Your baby has been earth side for over half of a year already! As always, there are many new skills she is learning and, of course, she continues to grow and grow! Around this time, your baby will begin to discover "object permanence". She will realize that even though she can't see the object anymore that it is still there. Peek-a-boo and other games like this are lots of fun now! Because of this new discovery, if you haven't experienced separation anxiety yet, you very well may now. Your baby can recognize that you have left, and can hold a picture of you in her mind and miss you. These are big feelings for such a little person! Work to honor them as best you can. One of the ways many parents have been able to help their children with separation anxiety is to have a consistent routine to saying goodbye that she can count on (baby's love predictability). We can't always stay when our babies want us to, but we can work to help them through this difficult period with lots of love and understanding.
Anywhere between 4 and 12 months your baby may begin teething. You might notice copious amounts of drool, possibly rosy cheeks, or lots of "chewing" on things for counter-pressure. Teething hurts, and can be very disruptive for babies. She may not sleep as well, she may be more irritable, or, you may not even know she is teething until you see the actual pearly whites pop up! Many babies like cool things to chew on, and also a nice gum massage (rubbing her gums with a clean finger). Teething Biscuits are also often helpful, tasty, and great messy fun! One of the best things I found for my teething boys were Hylands Homeopathic Teething Tablets. There are no chemicals in homeopathics, and this remedy helps relieve the pain and also helps babies relax. You can find Hylands Teething Tablets at your local Health Food Store and some drug stores. Check out http://www.hylands.com/products/teething.php for more information.
Around 8 months or so, you may notice your baby exploring objects in new ways. Banging, opening, shaking, throwing, etc, are very fun for this age group! Many babies discover the game of dropping a toy and seeing what happens. Someone usually ends up picking up the toy to give back to her. This, of course, makes her very happy, and she does it again! This often becomes a blast for your baby, but not always for the person who is the designated "retriever"! But, since babies learn through experimentation as well as repetition, it is our job to be their "assistant" in this process.
Your baby's vision has greatly improved over these last months. While her short-range vision remains the best, the clarity and depth perception with which she can see are much like yours. Her long range vision has improved as well and she can now recognize people and objects from across the room. Her purposeful use of her hands is developing at this time, and you might see her working to master the "pincer grasp" (using your first finger and thumb) to pick objects up. She may also begin pointing at objects or people with that little first finger. Tell her the name for what she is pointing at so she can begin to relate words to specific objects.
As your baby rings in her 9th month, you'll likely see her sitting up for longer periods of time without support. She may begin to learn how to sit down from a standing position around this time also. She has begun to learn this as a result of pulling herself up to a standing position on pretty much anything possible! Because of their increased awareness of their world through her improved vision as well as her desire to explore, your baby is probably looking for ways to get around. Some are crawling now, some aren't. Some babies enjoy rolling from one place to another, and others scoot. Some just save it all up for walking! Each baby's journey to mobility is unique, but always exciting!
