What to expect

From ages 10 to 12 months, your baby is likely to enjoy:

• Improved motor skills. Most babies this age can sit without help and pull themselves to a standing position. Creeping, crawling and cruising along the furniture will eventually lead to walking. By 12 months, your baby might take his or her first steps without support.
• Better hand-eye coordination. Most babies this age can feed themselves finger foods, grasping items between the thumb and forefinger. Your baby might delight in banging blocks together, placing objects in a container and taking them out, as well as poking things with his or her index finger.
• Evolving language. Most babies this age respond to simple verbal requests. Your baby might become skilled at various gestures, such as shaking his or her head no or waving bye-bye. Expect your baby's babbling to take on new inflection and evolve to words such as "dada" and "mama." You might hear certain exclamations, such as "uh-oh!"
• New cognitive skills. As your baby's understanding of object permanence improves, he or she will be able to easily find hidden objects. Although your leaving the room might lead to crying, your baby will begin to realize that you still exist even when you're out of sight. You might find your baby imitating you by brushing his or her hair, pushing buttons on the remote control or "talking" on the phone.