It's an exciting time as your baby approaches the three-month mark.
He is spending much more time awake, and he's ready to explore his
world in a more active way.
First bat
String a play gym across his cot, and he will soon discover how to
bat at the colourful objects dangling from it. This batting
activity follows a regular pattern. Your baby bats at the gym,
stops, watches and then re-starts his batting with renewed energy.
The theory is the first time a baby bats at the gym is accidental.
But when he hits home and the gym moves, he hits again and again to
repeat the experience.
Baby talk
Your baby starts to love the sound of his own voice. Around the
three-month mark, you will be able to distinguish vowel from
consonant sounds, and his repertories may include sounds of 'l',
'n', 'm', 'p', and 'b'. In turn, you will be much better at
interpreting the sounds he makes.
He will react to familiar situations, such as bathtime or
feedtime, with delighted coos.
He's becoming a good listener, too. He will turn his head towards
the sound of his mum's voice. Shake a rattle out of sight and he
will pause and turn his head towards the sound.
Memories are made of this
He's beginning to anticipate future events. In the early days, he
would cry with hunger until your breast or his bottle was placed in
his mouth. Now, he reacts as soon as he sees the bottle or breast.
He is also starting to remember objects that are out of
sight.
Take his toy away and his eyes will follow it, then stare at the
spot where it was last seen. He remembers the rattle, but doesn't
yet know that looking won't bring it back.
Learning curve
These are just some of the other things he's busy learning:
- How to use his hands. They are now open for most of the time
and he uses them actively, to explore his world
- How to reach out and grasp for an object
- How to shift his weight when he's on his tummy, setting one arm
free to reach out
- Things to do
- Sit in front of a big mirror together and babble to each
other
- Imitate the sounds your baby makes. Listen for him to repeat
the sound, then imitate it once more
- put some brightly-coloured balls in your baby's bath. He can
try to reach for them as they bob up and down.
