One of my favorite aspects of being an Atlanta, GA newborn photographer is getting to work with repeat clients. I get to see how their little one is progressing, how their growing, and hear about the milestones they’re reaching. It got me thinking…I wonder how many parents are wondering what milestones their little one should be reaching, and when? It’s a fairly popular questions apparently so I thought I’d do a little digging and give you the lay of the land!

These are the primary milestones to watch out for within your child’s first year!

From Birth Through the First 3 Months

Of course, this is what I have the most experience with as an Atlanta, GA newborn photographer. Although my photos typically take place within the first week!

The first three months though are really about your newborn getting used to this new world. They’ll likely be fairly stationary, but you may notice some of the following mini milestones:

• Focusing their eyes on far away objects

• Moving their hands and arms around

• Turning or moving part of their body toward a voice they recognize

• Reacting to things around them such as dropping a pot or pan on the ground

• Pushing down with their feet

From 4-6 Months

This is about the time your child starts to be considered a baby instead of a newborn. This is when they do things with more intention and less autonomy. You’ll likely start noticing they:

• Imitate noises that they hear

• Roll from their tummy to their back

• Use their forearms or their hands to push their tummy off of the ground

• Develop different types of cries for various needs (hunger vs dirty diaper)

• Are starting to grab at toys or small objects – fine motor development

• Crawling on their own (usually by end of 6 months)

 From 7-9 Months

From 7-9 months, your baby starts to gain some new levels of independence. They also start gaining control of their bodies. This is when a lot of physical milestones take place, including the following:

• Sitting up on their own (These are some of my favorite photos to take as an Atlanta, GA newborn photographer)

• Standing either on their own or using nearby objects to balance

• Some babies will start walking by 9 months, but this is dependent on the child

• Lifting their arms above their head to tell you they want to be picked up

• Responding to their name

• Noticing when something is missing such as a toy or a utensil they may have dropped

• Playing games like peek-a-boo (covering their own eyes)

From 10-12 Months

These last few months of their first year are when you really start seeing your little one’s personality shine. It’s also when they start making cognitive recognitions.

• Noticing when you leave and reacting to that event

• Using nonverbal cues to represent certain words such as waving for bye-bye

• Making noises to represent certain words (near the end of the first year)

• Following short and easy directions

• Find missing objects (such as finding a stuffed animal behind your back)

• Using their pointer finger and their thumb to pick up small objects (fine motor development)

• Walking fully on their own (distance will vary)

Final Thoughts on These Adorable Milestones!

Newborns and babies are much more independent than we tend to give them credit for. It’s this first year of life that really sets the tone for where they’re headed. Every little one develops at a different rate, and that’s okay! Just be sure you’re keeping an eye out for some of these to make sure your newborn is on track.

Don’t forget to capture them on camera during these stages! I’d love to be your Atlanta, GA newborn photographer and ensure you never miss a milestone! Let’s talk!