Month 7

Physical Developments:

- the baby now weighs 16 pounds and is 26 ½ inches long

- the baby should now be able to shit up alone without support and can stand with some help

Mental Developments:

- the baby will be showing particular interest in comparing objects

Senses and Reflex Development:

- the baby will have developed strong preferences for various tastes

- the baby can now hold is own bottle and may even be able to lift a cup to drink from

Social Development:

- the baby will continue to display an aversion to strangers

Week 27

Physical Developments:

- the baby now weighs 16 ¼ pounds and is 26 ½ inches long

- the baby has likely begun teething

- the baby is able to sit well enough that he may be ready for a high chair

- the baby's eyesight is now nearly 20/20

Mental Developments:

- the baby is still fascinated by noises and enjoys playing with objects that make sound

- the baby will now notice changes in his environment such as moved furniture or new household items

Senses and Reflex Development:

- the baby is still very interested in exploring his body and sucking on his hands and toes

Social Development:

- the baby will become increasingly aware of family members and will acknowledge those he is familiar with

Week 28

Physical Developments:

- the baby now weighs 16 ½ pounds and is 26 ¾ inches long

- the baby is now able to turn and roll himself with ease; it is no longer the struggle that it once was

Mental Developments:

- the mother will notice that the baby is paying greater attention to details and is able to concentrate for longer periods of time

Senses and Reflex Development:

- the baby can now hold and drink from his own cup

Social Development:

- the baby understands humor and is able to play games that reflect such

- the baby will touch and play with his mirror image showing it care

- the baby's curiosity blossoms and he begins to explore more. This adventuresome nature is however tempered by his fears

Week 29

Physical Developments:

- the baby weighs 16 ¾ pounds and is 27 inches longs

- the baby's curiosity fuels greater amounts of movement in him. He will now roll to get around a room and get to things that he wishes to explore, or he will lift his bottom when lying on his stomach and inch alone like a worm to reach a destination

- the baby can now sit and rotate his body at will, giving him greater freedom and mobility

Mental Developments:

- the baby will now make sounds that relate to 'mom' and 'dad' such as 'ma' and 'da'

- the baby will also begin to repeat sounds he hears spoken and will try to make sounds rhyme

- the baby can differentiate between similar sounding words such as 'rock' and 'clock' or 'bat' and 'cat'

Senses and Reflex Development:

- the baby continues to play with, manipulate, shake, and place objects into his mouth

Social Development:

- the baby will attempt to draw attention to himself in social settings and try to get involved in social interaction with people

Week 30

Physical Developments:

- the baby now weighs 17 pounds and is 27 ¼ inches long

- the baby is able to push himself up on his hands and knees and will rock himself back and forth while in this position

- the baby may be trying to stand up by himself but he is likely unable to

- the baby can also place himself in a sitting position

Mental Developments:

- the baby imitates sounds and sequences of sounds as he attempts to develop his speech. Sounds that he used to make, but does not hear others use have likely disappeared from his vocabulary

- the baby now understands that objects do not disappear when they are hidden or placed behind something else and he will look for them when put out of his vision - this is known as object permanence

Senses and Reflex Development:

- the baby is able to hold two objects at the same time - one in each hand

- the baby's dexterity has developed to the point that he is able to pick up objects with his fingers and manipulate them

Social Development:

- the baby now understands the meaning of words by their tone. For instance, he will understand the word 'no' because it is said in a negative tone

The baby can now sit on his own with out aid from an object or person. He is able to shift forward onto his hands and then back to a sitting position. If the baby is lifted into a standing position he can hold and balance his own weight while an adult holds him up. The baby's balance has improved to the point that when he is sitting he no longer needs to balance himself with a hand; this allows him to use both hands to play. The baby will be easily intrigued by his own face in the mirror, and will try to touch his reflection and pat it. He will recognize the reflection as himself. The baby is now increasingly socially oriented. He will try to garner people's attention, play with them, and vocalize with them in his own language.

In the upcoming months the mother will notice that while the baby continues to gain weight and grow, his weight gain is less and less. As well, the growth that he does experience will be in the lengthening of his body and appendages. This lengthening will result in the baby losing the round, fat-baby appearance that he has had for the last seven months. This changing body structure will further increase the baby's balance and aid him in his future attempts to walk.

The baby will be using a much wider array of sounds when he vocalizes, including both vowel and consonant sounds. The baby's cognitive abilities have advanced as well; he now has a concept of object permanence. He is gaining a better idea of the world around him and how it functions. The baby will also begin to look at the mother and his other primary caregiver for cues on how to behave and respond to new situations. His response to something or someone new will depend largely on the response that people familiar to him have to this new event or person.

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