Your Baby's First Year ~ Month 5

Your baby is likely becoming a real social butterfly lately. He will thrive on attention and interaction from you and others. Over the next few months, he will begin to communicate his wants and needs in ways other than crying.

Your baby may now also show an increasing interest in his own image in the mirror, and may smile at his reflection! A good choice for a toy now is a baby safe, non-breakable mirror. He will actively respond to play, and will chuckle and laugh with delight. He may also be able to sit with support and holds his head even with his chest when pulled into a sitting position.

Many babies begin teething around 5 months. This can cause some babies pain or discomfort, but other babies seem to cut teeth with no fuss at all! The fact that a baby is cutting a tooth is often used to explain fretful or irritable behavior. Use caution -- believing your baby's behavior is due to teething may lead you to neglect a real illness. Be very careful if you use teething gels on your baby's gums. Many contain quite powerful drugs and if you happen to get too much gel in their mouths it can get into, and numb, their throats causing gagging.

Even though you've likely settled in fairly well to life with your baby now, things have changed and will never be the same again!