Age of repetition
At this age, repeating things and doing the same thing over and over again is very fun. Dropping things once, twice, a hundred times over – that’s a classic! By standing up and supporting themselves against various objects over and over, babies’ motor skills are strengthened. And motor precision has also improved. It’s no longer a question of whether they can grasp your eyeglasses – they now know exactly how to grab hold of them, or your earrings, or – ouch! – your hair. Your baby may become a bit clingy at this point. They’ve started to understand that you are two separate people and will feel a huge need to be close to you. Listen to the baby’s babbling. They’ve already learned the rhythm and melody of language. You’ll mostly be hearing ga-ga-ga or da-da-da. No words yet, but if you listen closely, you can hear whether they’re phrasing a question or a response.
Restless nights
Once your baby understands that they aren’t an extension of you, but are in fact a separate individual, the number of nighttime awakenings may increase. Don’t worry. Like so much else in a baby’s life, this too shall pass. Phases come and go – and might come again later – but not necessarily.
