The first half-year of Baby’s life is full of extremes, and includes both some of the happiest moments of your life and some of the most exhausted, confused, or terrified. Now that Baby is getting old enough, and you’re getting familiar enough with them that you’re starting to get into the groove of this whole thing, it’s nice to take a look back and appreciate how much Baby has grown up during that whirlwind.
- Baby can see it in your eyes
Baby may not be up for involved debates about world affairs yet, but they are definitely starting to figure out the basics of how communication is supposed to work. Not only is they making facial expressions that express their feelings, but they are starting to notice and react to your emotions based on your facial expressions, too. - Going ga-ga for ‘goo-goo ga-ga’
Baby is still a little ways away from speaking in words, but they have started to make sounds that may sound a lot like words. They may even have started to babble responses when you talk to them, and to wait for you to respond when they talk to you. This is their way of learning the pattern of conversation, just like how babbling is their way of learning the sounds they will need when they do start to speak. - Turning frowns upside down!
At this point, Baby will have been smiling socially – smiling in response to your smile, or smiling at you – for a few months now. The first time you notice that they are smiling at you, not past you, or around you, or in their sleep, or because of gas, is one of those magic moments that make the harder parts of parenthood worth it. Luckily, once Baby starts smiling on purpose, they are only going to start smiling more and more often, and it’s one of those thrills that doesn’t really get old. - Baby wiggles and giggles
Not long after they started smiling, Baby probably started laughing, too. They are still developing their sense of humor, but there are a few things that they probably think are hilarious, like you and your partner making funny faces, peek-a-boo, or your tickling fingers. - Baby on-the-go
That stage where Baby does their best to climb everything in sight is still a little ways away (but it is coming, so brace yourself!) but Baby is already leaps and bounds more mobile than they were as a newborn, even if they isn’t quite up for leaping and bounding yet. In the past 6 months, Baby has changed from someone who pretty much stays where you put them to a sitting up and rolling over machine. Some babies even use their new rolling skills to cover some serious distance. - “What happened to my eyes?”
Now that Baby isn’t a newborn anymore, there’s already some nostalgia in looking back at those pictures you took on the day they were born, and how tiny they were then. Tiny and …different. Since Baby was born their eyes and hair may have seriously changed color and (in the case of their hair) texture. Eye changes have probably happened by now, if they’re going to. Hair changes could still happen in the future if they haven’t yet, but before too long, Baby will probably settle into the complexion they will grow up with.
