This is an exciting time for parents - in this stage, your baby seems to be making real progress toward communicating. Your baby will recognize Mommy and Daddy, laugh, squeal, and smile spontaneously. Your baby's personality begins to become evident, and he or she becomes a more active and alert member of your family.

How Does My Baby Communicate?

Crying will continue to be your baby's primary means of communication for many months. Aside from letting you know that he or she needs something (and perhaps even what he or she needs by the way he or she cries), your baby may cry when overwhelmed by all of the sights and sounds of the world. Sometimes he or she may cry for no apparent reason. Try not to get too upset when your baby cries and you aren't able to console him or her.

Your baby will respond to the sound of your voice by becoming quiet, smiling, or getting excited and moving his or her arms and legs. He or she will begin smiling regularly at mom and dad during this period. However, your baby probably won't smile and act friendly with strangers, but he or she may warm up to them with coos and body talk - or at least a curious stare.

Babies this age discover that they have the ability to vocalize: Soon you'll have a cooing and gurgling machine! Some babies begin to make some vowel sounds, like "ah-ah" or "ooh-ooh," at about 2 months. Your baby will "talk" to you with a variety of sounds; your baby will also smile at you and wait for your response, and respond to your smiles with his or her own. Your baby's arms and legs will move, and his or her hands will open up. And, your baby may even mimic your facial expressions.

What Should I Do?

Your baby loves to hear your voice, so talk, babble, sing, and coo away during these first few months. Respond enthusiastically to your baby's sounds and smiles. Tell your baby what he or she is looking at or doing and what you are doing. Name familiar objects as you touch them or bring them to your baby. Read to your baby; Even even at this tender age, it will help in the development of his or her growing brain. By listening to you, your baby will learn the importance of speech before he or she even understands or repeats any words.

Take special advantage of your baby's own "talking" to have a "conversation." If you hear your baby make a sound, repeat it and wait for him or her to make another. You are teaching your baby valuable lessons about tone, pacing, and taking turns when talking to someone else. You are also sending your baby the message that he or she is important enough to listen to. Don't interrupt or look away when your baby's "talking" - show your baby that you are interested and that he or she can trust you.

Babies this age seem to respond best to the female voice - the one historically associated with comfort and food. That's why most people will raise the pitch of their voices and exaggerate their speech when talking to a small baby. This is fine - studies have shown that talking "baby talk" doesn't delay the development of speech - but feel free to mix in some regular adult words and tone with the baby talk. It may seem early, but you are really setting the stage for your baby's first word.

Sometimes babies are not in the mood to talk or vocalize - and even babies need their space. If your baby turns away, closes his or her eyes, or becomes fussy or irritable, let your baby be, or just try holding him or her. He or she may need a break from all the stimulation in the world.

There will probably be times when you have met all of your baby's needs, yet he or she continues to cry. Don't despair - your baby may be overly stimulated, have gastric distress, or may have too much energy and need a good cry. It is common for babies to have a fussy period at the same time every night, generally between early evening and midnight. This can be very upsetting, but the good news is that it's short-lived; most babies outgrow it around 3 months. There are some things you can try to soothe your baby. Some babies are comforted by motion, such as rocking or being walked back and forth across the room, while others respond to sounds, like soft music or the hum of a vacuum cleaner. It may take some time to find out what best comforts your baby during these stressful periods.

Should I Be Concerned?

You may want to talk to your doctor if your baby seems to cry for an unusual length of time or if the cries sound odd to you. Your doctor will be able to reassure you or look for a medical reason for your baby's distress. Chances are there is nothing wrong, and knowing this can help you relax and stay calm when your baby is upset.

There are some communication milestones that your baby will probably reach during this period. Babies this age usually:

• pay attention to new faces and surroundings
• respond to loud noises
• smile at the sound of a parent's voice
• smile at other people by 3 months
• coo consistently by 3 or 4 months

Keep in mind that babies communicate at different rates, just as they mature physically at different rates. There is usually no cause for concern, but talk to your doctor if your baby misses any of these milestones.

Updated and reviewed by: Barbara Homeier, MD
Date reviewed: January 2005
Originally reviewed by: Steve Dowshen, MD