My daughter, Morgan, had mastered the baby development step of cruising for months before taking her first unassisted steps. I worried a bit, since I couldn’t even find shoes to fit her too-small feet.

When she was about three weeks shy of her first birthday, we were doing her usual holding of my finger while walking around our home (another baby milestone I had come to love). I knew she was ready to walk but was timid and afraid to let go. At that moment, I decided to gently slip my finger from her grip, and as I did, she took three steps and ended up on her bottom.

I couldn’t believe my eyes, but as I tried to get her to conquer this baby milestone and to walk again, she kept falling on her bottom and crying out of frustration. I was certain it was confidence that she lacked, and I was set on helping her build it up. Once she would take off, she would never stop -- a prediction I was 100 percent correct about.

The day when my husband came home from work, we decided to help Morgan try to achieve this baby milestone again, with us supporting her as a team. We started her by me, and after helping her up, my husband held out his arms for her to fall into. I’m confident that seeing someone she trusted in front was the confidence booster she needed, and she walked right into his arms.

With each successful step, we moved farther and farther away from each other, and watched in awe as she took more and more steps. Two of my favorite parts of this baby milestone experience:

1.    She gave us a hug each time she made it across the room.

2.    The way she held her arms above her head and looked like the cute baby version of Frankenstein. We then deemed her, Morganstein.

From there, our baby’s development was happening all over the place. She learned to let go of the furniture she was holding onto, again building confidence. She soon learned to put her arms down while walking, and to stand up on her own without holding onto a table or sofa.

Watching my daughter grow her independence was both a proud and somewhat sad moment. I know this independence will only increase with time as she continues to conquer all of these baby milestones. But the best part about her ability to walk on her own now is, when I come home, I see her face light up as she runs to give me that same hug she gave while taking her first steps.

Photo by julio andres rosario ortiz on Unsplash

I am that mother who wants to expose her child to every activity, so that she can find inspiration from something creative, active, or educational. I have to admit -- I was in danger of over-scheduling my two-year-old, so I took a step back and just observed my daughter’s contentment with being at home among her favorite baby things.

Here’s a look at what that included:

1.    Books!  As an English teacher, I was constantly reading to my daughter.  Some of the books I read to her early on are still her favorites, but we are adding new ones all the time. Some are timeless, and some are modern, but all are well-loved and worn. She especially likes sensory books, where each page has an illustration with a different feel to it -- soft, feathery, rough, or bumpy. We have had to repair many of these books, as they are just the most irresistible baby items to little hands!

2.    When those curious fingers are getting the better of her, i we bring out the crayons and paper. The creativity, concentration, and independence that are fostered through these simple (and cheap) baby items are unbelievable! She loves sorting the colors and lining up the crayons, or just seeing how many she can carry from one room to the next. It really helps further baby development.

3.    Preferring quiet activities and nurturing her sensitive side, my daughter loves caring for her baby dolls. She puts them to sleep, cradles them, and pushes them in her doll stroller. We have spent hours feeding and burping her baby dolls, and occasionally comforting one that, for some reason, is sad.

4.    Similarly, my daughter has recently discovered another favorite baby item: her “lovey,” a stuffed beagle. She sleeps with it and carries it around the house until we leave for the day. Doggie reads books with her at night and sits patiently to wait for her while she takes a bath. On particularly rough days, doggie rides with us while we run errands, but he always waits in the car, because we wouldn’t want to lose him!

We are an active family and still participate in many activities, like toddler gym and music classes, but the most precious time is spent at home watching in awe as my two-year-old explores her environment and makes connections to the world around her using the best baby items that we can provide for her.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Before I became a mother, I always thought a laughing baby was the greatest baby milestone, one of the best sounds in the world. You know they’re not faking it (they don’t know how), and it means they are genuinely happy in that moment. And a happy baby equals a happy mommy.

Little did I know the sound of your laughing baby could almost be described as life-changing.

At my in-laws’ house, my daughter was sitting with Grandma when her Pop Pop began laughing. A smile immediately appeared on her face, and next, a laugh. As he continued to laugh, her giggles kept coming -- a joyful sound we had never heard before, a glorious baby milestone. I wasn’t sure if she was merely imitating what she heard or thought it was funny, but I was happy to see her giggling regardless. This was at 3.5 months.

While hearing my baby giggle was a proud and happy moment, I was ready for a real laugh. When she was a little more than 5 months, her first belly laugh was born, which is what I consider to be her first true laugh, and a real baby milestone.

We decided that since she could hold her head up and was doing well sitting unassisted, it was time to try the activity jumper we received. We put her in and turned the music on. Since her feet didn’t yet touch the ground, I knelt beside her and gently bounced her up and down. The belly laughs started to flow freely.

