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 walking while holding onto furniture will eventually lead to walking without support. By 12 months, many babies might take their first steps without support.
• Better hand-eye coordination. Most babies this age can feed themselves finger foods, grasping items between the thumb and forefinger. They might also be able to use a spoon. Your baby might delight in banging blocks together, placing objects in a container and taking them out, as well as poking things with a finger.
• Evolving language. Most babies this age respond to simple verbal requests. Your baby might become skilled at gestures, such as shaking the head no or waving bye-bye. Expect your baby's babbling to take on a new tone and evolve to words such as "dada" and "mama." You might hear certain exclamations, such as "uh-oh!"
• New cognitive skills. A baby's understanding that objects exist even when they're hidden will likely improve. This is called object permanence. Babies at this age can easily find hidden objects. Although your baby might cry when you leave the room, your baby will likely begin to realize that you still exist even when you're out of sight. You might find your baby imitating you by pushing buttons on the remote control or "talking" on the phone.