Your baby’s first birthday, he’s stepping into toddler hood.  This is a good time to reflect how far your baby has come since her birth.

By their second birthdays, most of them are losing that ‘baby’ look and growing taller instead of rounder. Babies this age are developing a real personality and will reward you with a delightful sense of humour, smiling faces, and affectionate hugs. She loves to express affection and delights in being loved.

Sleeping
Generally between the ages of 1 and 2, a toddler requires about 10 to 13 hours of sleep a day. Two to three hours in day time and 9-10 hours at night. From about one year, your toddler will settle down to sleep much more happily if the whole process of going to bed follows a routine. Babies love routine and rituals. Start the routine in the same way every evening, by giving a bath or if she does not care for it much, give a bed time feeding if she still has one or lie close to her and pat her rhythmically so as to relax her. Any time between 7 pm to 9 pm would be suitable. Position your baby’s favourite soft toy next to her while she’s sleeping. Just make sure your toddler is getting enough rest. And remember that every child is different, some need up to two hours more or less sleep than others.

Feeding
By about 1 to 2 year old, your toddler should be moving towards eating the same food at mealtimes that the rest of the family are having. Although she may still be getting half or more of her daily calories from breast milk or formula, regular table food is helping to balance out her diet. Some toddlers may show a decreased appetite about now. In the second year of their life, baby’s growth is slowing down and they may add only about 3-4kgs of weight. Teething also can make your baby lose interest in food. Try to strike the right balance between letting her eat when she’s hungry and letting her pick at her food when she’s not. Don’t force food on her, but maintain control over her nutritious and healthful snacking between meals and breastfeed as often as your child wants and continue until a baby’s second birthday.  Although you can now start to offer foods you’ve been withholding milk, citrus fruits, egg whites, be on the lookout for any allergic reactions. Provide fruit or unsweetened yogurt for dessert at meals. Cheese is excellent too, because it neutralizes the acid that forms in the mouth and attacks tooth enamel. Take care to avoid foods that cause choking such as popcorn, hard candies, chunks of carrots, grapes, raisins and whole nuts. Cut or finely chop such foods, or simply wait until your baby gets older.

Height and Weight
While developmental growth is going full speed ahead, physical growth slows down during this year. After her first birthday, your toddler won’t put weight on steadily. He/ she may gain only 3-4kgs this year.

An average 15-month-old girl weighs about 22 pounds (10kgs) and stands 31 inches tall. Boys tend to be about a pound heavier at 15 months but about the same height. By age 2, both will stand about 34 inches tall and weigh about 27 or 28 pounds (12-13 kgs) on an average. Your toddler’s head size will also more or less remain steady. He’ll probably add about an inch to his head circumference, bringing him closer to his adult head size.

Physical Changes of your baby

Movement
Crawls well, stands alone, sits down. Towards the end of this year, your child may grow confident and skillful enough to go up and down the stairs alone, by holding onto the railing.

Touching and Holding
Likes to push, pull and dump things. Holds crayons. He may scribble,  but with little control. Turns pages in a book. Feeds self with spoon, waves bye-bye and claps hands. Rolls a ball. From about 18 months your child will be able to build a tower of four or even five blocks. Plays alone on floor with toys. Your baby will be fascinated by pictures long before she can talk, and will love looking at books.

Talking and Hearing
Says “hi” or “bye” if reminded. Says 8-20 words you can understand. At about 18 months of age, babies realize that words does have a meaning. When you ask him, he’ll point to objects or pictures and hand them over to you. He even points out his eyes, hands , nose, mouth etc if you teach him. By the age of two he may be able to say two words together such as ‘me go’, ‘wha is’ and will know about 200 words in all.

Social Development
Imitates others, especially by coughing, sneezing, or making animal sounds. At around 18 months of age, he wants to do things by himself and starts to say no and means it. He may imitate you doing chores. Enjoys an audience and appreciation. Becomes upset when separated from his loved ones.

During these months you will see your baby develop into a real personality. Although there are toys aimed at this age group, he needs and loves, people most of all. When he is awake, talk to your baby about everything you do and praise any sound he makes,  smile and respond to his facial expressions. There is no need for expensive toys.  Toys like rattles, bright picture books or any ordinary, safe objects which stimulate the senses, with colors, texture, sounds and smells serve the purpose just as well.  Position old postcards and photographs or a child’s non glass mirror near him, so he can look at and smile at himself.  A rattle in his hand can keep him engaged for a long time.

