Physical Development

Your baby's sleep patterns are getting more predictable. By the eighth month, he'll sleep as much as 12 hours a night without needing to be fed. After one or two hours of deep sleep, he'll enter a stage of lighter sleep and may partially wake up before returning to sleep again. During these lighter phases, which happen four to six times a night, he may open his eyes and cry for you. One technique for handling your baby's crying is called "sleep training." Start by waiting a few minutes to see if he drifts off again on his own. If not, go in and pat him gently to comfort him, but try not to turn on the light or take him out of the crib. Be calm and consistent (even if baby is anything but), and don't "reward" him with games, songs, or feeding. After a little while, tell him that it's time to go back to sleep, and leave the room. He may cry for a few minutes, but chances are he'll fall quickly asleep again.

Social Development

You are your baby's first teacher, and the relationship you create sets the stage for learning in later years. You probably rely on one or more of three basic teaching methods: showing, shoving, and shaping. Showing involves demonstrating part of an action (such as removing the lid of a box) and waiting for baby to complete it (by putting the block in the box). In shoving, you actually move the baby's hand to complete the action, while shaping requires you to break the task into manageable parts (for instance, taking a block out of the pile and putting it near your baby if you want him to grab it). Unless you are sure that the baby knows how to do the task at hand, it's best to "shape" his activity rather than showing or shoving. Wait for a break in his activity, then remove one or more facets of difficulty (for instance, bring the block closer so he can concentrate on picking it up). Then stand back and let him complete the task on his own.

Intellectual Development

Nobody understands me! could be the cry of the 8-month-old. Around this time, your baby begins to experiment with different sound combinations instead of repeating the same noises over and over. He's "talking," mimicking the mouth and jaw motions of true speech. Even though you may not have a clue what he's trying to say, be sure to respond ("Really? That's great!") and give him lots of encouragement. Remember, also, that his greatest motivator is the desire to imitate you. The more you talk, read, and sing to your little one now, the more likely it is that he'll soon be talking and singing, too.

Note: The information above offers general guidelines, but all babies develop differently, and few hit their milestones precisely when the conventional wisdom says they should. If your child was born prematurely, you may want to use your due date as a baseline for following baby's development.