8 Months Old:
Baby Development Milestones (Weeks 29 - 32)

Keep a track of the following baby development milestones this month...

Week 29 of your baby's development milestones

Your baby becomes more involved in your routine: Your baby loves to entertain you at this age. He will try to talk with you, would want to eat with you and would try to tell you about his gum pain and itchiness. He would sleep for a longer duration at night which means more sleep for you as well. Since he has started solids, he would have a full tummy and would wake up less in the middle of night due to hunger.
Get ready for some washing: If your baby is too excited to eat, let him feed himself. Do not worry about the food stains on his clothes. You can try different ways to get those stains out of his clothes. Make sure you have a couple of bibs handy so that you can put one on in case your baby decides to have a meal. Encouraging your baby to try to eat himself food like breadsticks, soft pear, banana and baby biscuits will not only help him learn the weaning process but it would be a good activity to keep him busy.

Your baby development milestones this week will be:

Getting naughtier: By now, you must have noticed that your baby is becoming naughtier by each passing day. He would love to do things that you tell him not to. Not that he likes being disobedient, he likes to explore the world around him and is just curious to try new things. If he bites you during breastfeeding and you scream, he would probably do that again and would enjoy this activity. For him, it is like a game that triggers you to shout, and he enjoys it.
Teach him manners, he may remember some: Your baby may not remember things for long at this age. So keep on telling him gently about things he should not be doing. Discourage him throwing toys, biting, pulling hair and putting the TV remote or mobile in mouth.
Crawlers: Some babies start crawling at this age. If your also does, make sure you have baby proofed the house. Even if your child does not crawl at this age, it is good to do the necessary preparations before the actual event comes. Also, you need to make sure the floor and carpet stays clean as the last thing you would want to have is an excessively crying baby with diarrhea.

Experiment with the diet: By now your baby has started eating solids on a regular basis. Keep on experimenting with his diet – introducing different flavors in order to make your child love food.
Any tooth yet? If your child has not popped out a single tooth yet, this month could be the one in which he pops out two teeth, most likely the lower front ones. Keep on talking to your baby.
Encourage lullabies: Sing nursery rhymes with changing voice, he will like it. Encourage him to spend time in a place other than cot/ crib. He would like the change. A park is a nice play to take him where he could observe children, colors and pets.

Baby development milestones on week 32:

*Clap Clap* : Babies generally learn to clap around their 6th or 7th month. If your baby doesn’t, keep on practicing him and he will soon learn how to put those tiny hands together and clap. Some babies even learn how to blow a kiss to different people.
Explore your little one: You may notice that your baby copies things you do and gestures you give. When you talk to him, he likes to talk back in his own language. When you smile he reciprocates. If you make a crying face, he might surprise you with one. Keep on exploring your baby – babies learn new things everyday – make sure you know what your baby is capable of doing.
Baby has got taste-buds: Your baby is developing his taste gradually. He might not like sweet food at all, or may reject certain vegetables that have a strong taste like spinach or peas. This shows that his taste buds are also developing. Soon he will have his own set of likes and dislikes!
Excessive drooling: You may also notice excessive drooling – primarily indicating the arrival of teeth. Make sure you have a soft bib or towel near your baby to gently wipe his chin. Be gentle, he may get irritated by too much rubbing and cleaning.

And before you know it, month 8 of baby development milestones is over. Now comes month 9.