Growth & Development

MONTH 9 - What's Going On This Month?

Your Baby

Your baby may do the following:

crawl or begin to crawl
walk with assistance
pull himself to a standing position
wave “bye- bye”
push away things s/he doesn’t want
cry when away from his/her mother
begin to say “mama” and “dada” appropriately
look at picture books
build towers with blocks or other toys
begin to finger-feed him/herself, explores food with fingers
pass an object from one hand to the other
respond to lots of positive attention.

Responds to own name and turns head directly toward interesting sounds.

Shows his/her likes and dislikes.

Knows which toys belong to them and get upset when they are taken away.

May crawl and turn around while holding something in one hand.

Crawls up steps, but may not be able to crawl back down yet.

Shows affection to you and his/her favorite toy.

Pokes fingers into holes or into anything that looks interesting.

Picks up small things with first finger and thumb, and larger things with both hands.

S/he loves to explore his/her environment, but needs your watchful-eye to keep him/her safe.

Plays with a spoon and a cup, but is not good at using them yet.

Starts to imitate and make sounds like real words (Mamma and Dada).

Understands some words, my name, and simple sentences.

Enjoys watching people scribbling on paper.

S/he is very sensitive, if s/he sees another baby crying, s/he will cry, too.

May be afraid of a lot of things that didn't bother them before, such as taking a bath. May be afraid of heights also.

Understands that if s/he partly cover their eyes or look upside down, everything will look different.

Caring For Your Baby

To protect your baby’s teeth, do not put him/her to bed with a bottle or prop it in his/her mouth.

Always put your baby in a car seat when you take him/her in a car.

Provide a safe place to move all-around.

Help your baby learn to trust and feel secure by responding to his/her cries and sounds.

Don’t let your baby eat hotdogs, peanuts, hard candy, popcorn, or any other small food items, baby can choke.

Lower the crib mattress, so your baby can stand safely.

Brush teeth daily with a small soft bristles toothbrush and water.

Protect your baby from sharp corners s/he could bump into.

Gate off stairs at top and bottom.

Nutrition

Watch for any allergic reactions (vomiting, coughing, wheezing, diarrhea, stomach pain or skin rashes) to food by feeding your baby only one new food at a time. Wait a week before starting another.

If your baby is bottle fed, start to wean to a cup. Use a few drops of water in a plain cup (without a spout) until s/he learns how to drink from the cup. Your baby should still be drinking iron-fortified formula.

Begin letting your baby practice using a spoon.

Let your baby try to feed him/herself foods like crackers and dry cereal.

Most babies will still nurse, though some babies may wean themselves at this age.

Growth and Development Activities

Encourage your baby to crawl and walk while holding onto furniture.

Show your baby how to put items into a container.

Help your baby scribble on paper with a big crayon.

Give your baby toys that float in the bath.

Roll a ball back and forth with your baby.

Talk and read to your baby.

Play simple games like peek-a-boo, all gone, and so big.

After the bath, let your baby help get dressed by pushing his/her arms through his/her nightshirt.

Information adapted from the following Resources:

Iowa Early ACCESS Developmental Wheel- Developed with IDEA
Ohio Department of Health website (www.ohiohelpmegrow.org)
Normal Development articles written by Donna Warner Manczak, Ph.D.,M.P.H. and Robert Brayden, M.D. Published by McKesson Health Solutions LLC
Extension website – Family/Parenting resources (www.extension.org/parenting)