In this moment, she was both discovering a new motion she enjoyed, and experiencing a new world in the activity jumper. I couldn’t stop bouncing her, because I didn’t want the sound of my laughing baby to stop. Along with the laughter, there were squeals of delight and big, open-mouth smiles. So much for baby milestones -- this was pure delight.

For weeks, every time my daughter was placed in the activity jumper, it guaranteed smiles -- at a minimum. The novelty wore off eventually, and we discovered new ways to garner laughs. This included, but was not limited to knocking on doors, tickling under the neck and arms, throwing our heads back and forth, and general silliness.

Although we’ve moved past this baby development milestone, the sound of her laugh will never grow old, and that first belly laugh especially, will stay with me forever.

Photo by Jonnelle Yankovich on Unsplash

When you’re a new mom, every day is a cause for celebration, but the days your child hits a new baby milestone call for extra jubilation (as well as bragging rights to friends and family!). From walking and talking to starting solids, here’s how to mark each of your little one’s accomplishments so you’ll remember it always.

First solid food
Starting solids (a baby milestone that many children hit at around four months) is a messy (and delicious!) adventure for your tot. To honor this big transition, post photos of her with her first foods -- whether it’s sticky bananas on her cheeks or orange squash in her hair -- to a photo sharing website. The colorful shots of your baby’s first meals won’t just be cute to look at; they will also provide a useful reminder of what food you fed your baby and when, as pediatricians recommend keeping track of this information to help identify allergies.

First tooth
Your child’s first baby teeth could poke through as early as 4 months or as late as 15 months. Whenever the initial pearly white does appear, document it with photos galore as well as a note in her baby book. But don’t stop there. Pack the family in the car and head to your nearest pharmacy to purchase your baby’s first infant training toothbrush. It may seem early to start brushing, but getting into the habit of cleaning her tiny tooth twice a day can help decrease the chance of cavities as your child gets older (ask your pediatrician about adding a bit of toothpaste when she’s about 2 years old).

First steps
The joy your new baby feels when she’s learning to walk is matched only by the pride you’ll experience as you watch her. While most tots begin to walk around their first birthday, the age range is as wide as 9 to 15 months. In addition to capturing your baby’s first wobbly walk on video, consider making a simple footprint frame to mark your baby’s walking milestone. Brush nontoxic, childproof paint onto your tot’s toes and then carefully stand her on a piece of sturdy paper. Date the page and have it professionally framed so you always remember her initial steps.

First word
Did she say “dada” or was she trying to say the dog’s name? Either way, you’ll probably hear her first word anywhere from 12 to 15 months, so keep the video camera rolling as much as possible and a journal and pen nearby to jot down what she says. If you can, keep a running tally of all the words she learns, both so you can report her ability at her well baby visits and as a keepsake in her baby book.

Missed one of your little one’s baby milestones? Try not to fret! Even if your husband got to serve pureed peaches for the first time or your babysitter saw the first wobbly step, there will still be more chances. Your sweet new baby will take many more steps and spoonfuls -- and the words will keep on flowing (the next one just might be “mama”!).

Photo by ???????? Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

Location: Indoors or outdoors

Promotes: Cognitive development, fine motor skills, object permanence

If you’re looking for a new baby activity to engage your little one, this peekaboo game is sure to be a hit. Watch in wonder as this simple baby game strengthens all kinds of developmental concepts and supports your child toward reachingan important baby milestone.

How to play
Your 7- to 9-month-old baby will rediscover her favorite toy in this twist on peekaboo called peek-a-bear. Take a treasured toy, like a teddy bear, and partially hide it under a blanket. Then urge your baby to find the bear. If she’s able to, let her grab for the bear; if not, pick it up yourself and exclaim, “I found the bear!” Repeat the game as long as you can hold your baby’s attention. The trick is to build excitement over finding the toy, since your baby will feed off your glee during this baby activity.

Tricks and advice
As your little one progresses with this baby game, raise the bar by hiding the toy completely under the blanket. Make sure that as the difficulty increases, your praise does, too! Change things up by hiding different toys -- this may boost your little one's interest in the game and can also help develop early language recognition.

Learning and growing
Object permanence is crucial to your baby’s understanding of the world. Baby activities that establish that Mommy is still around even if she can’t be seen are an early step toward developing your baby’s memory. This activity also encourages motor development, as your child uses hand-eye coordination to reach and grasp for the hidden toy.

What you’ll need
It’s easy: All you’ll need is a blanket or towel and a toy your baby will delight in finding.

The game is simple, but it’ll work wonders in terms of your baby learning more about the world. And she’s sure to have a blast while doing it! 

Photo by Ana Tablas on Unsplash