AT Home with Jo Frost - July 2011 - (Page 60)

You’ll be amazed how fast your baby changes physically, socially and emotionally in his first 12 months. The di erences are huge – he will become more responsive, start copying things you do and may even take his first step FIRST YEAR TWO MONTHS Olivia Holcombe, 38, lives in Faversham, Kent with her husband Greg and their two-month-old son, Bertie ‘Bertie started smiling properly at about six weeks, which was the first special milestone in his life. Since then he’s been doing lots of shy smiles, and in the last few days we’ve started noticing little sounds that may be the beginnings of a giggle. The smiles are wonderful and I spend ages making silly faces in front of him just to coax one that lasts a second. For weeks he’d been quite unresponsive – literally feeding, sleeping, screaming, so it was a sign that he’d taken on board all the times we’d been smiling at him. ‘He responds to our voices, but I don’t think he knows they’re ours in particular. Right from the start I’ve talked to him lots, and I’ve never sung so much since he was born, making up little songs with his name in them. In the last fortnight he’s started making sounds that aren’t ‘I’m hungry’, ‘I’m tired’ or ‘I’ve done a nappy’. More like a ‘Gahhhh!’ that comes out of the blue. I know that’s him testing out his vocal chords, and learning to communicate. We always reply to him when he does that so he knows he’s having a conversation. ‘He’s now mostly able to support his head. You can’t totally trust it though, as at times he’ll loll about again. Yesterday he was lying in his chair kicking about when I started doing a silly dance, moving my head around in time to the music and he started copying me, also moving his head from side to side – the first time I think he’s tried to mimic. ‘We think he’s going to be quite strong, as he’s had a good kick on him from the start. He’s also good at pinching and pulling my hair! ‘As far as milestones go, I’m pretty relaxed about him reaching them. All babies develop differently and I’m just happy with Bertie doing things at his own pace.’ > Your baby’s Jo says... T WHAT YOUR BABY MAY BE DOING AT THIS STAGE ✔ Smiling responsively, and possibly even laughing. ✔ Holding his head up for short periods, possibly at a 45° angle. ✔ Following objects. ✔ Some babies may be able to bear weight on their legs and/or lift their head and shoulders. ✔ Holding a toy in his fist, playing with his hands and pressing his palms together. ✔ Thumb or finger sucking. ✔ Responding to di erent sounds and also watching your face when you talk and smile. ✔ Making gurgling sounds. 060 | JULY 2011 WORDS: LARA KILNER | PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES here’s nothing quite as wondrous and aweinspiring as watching your baby develop. It’s not until you have a child that you realise it’s possible to get giddy by the sight of someone eating puréed parsnips or rolling on to their bellies. All babies do things differently and, while one may be galloping off down the street, another of the same age may still be content to shufﬂe across the room on their derrière. Yet there are signiﬁcant milestones that they will all reach, it’s just a matter of when they decide to do it (after all, your dear bubba hasn’t read a manual on when he is supposed to have grabbed a rattle in his fist or made his first coo-coo sound). ‘As unique as you and your baby are, there are certain developments that happen to every child and every parent,’ says Jo Frost. ‘There’s no such thing as escaping tantrums, for instance, and every child will need to be weaned. Potty training will always come up and you’ll need to address table manners at some point.’ We talk to three mums with babies who are at different stages in their first year of life, about how their child is coming along with their physical and communication skills, and how, as parents, they are helping them develop along the way. ‘As your baby gets to three months, he starts to recognise your voice. Believe it or not, at this age he is also beginning to learn many aspects of conversation, including voice tone, pace and taking turns speaking.’

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AT Home with Jo Frost - July 2011

EDITOR’S LETTER
HELLO FROM JO FROST
NOTEBOOK NEWS
JAM-PACKED JULY
FAMILY FORTUNES
OUT AND ABOUT
MUNCH BUNCH
LET’S PARTY!
TOP TOOLS
EXTREME PARENTAL GUIDANCE
FIRST-TIME MUMS
ROUTINE CHECKS
YEAR ONE
MAGNIFICENT MILESTONES
GETTING ABREAST OF IT
BOTTLE IT UP
GREEN BABY
SKIN SOLUTIONS
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
GOING SOLID
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
BABY ON THE MOVE
FASHION FORWARD
BREAK THE HABIT
SIBLING WARS
BOOK SMART
BEST BEDROOMS
FOOD FOES
UNDER THE WEATHER
PERFECT PLAY
TOP OF YOUR GAME
TRENDY TOTS
GET READY FOR SCHOOL
ACTING THEIR AGE
MAKE SCHOOL COOL
ALL GROWN UP?
CYBER SPACE
IMAGE CONSCIOUS
LOVE YOUR LUNCHBOX
I DO IT MY WAY
THE BIG PICTURE
BACK TO WORK
JOB QUEST
CAREER WITH KIDS
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...
NURSERY TALES
BODY BOOST
PET PROUD
KIDS’ STUFF
FAMILY FUN
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
COMING SOON
HELP ME NANNY JO!
SAFETY FIRST
WOW FACTOR
CRAFT CORNER
HOT OFFERS
STOCKISTS

AT Home with Jo Frost - July 2011