Month 5

Physical Developments:

- the baby should weigh 13 ½ pounds and is 24 ½ inches long

- the mother may notice that when she wakes the baby from a nap he has moved a lot during his sleep. This is because the baby is becoming stronger and is moving his muscles more

- the baby may begin to pull at his jaw and/or ears, may fuss for no reason, and may drool. These are all good indications that he will begin to teethe soon

- the baby, when laid on his stomach will make swimming and kicking motions. This is a sign that he is readying himself to begin crawling

Mental Developments:

- the baby can be responsive for up to an hour and his attention can be held

- the baby becomes very interested in speech and tries to make new sounds

Senses and Reflex Development:

- the baby may be ready to begin digesting solid foods

- the baby's dexterity has increased and he may be able to hold an object between his index and thumb

Social Development:

- the baby's laughing will increase and he will laugh during playing

- the baby may cry if something he enjoys such as playing is interrupted

- the baby may begin to interrupt his own feedings in order to do something he finds more enjoyable such as playing

- the baby may try to mimic and imitate noises that he hears

- the baby can also begin to detect tone in the mother's voice and others and knows when speech is angry or meant in a scolding or reactionary manner

Week 18

Physical Developments:

- the baby weighs approximately 14 pounds and is 24 ¾ inches long

- the baby is able to hold his head steady in a number of different positions and angles

- the baby is able to bring his feet to his mouth and he sucks on them regularly

Mental Developments:

- the baby's vocal range is ever increasing, and he makes a variety of squealing, grunting and whining noises in order to get attention and communicate

Senses and Reflex Development:

- the baby's grasp becomes much steadier and his dexterity continues to increase. He now plays with objects placed in his hands. He is able to manipulate objects and can pass items from hand to hand

- the baby's vision continues to develop and is becoming ever more stimulating to him. In particular, he is fascinated with the colors blue, green and orange.

Social Development:

- the baby continues to smile and vocalize in an attempt to gain attention

Week 19

Physical Developments:

- the baby is able to lift both his arms and feet while lying on his stomach

Mental Developments:

- the baby is able to make vowel sounds as well as consonant sounds

Senses and Reflex Development:

- the baby will begin to increasingly grasp objects, play with them, and place them in his mouth

Social Development:

- the baby becomes more social and tailors his responses to different people

- the baby will also like to play at dinner time

Week 20

Physical Developments:

- the baby weighs 14 ¾ pounds and is 25 ¼ inches long

- the baby is likely to be very mobile at this stage. He will be attempting to crawl and may move himself by rocking, rolling and twisting

Mental Developments:

- the baby continues to play with, hold, shake, and mouth objects

- the baby continues to mimic sounds, movements, and expressions others make

Senses and Reflex Development:

- the baby's aim when reaching for objects is getting better

- the baby may be able to hold is own bottle with both hands and feed himself

Social Development:

- the baby will wave his arms to attract attention to himself and in order to signal that he wants to be picked up

- the baby begins more attention seeking behavior, and loves to have stories read

At this stage the baby will begin to interact with his environment more. This means that he will socialize more, pay greater attention to external stimuli, and will try to grab, touch, and feel as many things as possible. The baby will enjoy being sat up so that he can gain a better perspective of his surroundings. He should be able to sit steadily and prop himself up. With support he should be able to stand on his own - a feat that will be very pleasing to him. The baby will respond to his name at this point and will make a variety of noises in response to those interacting with him. The baby will imitate noises that he hears as well as facial expressions that he sees.

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