As Baby gets closer and closer to his second month old, he is growing more independent every day. Not independent enough to start crossing the street without holding your hand – or even crossing the street while holding your hand, or crossing anything, or standing at all – but independent enough to start expressing a few of his own feelings. This is around the time when Baby’s reflex smiles start to disappear, and his real, happy smiles start to take their place, so get your camera ready!
Another development that’s coming right up might be a little bit less fun – Baby’s 2-month checkup. These frequent checkups won’t last too long, but while they do last, it’s important to make sure they happen as close to on-time as possible, so that Baby’s vaccination schedule stays on-track.
Baby is moving around more and more every day, and as he starts trying ambitious new types of wiggling, it’s important to keep an eye out for when he starts trying to turn over, either from his back to his front, or the other way around. When he does start trying to roll, this is a sign of a couple of different things. First, rolling is a very big step towards Baby being able to move around on his own. Second, though, Baby starting to roll can be a sign that it’s time for him to say goodbye to an old friend – the swaddle.
It’s important for a home’s baby-proofing efforts to keep up with the growth of the baby who lives there, so as Baby gets stronger, smarter, and faster, it’s a good idea to take a close look around your home every now and then, to make sure you’re at least two steps ahead of Baby.
Milestones
- May repeat vowel noises: Though it’s probably a bit early, some time in the next few weeks or months, it’s possible that Baby will start repeating some vowel noises, like “ooo” and “ah”. This forms the building blocks of language, as he is going to have to learn to communicate in ways besides pooping and crying at some point.
- Straighten legs and kicks: Although it might not be on purpose, Baby might soon start straightening his legs when he makes random, jerky kicking movements. Sooner or later, like by the end of the third month, these kicks might even be intentional.