Baby Milestone Markers: 13th Month

Physical Development

• May still be crawling or “cruising” (shuffling sideways while holding on to a wall or low furniture) or may already be walking, though still a bit unsteadily. If she’s walking, she may still trip on uneven surfaces and sit down with a heavy bump after cruising or walking.
• Enjoys putting things such as blocks into containers then dumping them out.
• Able to perform “pincer grasp,” that is, using just the thumb and index finger to pick up small things. 
• Might be afraid to take a bath as she imagines lots of possible incidents such as soap getting in her eyes, slipping, etc. May also be frightened of some animals, too, whether or not she is exposed to pets at home.
• May be experiencing slow growth rate and possible loss of appetite as well as picky eating.

Cognitive and Mental Development

• Aware of object permanence, that is, if you hide a toy under a blanket, she’ll know that it’s not gone and it’s just hidden.
• Still in the “passive” phase of language acquisition, she’s just filing away the words she hears for later use, though she can probably say “Mama” and/or “Dada,”“bye-bye,” and maybe “ba” for bottle or ball.
• Communicates her needs with gestures and sounds, such as holding her arms out.

Emotional and Behavioral Development

• May behave unpredictably, such as scream for no apparent reason, hug another kid then suddenly bite or hit him. This is part of how she “explores” her surroundings and the objects in it (other people are also seen as “objects” at this stage).
• Has a “me first” mentality: doesn’t share her toys, snacks—or even you!— with other people, because at this point she still feels as if the world revolves around her. Also uses her “power” over you to make demands such as making you read to her, etc.
• May become upset when you leave her, even with familiar faces such as family and friends.

Photography by Jun Pinzon

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