Babies grow so quickly, and the changes occurring at the 5-month mark are just part of a long series of developmental milestones. Some of the exciting things this month brings are more movement, lots of sensory development and a real sense of actually communicating with your baby.
Physical Movement
The big physical milestone at around 5 months is the ability to sit up by himself. He will generally start to pull himself up to sitting from a lying position sometime during the fifth month. He's also moving around in place, rolling over and craning his neck to watch things around him. Hand and eye coordination are becoming more developed by 5 months, and a baby of this age can reach out and grasp some large things, though fine manipulation of small objects won't come for a few more months.
Emotional Development
At 5 months, a baby's smile will be a frequent occurrence, and she's starting to laugh at things she finds funny, like when mom or dad makes a funny face at her. She's also beginning to get the concept of love, and will start asking for hugs, kisses and affection in obvious ways, like reaching out her arms when she wants to be held and cuddled.
Hearing and Communication
A 5-month-old baby has a good sense of hearing and is starting to put together the idea of locating where a sound is coming from. He will turn his head toward new sounds. He may even be beginning to recognize his own name. He will also start mimicking sounds he hears and testing out his capacity for language, which could include his first utterances of "mama" or "dada."
Sight
As far as eyesight is concerned, a 5-month-old can track objects with her eyes and is becoming interested in colored objects, even ones with subtle colors like pastels. Her vision is also good enough to focus on small objects and pay close attention to whatever she's looking at.
Behavior
Sometime around 5 months, many babies start to exhibit stranger anxiety. They might become clingy when new people are around or get stressed in a place with lots of unfamiliar places. The good news is that babies at 5 months are also easily distracted, so frazzled parents can take the attention off the source of worry and get the baby focused on a new toy or a song.
