Physical Development

Some babies develop a fascination with water. Whether it's the bathtub, the toilet, or the dog's bowl, they love to splash in it, taste it, and get as wet as possible. If your child is a little water bug, be sure to follow these basic safety rules:

• Never leave children near any body of water unsupervised--including puddles, toilets, kiddie pools, buckets, or bathtubs. Children can drown in as little as an inch of water.



• If you have a pool, enclose it with a 5-foot fence with a self-locking gate. Your baby should have a life preserver with a flotation collar--never place her on inflatable toys or mattresses.

Social Development

If you have a dog or cat, your baby may develop a fascination with it at this age. Keep a close watch on any interaction--even gentle animals will bite or scratch when they feel threatened. Don't allow baby to pull tails or ears, and teach her to gently pet the animal. Never let pets sleep in the same room as your baby.

If you're thinking of getting a pet as a companion for baby, consider waiting a few years. A puppy may play too roughly, nipping and knocking her over. Babies have trouble distinguishing pets from toys, and pets don't always understand that babies aren't playthings. If you do get a new pet, choose one with a gentle disposition and make sure it doesn't grow aggressive through confinement or teasing.

Intellectual Development

Your baby's growing awareness of object permanence tells her that things that are out of sight must be around somewhere. She'll test this theory by hiding things and trying to find them. She'll also be able to find toys you have hidden (it helps if you let her watch while you're doing the hiding). If siblings have played hiding games with her before, she may return the favor by hiding their favorite toys and chortling happily when they can't find them. She won't understand when they aren't amused by this activity--after all, it was funny when they did it!

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.