Your baby is just about to celebrate his/her first birthday. As a parent, it would be a great moment to rejoice and celebrate what had been a memorable year. By this time, your baby would be different from the one that was born eleven months ago. He/she would have stopped the incessant crying and sleeping pattern. More of his/her time would go in discovering the newfound world around him/her. As a parent, it is important to remain realistic of what to expect. No two babies are the same and it is important to be realistic of your expectations. Above all, savour the moments.
What most babies can do
By the turn of the first year, most babies would try and get up on their two feet. They may try this either with the help of some support. It is important to be careful about where you place your ladders and stuff like that. At this age, the baby is learning to make maximum use of his/her limbs. Also, he/she should be able to shift between postures in a smooth and seamless manner. Once the baby is a year old, he/she is driven by curiosity. He/she would try and climb up anything possible. A walker or a similar device should replace the crib around this time.
Around this time, the diet of the child very closely resembles what adults eat. The same diet can get monotonous for your baby and thus it is important for you to introduce subtle changes in the diet from time to time.
Besides, crying is no longer the only form of communication for the one year old child. He/she may resort to physical or verbal disapproval on certain things. Besides, the baby can resort to tantrums to get something he/she wants. Separation anxiety is other area to be watched out.
What some babies can do
Another important trait of a baby of this age is the communication. A fully functional vocal response may develop by now. His/her vocabulary should expand to scores of words. In some cases, the development of voice may be more pronounced than other. Such cases are marked by remarkable vocabulary and pronunciation. Some of the babies may even be able to control their toilet systems in a rough way.
What few babies can do
After the first year, physical growth takes off. It can be surprising for you as a parent to realize how quickly your baby is growing. Most of the early part of development is concentrated in the development of the brain. Of course, the exact nature and rate of growth would depend on many factors apart from the diet. Though it may take time for him/her to understand what is going on, a small proportion may get a good grasp on this. A very small percentage of children would be able to walk unaided or with very little aid. But this is a huge ask considering the average walking age is still a couple of weeks away.
