"Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord." Psalm 127:3

Things your baby might be doing over the next month:

• Eating, sleeping, and crying a lot
• Lifting his head slightly when placed on his stomach
• Beginning to respond to your voice
• Staring with a vague look
• Startling and jerking at noises and sudden movements
• Having an irregular eating and sleeping schedule
• Having many wet and dirty diapers throughout the day and night

"The Lord is great and deserves our greatest praise! He is the only God worthy of our worship." Psalm 96:4

Things your baby might be doing now or over the next month:

• Needing his head and neck supported when he is held as his head is still a little floppy
• Seeing things that are 8-12 inches in front of her; your face is your baby's favorite thing to see!
• Sleeping, eating, crying, and trying to get comfortable will keep your baby busy most of the time
• "Talking" to you and communicating by crying. Although your baby's crying might bother you, it is a great way for your baby to get his need met.
• Soon your baby will begin to smile!

"You know the Lord is God! He created us and we belong to Him." Psalm 100:3

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Smiling real smiles! 
• Reaching for an object with both hands; she may bat at things and kick with force
• Raising himself up on his forearms and holding his head up when placed on his tummy
• Searching for the source of a sound
• Making sounds in response to your talking and singing
• Doing more than one thing at a time: she might look around while she nurses
• Being awake and attentive for longer periods of time

"The Lord is good! His love and faithfulness will last forever." Psalm 100:5

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Staying awake and alert for at least one hour at a time
• Telling the differences among faces; he knows you and other members of the family
• Being active: she rolls from her back to her side and from her tummy to her side or back
• Putting almost everything into her mouth! It's important to allow her to put things in her mouth that are safe: this is how she learns about her world. (Just watch for any choking hazards)
• Spending time looking at and playing with his own hands and feet. He might reach for, grasp, hold, and release toys or objects with his hands.
• Making sounds in response to your talking and singing.

"You are always the same. Years cannot change you." Psalm 102:27

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Being alert for up to one or two hours at a time
• Wanting to play; he might not want you to stop his playtime!
• Sleeping better and longer at night. She still might wake up early, ready and eager to play. Her schedule might not match yours!
• Sitting propped up, with his back firm, for up to half an hour
• Beginning to wave and raise her arms when wanting to be picked up
• Babbling to get attention
• Being easily pulled to a standing position. Her leg muscles are getting stronger; she will like to stand on your lap!
• Beginning to show fear, anger, or dislike of something by making sounds. Your baby is beginning to communicate well now.

"You have always been God--long before the birth of the mountains, even before you created the earth and the world." Psalm 90:2

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Holding his bottle with one or both hands
• Aiming while batting and grabbing at things
• Making vowel sounds: "ee," "ay," "ah," and "ooh"
• Vocalizing to herself, to her toys, or to anyone who will pay attention; she may even babble to gain attention
• Responding to human sounds more than before by turning her head to search for the person making the sound
• Recognizing his name!
• Being alert for an hour and a half to two hours or more
• Wanting to touch, hold, turn, mouth, and taste everything
• Leaning over to look for things that have fallen

"Our Lord, you keep your word and do everything you say." Psalm 145:13b

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Speaking syllables such as "ma", "mu", "da", and "ba." He might use different syllables all in the same breath; actual speech is beginning to develop
• Wanting to help feed herself or explore her food with her hands. This is a messy - but important! - time
• Wanting to play with a cup and spoon at feeding time
• Loving noise-making objects like blocks or your kitchen pots and pans
• Carrying a toy or favorite object in his hand most of the time
• Resisting pressure to do something she doesn't want to do. Your sweet little one is developing a mind of her own - remember this is a good thing!
• Showing increasing dependence on you. He may develop a fear of separation from you or a fear of  of strangers.

"You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon and place of shelter. Psalm 18:2

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Getting himself into a sitting position all by himself
• Repeating sounds or movements she has already made
• Beginning to recognize some familiar words 
• Holding his own bottle to drink; he might also enjoy holding and drinking from a cup
• Babbling with a wide variety of sounds, inflections, and two-syllable sounds. Your baby may shout and make loud noises to get your attention as she is trying to communicate more
• Picking up a small object with his thumb and two forefingers: these are the important "pincer" skills
• Resisting bedtimes and naps. 

"If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Standing briefly when his hand is held
• Sitting steadily alone and pivoting or turning a quarter of the way around
• Beginning to show persistence: this means he will do the same thing over and over until he can accomplish a task he is trying to learn
• Putting his fingers into holes anywhere he can find small spaces 
• Preferring watching children to watching adults
• Looking with more interest at pictures in a book
• Grasping an object or toy with his thumb and index finger
• Finger-feeding herself bits of food and drinking from a cup with help

"God loved the people of this world so much that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in Him will have eternal life and never really die." John 3:16

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Standing for a short time with little or no support
• "Cruising" along the furniture while holding on
• Understanding and obeying simple commands
• Carrying an object in  each hand and dangling an object or toy from a string
• Holding and biting a cookie or cracker; she may finger-feed herself an entire meal
• Climbing on chairs
• Remembering where toys are when they are out of sight
• Imitating actions, remembering them, and repeating them later
• Developing a sense of identity and possessions: he can show tenderness to stuffed animals and other toys

"I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father." John 14:6

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Walking! He may still hold on to one or both hands of anyone who will help him walk
• Being dependent on you
• Imitating family members
• Being shy with strangers
• Playing alongside, but not with, another child
• Resisting and testing limits while seeking approval at the same time
• Exploring containers by lifting their lids, taking things out, or putting them in the container
• Mixing words into his babbling. He might use one word to express a whole thought: when he says, "cookie," what he means is "I want a cookie."
• Standing without assistance much of the time

"Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that He let us be called His children, as we truly are." 1 John 3:1a

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Walking! Your baby may walk with a wide-legged gait and might still prefer crawling to get places faster
• Banging toys or objects together; he will love the noise this makes
• Getting to a standing position from a squat, pivoting, and lowering himself to a sitting position.
• Holding a crayon to make marks and scribbles
• Sometimes helping with getting dressed
• Pushing cars or balls and giving a toy to an adult on request
• Giving affection to people, objects, and toys. He might have a special "lovey" or "blankey."
• Stacking blocks

"You are wonderful, Lord, and you deserve all praise, because you are much greater than any one can understand." Psalm 145:3

Things your baby might be doing now and over the next month:

• Walking, walking, and walking (or at least trying)
• Trying to climb, especially low steps or stairs
• Poking, banging, pulling, turning, and twisting everything within his reach
• Responding to her own name; she can follow through with simple commands
• Having a longer attention span; he may look at pictures in a book for a longer period of time
• Being negative at times; "No" might become her favorite word
• Exploring his world in ways that are dangerous; your baby has no sense of  clear danger
• Playing simple games: she might enjoy peek-a-boo, chase games, and toys that move
• Holding his cup by the handle: he may drink from a cup without as many spills as before. He may enjoy finger food and feeding himself