What to expect by 3 months
What to expect by 6 months
What to expect by 12 months

Development by 3 Months

Physical

• When lying on stomach: raises head and chest, uses arms for support,
• Stretches legs and kicks
• Begins supporting head slightly
• Maintains strong grasp reflex
• Uses hands to swipe at toys
• Grasps and shakes hand toys
• Brings hand to mouth

Cognitive

• Watches faces intently
• Follows moving objects
• Recognizes familiar objects and faces
• Turns head toward direction of sound
• Begins to imitate some sounds
• Uses eye-hand coordination

Social and Emotional

• Begins to babble and coo
• Begins to develop a social smile
• Displays different moods and emotions 
• Enjoys playing with other people
• Imitates movements and facial expressions 

Development by 6 Months
Physical

• Sits with, and later, without support
• Rolls from stomach to back
• Rolls from back to stomach
• Supports weight while standing
• Transfers objects from hand to hand
• Coordination between eye and body movements
• May begin to teeth

Cognitive

• Explores with hands and mouth
• Finds partially hidden objects
• Makes consonant sounds
• Actively responds to play

Social and Emotional

• Interested in mirror images
• Laughs aloud
• Cries less
• Shows interest in new things
• Holds out arms to be picked up

Thoughts for Parents

• Baby proof everything! Store all detergents, cleaners, make-up, paint and other toxic substances high above a baby’s reach. Cover electrical outlets, place safety latches on cupboards and keep cords out of reach. Cover sharp corners on furniture at your baby’s level.
• Provide interesting objects for your baby to explore with the mouth and hands. Be sure the object has no small breakable parts and is larger than one and one-half inches.
• Respect your baby’s natural schedule. Most babies will have a regular routine for eating, sleeping and soiling their diapers. This will vary for each individual child.
• Talk and play with your baby. This is an important part of your child’s language development.
• Imitate your baby’s babbles and coos as you would in a regular conversation.
• Read to your baby. A child is never too young to be read to. They enjoy cuddling and seeing colorful pictures while hearing the rhythm of your voice as you read.

What to expect: Crying
Crying is typical for small infants. The average infant may cry between one and four hours a day.

There are several reasons an infant may begin to cry. These include being hungry, tired, fussy and uncomfortable. Other reasons infants cry are that crying releases tension and helps shut out stimuli too intense for the child (i.e. bright light, loud noises).

You cannot spoil your child by responding to crying. Remain relaxed, since infants can sense tension and will often cry louder. The following may help to soothe your child: rocking, stroking the baby’s head, patting on the back, swaddling, singing or talking, soft music, and walking (in your arms, stroller or carriage) or riding in the car.

Development by 12 Months
Physical

• Sits alone or leans on hands for support, later sits without support
• Gets to sitting position without help
• Crawls and creeps on hands and knees
• Pulls up to stand
• Walks holding onto furniture
• Stands momentarily without support
• Holds own bottle
• Refines pincer grasp

Cognitive

• Babbles with inflection
• Imitates simple action
• Baby says at least one word
• May say "mama" and "dada"
• Searches for a toy when it is hidden
• Understands simple requests
• Locates sound by turning head
• Responds to his/her own name
• Begins to use objects correctly (drinking from a cup, etc.)

• Shows increased fear of strangers
• Cries when parent leaves
• Seeks comfort of others
• Communicates with gestures to show likes and dislikes (smiles, frowns, etc.) 
• Laughs more frequently
• Repeats gestures or sounds for attention
• Plays social games like peek-a-boo or waves bye-bye

Thoughts for Parents

• Baby proof everything! Store all detergents, cleaners, make-up, paint and other toxic substances high above a baby’s reach. Cover electrical outlets, place safety latches on cupboards and keep cords out of baby’s reach. Cover sharp corners on furniture at your baby’s level.
• Encourage older infants to feed themselves by offering pieces of banana or soft bread. Give your child a spoon with mashed potatoes or other sticky foods (not peanut butter because of any potential allergy). Have patience and realize this will be messy!
• Play peek-a-boo and other games with your baby. Older infants will learn to do this themselves.
• Allow your baby to move around. Infants need plenty of time and space to crawl, pull themselves up and walk. Too much time in a crib, walker, playpen or infant swing may inhibit the development of these important skills.