Your 9-month-old's development: Week 2

Memories

By this week, your baby will start to remember more specific information, such as where her toys are in your house. She'll also be able to imitate actions she's seen as long as a week before.

These skills indicate that she has recall memory — the ability to remember some details of a specific experience for a short time — though she still doesn't remember most of her experiences. Long-lasting conscious memory of specific events won't develop until your baby's second or third year, when real language emerges.

Playing and learning

Your baby can now put objects in a container and remove them. Give her a plastic bucket and some colorful blocks so she can practice this new skill. (Make sure they're not so small that she can swallow them.) She also likes toys with moving parts, such as knobs, levers, or doors that open and close. Big plastic cars that your baby can wheel around on the floor are fun playthings, too.

If you take a toy away from her, your increasingly assertive baby is likely to object. She's really starting to be able to make her needs and wants known. Some sound advice: Give her something new before you take the other object away.

About half of babies this age will initiate passing games — giving away objects and then taking them back. Be her playmate. Try rolling a ball to your baby and see whether she rolls it back to you. Give her a sorting toy or stacking rings and see if she sorts or stacks or hands the pieces to you. She'll also like to share her food, so accept these "gifts" graciously.

Remember, your baby is an individual

All babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then soon. If your baby was premature, keep in mind that kids born early usually need a bit more time to meet their milestones. If you have any questions at all about your baby's development, ask your healthcare provider.

source: babycenter

Your 9-month-old: Week 2

How your baby's growing:

By this week, your baby will start to remember more specific information, such as where her toys are in your home. She'll also be able to imitate actions she's seen as long as a week before.

These skills indicate that she has recall memory — the ability to remember some details of a specific experience for a short time — though she still doesn't remember most of her experiences. Long-lasting conscious memory of specific events won't develop until your child is 2 or 3 years old, when real language emerges.

• Learn more fascinating facts about your 9-month-old's development.

Your life: Different parenting styles

Everyone has a slightly different style and set of priorities when it comes to raising kids. Still, it can sometimes be hard to hold your tongue when you see a parent doing something you wouldn't.

Remember that parenting methods are very personal and what works for you may not work for someone else. Also think about how you feel when you're criticized by strangers urging you to put a hat on your baby, or relatives who disagree with your approach to sleep or feeding routines. Ask yourself whether the thing that bugs you is even worth making an issue of. Often there's no "right answer," but rather, solutions that work best in particular situations.

Sometimes the best course, especially with a friend, is to agree to disagree. Try to avoid discussing the controversial topics and focus instead on whatever shared attributes made you friends in the first place. On the other hand, if that friend's approach affects your baby (because she or her child treats yours in a way that worries you — for example, her baby hits or bites repeatedly and she ignores the behavior), then you should talk about it. Ditto if you feel she's doing something that endangers her baby — she may not have the same information you do and may be unaware of the risks. Be honest and specific about your concern. At the same time, try to emphasize that you're bringing up the issue because you want to stay good friends. If she's unresponsive, you'll have to decide what's best for you and your baby.

3 questions about: Self-weaning

How can I tell if my baby is ready to wean?

Your baby may latch on for only a few seconds at a time. She may seem unengaged or become easily distracted while nursing. Don't be surprised if your baby's desire to breastfeed returns, though — developmental changessometimes lower a baby's interest temporarily.

Do all babies self-wean naturally?

Yes, eventually, but it's rare for them to do so before 9 or 10 months. At that point, a baby may show signs of self-weaning. You can prompt weaning when you regularly start giving your baby alternatives to the breast, including bottles of pumped breast milk or formula and solid foods. Your baby is considered weaned when she gets all her nutrition from sources other than your breast.

What should I do if my baby seems ready and I am too?

Decrease the number of breastfeeding sessions gradually, one at a time, and offer your baby alternatives. Start by eliminating any daytime feedings, then move on to the early morning feeding. Save the bedtime feeding for last. Try making the sessions shorter and offer your baby a snack afterward. Space out nursing sessions more, too, by postponing them. Distract your baby and she may forget and be satisfied with a bottle or cup of pumped breast milk or formula instead.

source: babycenter