Congratulations! Your baby is now one year old!

By now babies have a growing sense of self. They perceive themselves as independent human beings. They are aware of their size, needs, and preferences.

By the time they turn one, babies are moving all the time: crawling, cruising, walking…however they prefer! Some babies may take a couple of steps on their own (most babies walk between 12 and 15 months). With some control over their world and the ability to move, babies rarely want to stay in one place. They will regularly discover new ways to move, like standing on tiptoe (using furniture as support), bending over, or transferring weight from one leg to another while pushing a chair.

Fine motor skills continue to improve significantly. During this month babies can confidently and accurately extend their hands to grab a desired object, moving their hand to use the right grip for that particular object. They will also be able to build a two-block tower after observing you do it.

The ability to think ahead and foresee expected reactions to their actions is more sophisticated. They are also able to match simple figures by shape (i.e., circle, square, triangle).