Babies
2-3 Months
Cognitive Development
Pays attention to faces
Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance
Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn’t change
Movement/ Physical Development
Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy
Makes smoother movements with arms and legs
Language/ Communication
Coos, makes gurgling sounds
Turns head toward sounds
Social/Emotional
Begins to smile at people
Can briefly calm himself (may bring hands to mouth and suck on hand)
Tries to look at parent
4-6 Months
Cognitive Development
Lets you know if she is happy or sad
Responds to affection
Reaches for toy with one hand
Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it
Follows moving things with eyes from side to side o Watches faces closely
Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance
Movement/Physical Development
Holds head steady, unsupported Pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface
May be able to roll over from tummy to back
Can hold a toy and shake it and swing at dangling toys
Brings hands to mouth
When lying on stomach, pushes up to elbows
Language Communication
Begins to babble
Babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears
Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired
Social/Emotional
Smiles spontaneously, especially at people
Likes to play with people and might cry when playing stops
Copies some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning
9 Months
Cognitive Development
Watches the path of something as it falls Looks for things he sees you hide
Plays peek-a-boo
Puts things in her mouth
Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other
Picks up things like cereal o’s between thumb and index finger
Movement/Physical Development
Stands, holding on
Can get into sitting position
Sits without support
Pulls to stand
Crawls
Language Communication
Understands “no”
Makes a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
Copies sounds and gestures of others
Uses fingers to point at things
Social/Emotional
May be afraid of strangers
May be clingy with familiar adults
Has favorite toys