or she may be a little scared by the new abilities, and cling to you at mealtimes. She may even refuse to hold a cup or spoon, and demand to be fed.

Whether your little one is a clinger or a self-feeder, try to be calm and patient. Patience will pay off in fewer feeding problems now and later.

[CanadianGirl]

Month Twelve

How I Grow
- I may walk, but I still prefer to crawl -- it's faster!
- I also may try to do other things while walking, like wave to you or pick up my favorite blanket.
- I stand by pushing up from a squatting position.
- I climb up and down stairs if I get the chance. I may even be able to climb out of a playpen or crib.
- I use my hands to take lids off jars.
- I hold things in one hand while I do something else with the other hand.
- I use my index finger to point to things.
- I try to dress or undress myself, but I'm not very good at it yet.
- I insist on feeding myself.

How I Talk
- I repeat a few words I know -- it's good practice.
- I babble phrases that sound like short sentences.
- I make up my own words to describe objects or people.

How I Respond
- I trust people I know well.
- I imitate people, even if they are not around.
- I am still afraid of strangers and unfamiliar places.
- I am very definite about my likes and dislikes.

How I Understand
- I remember more because my memory is getting sharper.
- I hunt for a toy and remember where I saw it last.
- I may be able to solve a problem through trial and error.
- I follow simple directions and understand many things you say to me.
- I have favorite people and favorite toys.

How I Feel
- I'm starting to have a sense of humor, and I think some things are funny.
- I still don't like being apart from you. I feel relieved when you return.
- I feel secure and happy eating meals with my family.
- I feel and show love and affection to my favorite people and to my favorite things.

How You Can Help Me Learn
- Dance with me! I love to listen to music.
- Find or make for me some nesting toys to play with.
- Read to me.
- Give me simple commands to follow.
- I like to run little errands for you.
- Share lots of hugs and kisses with me.

Fun Activities
Learning starts early. By the time children enter school, some know a lot more than others. Their families help them learn. Try some of these ideas to help your baby learn.

Floor Freedom
When they were babies, bright children were allowed to explore. They were not kept in cribs or high chairs or swings all day.

Language
Bright children have parents who talk more with them. Their parents explain and expand on things. For example, the child might say "Doggie," and the parent will answer: "Yes. It's a big, brown doggie, and he's wagging his tail."

Outings
Bright children have been taken places -- to the market, the post office, the fair, the park.

Just Enough Help
The parents of bright children give them just enough help so they can do things. For example, the parents might put chairs together so an early walker can hold on while walking. Then, as the child gets better, the parent will move the chairs apart a bit, making it just a little harder. Another example: When the baby has trouble stacking blocks on the rug, the parent might start the stack on a book, for a firmer base that won't fall so easily. The parent provides just enough help, then lets the baby succeed on her own.

Feeding Baby
When your baby is 12 months old, you may switch from breast milk or iron-fortified formula to cow's milk. Whole milk is better than low-fat or skim milk until age 2. Two-year-olds should begin to make the change to drinking low-fat milk, if that's what the rest of the family drinks.

Your baby is probably enjoying a variety of foods, but he still needs 2 to 3 cups of milk each day. Babies over 6 months old should not be drinking more than 4 cups (1 quart) of infant formula or milk each day.

They need to begin getting their nutrients from a mixed diet of solid foods in addition to milk. Yogurt and cheese provide nearly the same nutrients as milk. So these are OK for part of the milk a child needs each day.

By this time, your baby should have developed a liking for many different foods. In addition to milk, yogurt and cheese, make sure you give him foods from each of these food groups every day. Breads, cereal, rice and pasta; vegetables; fruits; and meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and eggs. Do not give whole nuts that could cause choking

Babies are born with a natural liking for sweet foods. A sweet treat is OK once in a while. But be careful not to let sugary foods take over his diet. Build healthy eating habits.

Your baby doesn't have to eat something from each food group at every meal. Most babies have fairly wild eating patterns at a given meal. They may eat nothing but beans at one meal, and nothing but bananas at the next! But they do pretty well over time if you offer them a variety of nutritious foods at each meal. We recommend not forcing a child to eat specific amounts, or certain foods. In fact, when children are required to eat certain foods, they learn to dislike them.

Here are two things that work best in building good eating habits for children:
- Set a good example by serving and eating a variety of nutritious foods.
- Give children positive attention when they eat the way you'd like them to.