What's It Like to be 9 Months Old?

How I Grow

• I may crawl and turn around while holding something in one hand.

• I crawl up steps, 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 balance.

• I may be able to stand for a little while if you hold my hand.

• I sidestep along furniture.

• I don’t really need shoes to help me learn how to walk. When I start walking, shoes will protect my feet.

• I try to build towers with blocks or toys.

• I poke my fingers into holes or into anything that looks interesting.

• I pick up small things with my first finger and thumb, and larger things with both hands.

• I like to bang things together.

• I feed myself finger foods. I'm pretty messy!

• I play with a spoon and a cup, but I'm not good at using them yet.

How I Talk

• I understand some words, my name, and simple sentences.

• I repeat one or more sounds over and over.

• I like to cough, click my tongue, and make hissing noises.

• I listen to people talking and try to copy the sounds.

• I say two-syllable sounds such as "choo-choo," "da-da," and "ma-ma."

How I Respond

• I like to watch people scribbling on paper.

• I like to show people what I can do and love it when they clap their hands for me.

• I sometimes want praise when I do something well.

How I Feel

• I'm very sensitive. If I see another baby crying, I will cry, too.

• I am afraid of a lot of things that didn't bother me before, such as taking a bath. I may be afraid of heights.

• I am very determined and sometimes stubborn - that's all part of my growing up. For example, I may "test" you by trying to throw food when you feed me or by crying when you put me to bed.

How I Understand

• I try to figure things out by myself.

• I know that if I partly cover my eyes or look upside down, everything will look different.

• I know which toys are mine and get upset when they are taken away.

• I can remember a game, person, or toy from the day before.

• I can tell what kind of mood people are in by looking at them.

For more information on your baby's development, check out developmental milestones on the American Academy of Pediatrics Web site http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/stages.cfm or on the Centers for Disease Control site at http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/actearly/.

When Will My Baby Walk?

When babies walk depends on (1) their weight, (2) whether they are aggressive, timid, or passive, and (3) their general rate of development (the speed at which the bones, muscles, and ligaments are growing). Most children go through the same stages but at different paces. Yours may be the first or the last on the block to do everything.

There’s really not much you can do to hurry or slow down your child’s growth. However, it’s a good idea to help your child exercise the large muscles freely. Help him kick, splash in the bath, wiggle his toes, stretch, and roll over. Give him lots of freedom to move about. Put a toy just out of his reach, and see if your baby scoots, stretches, rolls, or crawls to get it.