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Month 6

As your baby learns about the world, he also learns about fun! And fun is what it's all about these days. Your six-month-old will love playing peek-a-boo, and he may be able to sort blocks or other toys by size. His fine motor skills are developing, too. Some of his new tricks may include transferring a toy from one hand to the other, banging objects together, and reaching for a toy using only one hand.

He may also: Wake up happy Holds out his arms to be picked up Sits alone briefly Rolls from his back to his stomach Pull his feet to his mouth and play with his toes Looks momentarily for a dropped object

By now, your baby should make lots of different sounds too. He will laugh, gurgle and coo with people that are familiar to him. He will look towards new sounds, and react to voices. He may also start to babble, just to get your attention! Babble back to him - you may feel silly using 'non-words', but to your baby it will all make perfect sense!

The infection-fighting antibodies that your baby was born with are beginning to diminish. Your baby may begin to get colds, particularly if they have older siblings, or are exposed to other children in day care. Attempting to keep your baby's hands and toys clean may be a losing battle.

Fevers are very common in childhood, and are usually caused by an infection or some other illness. It isn't the degree (or height) of your child's fever that represents how serious the illness is, it's your child's behavior. Sometimes a child with a minor infection will have a high fever, while a child with a severe infection might show no fever at all. You can check for a fever by taking an oral temperature, a rectal temperature, or an axillary temperature under the child's armpit (although axillary temperatures are not generally that accurate). Also available are thermometers for measuring temperature in the inner ear - these are the easiest to use on babies. If your child has a fever of over 39 degrees Celsius or 102 degrees Fahrenheit, it is very important to contact your doctor.