Your baby is getting stronger by the day, and you’ve probably noticed them moving around faster than ever. Whether they crawl or bumshuffle their way around, their arms and legs are getting a good workout in preparation for pulling themselves up and standing on their own two feet.

Your furniture is set to get a whole new purpose as it becomes your baby’s support system for standing and cruising. Of course, not all babies will be quite ready for an upright view of the world yet. Some stand and even walk as early as 9 months, while others stick to all fours until at least a year and a half. Either way is perfect – they’re doing things in their own time so for now just keep a camera handy, because you never know when they might give it a whirl.

When they do get on their feet, they’re likely to be wobbly at first. Learning how to steady themselves using their arms is all part of the fun. Cranking up the volume on the music for a little baby boogie will help to strengthen their muscles and teach them how to move their body in different ways too.

It won’t be long before they’re ready for new upright challenges, like bouncing on a hold-on trampoline or climbing the steps of a slide. Always with a grown-up nearby of course.

As they approach their first birthday, most babies are around 25cm taller than when they were born. That’s a lot of growing! There’s obviously still lots more up ahead, and in fact you can expect them to double their weight between now and the time they turn 3.

They’re also becoming more child-like in their proportions, with their body starting to catch up with the size of their head. It’s no wonder they grow out of their clothes so quickly.

Another physical development that’s picking up pace now is your baby’s finger skills. As they gain more control over their hands and fingers, they’ll become fascinated with using them and finding out what they can do. A favourite activity is often to put things in a container, tip them out, and repeat!

Your baby’s improved hand skills and stronger wrist muscles give them just what they need for learning to feed themselves. With a bit of practice, they’ll soon be able to hold a spoon or a fork quite well and may even get some of the food into their mouth. It’s always wise to keep some cloths and wipes on hand because feeding time will probably continue to be messy for a little while yet.

As your baby becomes more mobile, they’ll need lots of energy to keep going and growing. And with more teeth coming through, they can enjoy a wider variety of textures including bigger chunks of food.

Their stomachs are still fairly small so eating healthy snacks in between their 3 square meals will give them the energy they need. A great start to the day is a bowl of baby muesli, served with your baby’s usual milk and some tasty fresh strawberries.