It’s your baby’s half birthday, and you are likely celebrating six of the best of months you have ever experienced. Enjoy this time with your spirited little one! Six month old babies are so observant that they will probably respond to their own names, and even look around the room for familiar people. This month you can no doubt look forward to some of the biggest baby milestones… eating, sitting, and maybe even creeping and crawling. Babies this age may only have a ten-second attention span, but you can start to introduce more routines and daily rhythms.  It’s the perfect time to start a nightly story book, even if you only make it through one page!

At six months of age, your baby may…

Love the mirror. If you haven’t already set a mirror down in your baby’s play area, now is the time. She will probably love looking at herself, and may even spend a few minutes at a time giggling at her own reflection. Get down on her level and pop your head in and out of the frame, and get ready for squeals of delight!

Sit without support. While six months is just an average, right around now your baby can possibly sit for a few minutes without any support. He might even be able to get out of the tripod position, and use his hands to play with or grab toys while seated. Sitting unsupported opens up a whole new world of play time possibilities.

Take turns talking. If you have been keeping up a running commentary with your baby for the last few months, you might notice that around this time, she starts to talk back. Try having a mock conversation. Chances are, she will fill in the pauses with adorable baby babble, her very own way of telling you all about her busy day.

Pass an object. While your baby has been picking items up for a few weeks, now is the time when he can probably pass a toy between his hands. This development shows super strides in hand-eye coordination.

Raise up on all fours. Since your little one has likely been rolling for a few weeks, this might be the month when she gets up on all fours. She probably won’t crawl yet, but she might rock back and forth, the very last step before crawling takes place.

Belly creep. Some babies figure out another technique to get around, while others skip this stage and go straight to crawling. If your baby does try to use his feet to push off the ground, he may find that he can creep around on his belly. It’s a pretty efficient way to get from point A to point B, and your little guy will master the belly creep in no time at all.

Eat solid foods. Many six month olds are ready to start eating solid foods. Purees, finger foods, or tiny table foods may all be a part of their daily diet at this point, and baby will loudly let you know which ones are a favorite flavor!

Bounce with support. If you hold your baby up at this point, odds are he will be able to bear the majority of his own weight on his legs. He may even use his strong muscles to bounce up and down when in this upright position.

Drink with a straw. This milestone is extra exciting for those babies who never took to a bottle. Right around 6 months you can start to introduce a straw cup with a bit of water, formula, or breastmilk. Your baby might not figure it out at first, but within a few days, the straw may become second nature.

Ask to be picked up. Before now, your baby presumably let you know when she wanted to be picked up with a loud cry. However, these days she can likely lift up her arms when you pass by, signaling that she needs a quick cuddle.

By six months old, your baby is becoming more aware of themselves, and their surroundings. Sensory exploration is exploding during your baby’s sixth month, so take advantage of their curiosity and let them feel a few new textures every day. If you are longing for a way to better communicate with your six month old, now is a good time to start using some simple sign language, which your little one will likely pick up with ease. You can further encourage language development by making animal sounds, singing silly songs, or just chatting with your baby about what you are doing each day!