Half a year has gone by already since you had your baby – the time can go so fast. Even though, with the best of intentions, you want to make the most of each day, you probably feel too busy sometimes to pause and just be in the moment. Try to make time to just enjoy your baby and become immersed in them. It is through these quiet, unhurried times that you will be giving your baby some of the most valuable nurturing they will ever receive.

Your little one is gaining more and more independence now, learning how to use the body and control movements. This means there is bound to be some spills and tumbles as they perfect their skills in becoming better coordinated. Finding the balance between being protective but still allowing them to explore, can be really difficult. Make sure the areas where your baby plays are safe and child-friendly. For the next couple of years, you will need to place precious items up high and ensure heavy objects are secured. Although baby-proofing your home may change its appearance, it is far more important to have a safe environment, where you feel your baby can play safely.

It's time to say Happy Birthday and celebrate that your baby has officially moved from being a baby to becoming a toddler. Although it may not seem like it, a whole year has passed since your baby was born. Remembering life before children can be almost impossible, but you can be sure that, in spite of all the changes, your baby has added another dimension to your life.

This is the age of climbing for many toddlers who, once they have mastered walking, seem to want to see the world from a higher vantage point. Couches, chairs, benches and even bookcases will all provide an opportunity for your 16 month old to scale onwards and upwards on their sturdy little legs. You’ll be constantly surprised this month about how they interpret different household objects and the imaginative ways they’ll use them. Containers become hats; empty tissue boxes are really shoes and your handbag the latest “must have” fashion item to be paraded around the house. When you have a toddler in the house, everyday life takes on another dimension. They tend to be noisy little people too, with little consideration for other people’s needs or belongings. For a 16-month-old, what’s yours is theirs; what they want they get and there are no social niceties to adhere to.

Expect lots of chatter and talk from your toddler this month as they learn to expand on their range of vocal sounds and say a few simple words. Of course, their language won’t be clear just yet; they’ll still be talking in jumbled up words and sentences – as much to themselves as anyone in particular. They are likely to become shy though when faced with strangers and new situations. It will be at home, when they feel most comfortable and relaxed, that they will frequently practice their new verbal skills.

One of the signs of your baby’s good health is their growth. Your baby’s height and weight changes are important indicators for overall health.

Baby growth charts are used throughout the world and although there can be slight differences between each of them; their core information is very similar. For a long time growth charts have remained unchanged, but in the last few years there have been improvements to their design and the information they contain.

From nine to eleven months, babies are in basic training for walking. They're taking it one step at a time to gain the physical control and balance required to walk. They do it by building the muscles and motor skills that prepare them for those exciting first steps.

Separation anxiety is such a common experience for babies that it is considered one of the normal developmental milestones, though that doesn't make it any easier for parents to deal with.