Baby Milestones in 6-Month-Olds

That baby name it took you nine months to pick out? (Or the one you knew you'd use since you were 11?) Well, your baby might just be figuring out it belongs to her! Some time soon, you'll be calling her by name and she'll actually look in your direction—a baby milestone. Awesome! Now if you can just convince her to keep it—instead of changing it to Glismoda when she's 15 and totally gothed out.

What You're Thinking: "We are baby-naming geniuses! And she knows her name! We've obviously given birth to a genius, too!"

• Pick up some colorful, bright baby books with big pictures. Babies at this age are very interested in seeing big pictures of other babies' faces. Look for books with big pictures of babies making different expressions: laughing, pouting, crying, eating ... Sure you get to see those baby expressions plenty, but your baby spends most of his time looking at grown-ups laughing, pouting, crying, eating ...
• Your baby doesn't even care if books have words yet, so you can make up your own story and wait a few more months before you memorize Guess How Much I Love You.
• When you give your baby a book, the first thing he'll do is put it in his mouth. No worries: Just give him sturdy board books and try not to stress as he happily drools over his Sandra Boyntons.
• Your baby may recognize his name now, and will turn to look at you when you call him. Now, if he'll just stay in that habit when he's 13 ...

• If you're breastfeeding: You achieved your goal of breastfeeding for six months! And your breasts survived!
• And if you're continuing to breastfeed: You made it to the six-month mark! And your breasts are surviving!
• You told your partner what a wonderful dad he is ... and the guy almost teared up!
• You realized that the urge to buy adorable baby shoes apparently never goes away ... but you did manage to bypass those super-cute baby jogging shoes at the mall. (Although it was only because your baby already has two pairs of jogging shoes ... and he can't even jog.)
• You've started applying the five-second rule to fallen pacifiers.

Even if you aren't spending much time hanging out in your garage or in the hallways, chances are your baby's going to end up exploring them at any given opportunity. Make sure they're safe for a curious crawler (and your eventual toddler!) by taking some steps to babyproof the garage and your halls and stairways. Read more ...

• What can I do to get my infant to eat her veggies?
• Baby Day Trip Essentials
• Coping With the Stress of Being a Working Parent

Do It: Row Low
Get those shoulders looking gaw-geous!
Buy it: Thermos Foogo Large Sporty Diaper Bag
It's a cooler! It's a diaper bag! It's ... both!
Cook it: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Mush both you and baby will love!
Discuss It: Chat with other new mamas and papas on our Baby Board.

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All babies grow and develop at different rates. So please don't compare your kid with so-and-so's baby from across the street—you'll just drive yourself nuts. If you have any concerns, bring them up with your pediatrician at your baby's next checkup.