Your Baby: Months 7 to 9
Crawling, pulling up, babbling, and the start of separation anxiety
Month 7: Mobility Begins
Your baby is becoming mobile. Many babies start crawling between 7 and 8 months, though some use different methods: army crawl, backward crawl, scooting on their bottom. They can sit independently and may start pulling up to stand on furniture. Fine motor skills improve, and they can pick up small objects with a raking grasp. Your baby understands their name and may turn when you call it. Babbling becomes more varied with consonant sounds like ba, da, and ma.
Month 8: Exploring With Purpose
Your baby is busy exploring everything. They can transfer objects between hands, bang toys together, and enjoy dropping things to watch you pick them up. Many babies pull up to stand and may cruise along furniture. Separation anxiety often appears around this time. Your baby understands simple words like no and bye-bye. Solid foods should now include mashed and soft finger foods. Sleep is about 14 hours total with two naps.
Month 9: The Pincer Grasp and First Words
This month brings the development of the pincer grasp, the ability to pick up small objects between thumb and forefinger. Your baby may say mama or dada with meaning. They understand more than they can say and will follow simple directions like come here. Many babies pull up to stand, and some may take steps while holding onto furniture. Stranger anxiety may peak. Continue offering a variety of soft finger foods. Sleep stays around 14 hours total with two naps.