Month Nine

Babies First Year: Month Nine

How Baby Is Changing

Many babies begin crawling during the ninth month. It's exciting for babies to move around on their own, but it's scary, too! Your baby's first efforts to crawl will probably be toward something -- a favorite toy, or you. Don't be surprised if she falls on her face a few times while getting started. Keep her on a soft blanket or carpet.

Once your baby crawls, pulling to a stand isn't far behind. Watch out! She may get up and not know how to get back down. She may cry to be rescued again and again. You can try to teach her to get down onto her knees or bottom. Be patient. She will learn soon.

Does your baby like to drop things from her crib or high chair for you to pick up? This can be annoying. It's a sign that her memory is developing. Now she knows that the toy or food she drops will land on the floor, and she likes to see and hear the food drop. Baby's developing memory means she gets mad when someone takes a toy away.

Note: Do not tie toys to your baby's crib or playpen so she won't drop them. The strings can cause strangulation.

Baby Wants You To Know

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.