Your baby starts developing from the moment they are born. At 1 month, cuddling, sleeping and feeding are all that really matters to your baby. Babies develop through relationships and play. Developmental milestones track changes in babies as they learn to move, see, hear, communicate and interact. Your baby's physical development is a thing of beauty and a source of pride. From sitting to crawling, walking to talking, smiling to laughing. They may cruise on furniture or hold your hands while taking steps. This is a major milestone, though babies may take that first unassisted step. Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye-bye” are called developmental milestones. 

The process of prenatal development occurs in three main stages. The first two weeks after conception are known as the germinal stage, the third through the eighth week is known as the embryonic period, and the time from the ninth week until birth is known as the fetal period. The five stages of child development include the newborn, infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age stages. By their first birthday, most babies sit without assistance, get into hands-and-knees position crawl, pull self up to stand, walk holding onto furniture, and possibly a few steps without support, use pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger) say “dada” and “mama”, and uses exclamations, such as “oh-oh!”

By 2 months your baby will have discovered their fingers and hands. Your newborn's head will be wobbly at first and movements will be jerky. But soon your baby will be able to lift his or her head and chest while lying on his or her stomach, as well as stretch and kick his or her legs in that position. If you offer a toy, your baby might grasp it and hold on tight for a few moments. They will hold their hands open and grab an object (although they don't know how to let go yet!) They might also clasp both hands together. 2-month-old babies will start to learn how to coordinate their movements.

Recent studies indicates that birth to age three are the most important years in a child's development. Three-month-old babies also should have enough upper-body strength to support their head and chest with their arms while lying on their stomach and enough lower body strength to stretch out their legs and kick. As you watch your baby, you should see some early signs of hand-eye coordination. Babies should be able to see objects and people from up to 18 inches away. That means you still need to get pretty close, but your baby will be able to see your face pretty well while feeding. She should also be able to follow movements when you walk close by. Baby's hearing is improving, too.

Baby girls will usually develop language skills sooner than boys, so you may see a friend or relative's daughter talking up a storm while your son, three months older, is relatively mute. That's normal, and these gaps narrow and eventually close as the children grow up. However, if you have a little boy in your household who seems to be lagging in his development, don't chalk it up to his gender. Bring it up with the pediatrician. In most cases, it's just a matter of new and anxious parents who are eager to see their child develop quickly. But in some cases, it's a matter of a child who needs intervention or who will need special accommodations in the future.

Your child's development is influenced by his environment and by the interactions that he has with others, as well as by his own internal factors.