While babies may progress at different rates, the following are some of the common milestones your baby may reach in this age group

Feeding
Your baby’s digestive system is incapable of absorbing and digesting solid food until she is at least three months old, so feed her with breast or formula milk until then. By the time your baby grows closer to age 6 months you will find that he is no longer satisfied with the bottle or breast feed alone and may feel hungry very soon after a feed. By 4-5 months you can slowly start introducing solid food.

How to introduce solid food
Always begin with one to two teaspoonfuls of food. Gradually increase the amount of food depending on the baby’s appetite. A small teaspoon of a grain or rice cereal, mixed with milk, purees of fruits or vegetables are good beginners. Do not introduce your baby to too many new flavours at a time. Introduce one food at a time and wait at least 24 hours before adding a new one. This way you can identify any particular likes or dislikes, as well as giving your baby a variety of tastes to try.

Pick a time when baby is hungry, but not starving.  You can either sit him on your lap or put him in a chair facing you. Put the spoon between your baby’s lips so that she can suck the food off.  Her initial reaction may be push the food away with his tongue. She may be surprised at the taste and sensation at first, so be patient and talk to her encouragingly.

She may quickly discover that she enjoys this new experience. If she pushes the food out, scrape it up and put the spoon between her lips again. When she is had about a teaspoonful of food wipe her mouth and chin and go back to her normal feeding. The amount and thickness of the cereal gradually can be increased. After several weeks most babies eat cereal twice a day. Always make sure the baby is sitting up to eat and drink.

Types of Foods
You can either prepare the food yourself or use a commercial brand of baby food. Once the baby has mastered cereals, other new foods can be tried. As a first taste of solid food, purees of fruit or vegetables, or a baby cereal are ideal. Bananas and papayas are easily digested. Do not introduce citrus fruits, orange, tomatoes, fish, berries, egg whites, spinach etc. Never add salt to a baby food as even a small amount of salt can cause dehydration.

Yoghurt is also good for your baby. Mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, corn and peas are all good. Mashed bananas, pears and apples or apple juice are appropriate fruits for the baby. For oils and fats, you can use cooking oil, butter and margarine.

Sleeping

* Begins to sleep longer at night.
* Sleeps lesser in the daytime, naps 2-3 times a day.

Physical Changes of your Baby

Movement

* Can roll over by 5 to 6 months
* Can sit unsupported
* Swings out arms and legs when placed on the abdomen
* If  held in a standing position, begins to support the body with the legs.

Touching and Holding

*Plays with hands and feet
*Moves objects from one hand to the other.
*Looks, reaches, grasps, and mouths objects in a swift and accurate sequence of movements
*Explores 1 object at a time
*Increases his use of fingers to touch, hold and examine objects
*Move arms up and down and side to side: hitting, waving, patting, and shaking
*May hold out arms to be picked up.

Seeing

*Your baby now watches what is going on in all parts of the room, distant vision improves.
*Shows interest in colours
*They enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror.
*Looks at small objects
*As reaching and grasping improve, babies spend more time looking at objects they hold
*Babies enjoy looking at facial expressions and recognises people

Hearing

*Sounds have more meaning for your baby.
*He knows the differences between angry, happy and sad tones of voice.
*Babies hear the differences between one speech sound and another.
*Your baby is getting better at finding where sounds come from.
*He likes to hear himself talk.
*Babies like to be talked to in a special way
*Your baby sometimes ignores you when you talk

Making sounds

*He becomes more expressive and will imitate sounds
*Your baby coos, gurgles when looking at interesting things or when talked to.
*He laughs and squeals
*By 6 months, he can make single syllable sounds such as ma, ba, da etc

Height, Weight and Head circumference:
While all babies may grow at a different rate, the following indicates the average for boys and girls. There is no cause for alarm just because the timing of a child’s development is slightly different. Average weight gain is 0.57 kilograms each month and by 6 months, a baby must have doubled his/her birth weight.  Average growth in height is ½ to 1 inch each month and head circumference, about ½ inch each month.