At 10 months, babies usually range from 26.75 inches long and 16.75 pounds (10th percentile), to 29.75 inches long and 22 pounds (90th percentile). Baby is becoming more mobile, and as a result, is learning to crawl more efficiently. A few infants can actually take their first steps this early. If your child doesn't start walking now, however, don't worry. Some babies wait to walk until after their first birthday. Early walking is not linked to higher intelligence or athletic ability. Although he may not be walking, you'll probably see him creep, climb, stand and balance as his muscles continue to develop. As manual dexterity and fine motor control continues to improve, your baby will be able to pick up very small objects with great precision.

• Roll a ball to you as his social skills and interest in play continues to grow.
• Go from lying to sitting without any help.
• Show a desire to please you as he becomes even more attached to you. The trust, love and connection between Baby and you are continuing to grow.
• Search for a toy after watching you hide it. Baby is beginning to understand object permanence—the idea that an object exists even when he cannot see it.
• Resist being put to bed or left alone as his attachment to you grows.
• Remember a favorite song, and laugh and smile when it's played.
• Express himself with gestures and sounds instead of cries.
• Use gibberish in a conversational way.

You may also begin to feel like you are playing a game of charades with your tot at this age. Pointing and acting out what they want is VERY popular now. Several babies can also sign quite well and will use their signs as a method of communication. Do not get frustrated if your baby is pointing to something and when you get it for them, they refuse it. It may be a game they are playing or they may be pointing at something else. Also, your little one may be pointing simply because they can. A new skill must be practiced over and over again before it is mastered. When they do point to something, tell them the word for it and ask “Do you want….?” This will help them to communicate and help them to establish a vocabulary and increase their linguistic skills. If possible, avoid baby talking to them, especially now as their language is starting to grow. Repeat the consonant sound to them that they make, but there really is no need to baby talk to them, as they are beginning to really understand what you are saying at this point.

You can provide your active baby with stacking toys: blocks, nesting boxes, and clean, empty food containers with no sharp edges. Some babies this age love pull-toys, and still really enjoy those age-old favorite games such as peek-a-boo and patty-cake. In addition, Baby will love having his own books to play with and look at (board books made of plastic or stiff cardboard are best). Also several babies are coordinated enough now to enjoy rolling a ball back and forth on the floor.

At this point in your baby’s development, you should be following their cues as far as eating is concerned. Most babies at this point are on some sort of table foods, others are on solely table foods, and some still eat baby food. Regardless of what your baby is eating, they should still be nursing, or receiving formula throughout the day. Although they may seem old enough and ready for cows milk, it really is not an appropriate choice for them yet. They still need the calories, fat and vitamins that is in breast milk and formula. If your child is eating table foods, simple recipes are best. They do not need all kinds of extravagant spices and garnishing. While they can eat them, and may like them, they are not necessary. Also, now it is important that your child have some opportunities to self feed. Give them an extra spoon and allow them to dip into the jar or dish to try to scoop up some food. Put a few small pieces of soft cooked food on their tray to allow them practice at picking up things. Cheerios are a good choice since they pose little threat of choking, dissolve quickly, taste great, and the right size for little fingers. Watch your child beam with pride as they get them to their mouth on their own. Follow your own instinct, your baby’s cues, and ask your pediatrician for advice on what your little one can and shouldn’t eat. Be aware, and make others aware, of foods that pose allergy threats, choking hazards and other things that are just not intended for babies.

• Chocolate
• Beans (kidney, navy, etc)
• Corn
• Nuts
• Peanut butter
• Egg whites (the yolks are OK)
• Seafood
• Citrus fruits and juices

Avoid these foods, especially if there is a history of allergies in the family, at least until your child’s first birthday.

Also do not give your baby HONEY. Many doctors recommend not giving babies honey until they’re a year old. Tasty as it is, honey can contain spores that cause botulism poisoning in infants. And although rare, botulism poisoning can have serious effects on babies. Again, talk to your pediatrician if you have questions or concerns.

As babies grow and expand their dining tastes, there are some foods that can be very UNSAFE for them to eat because of the choking risks they pose. While some of these foods may appear safe and not risky, they still can pose problems. If you or someone else feeds these items to your child, ensure that they are: cut appropriately for them, seated while eating them, and supervised by an adult that could save them if they were to choke. Below several foods are listed, along with tips in parentheses on how to make some of them safer, if you feel that your child needs to eat them.

• Raw vegetables, such as carrot and celery sticks (Steam them until they are soft and dice up)
• Grapes, cherries, and berries (Peel and Quarter them- cut in half the long way and then in half again)
• Raisins
• Hot-dog or other meat chunks (use only skinless hot dogs and quarter them -cut in half the long way and then in half again and then dice up)
• Any nuts, such as peanuts, almonds, and cashews
• Popcorn
• Hard candy, even suckers

These foods need to be chewed; if they aren’t, they could be swallowed whole and lodge in baby’s throat. As mentioned above, it is not recommended to give these items; the tips offered are solely advice on the safest way for ANY child to eat them.

Also at this point, you may begin to think about reducing the number of bottles that your baby has each day, if they take a bottle. Reducing the number of bottles will help you to wean your child off the bottle either by or shortly after their first birthday. By offering your child a cup several times throughout the day instead of a bottle, it will help that transition. If your child will not take the cup, do not push the issue. At this point it is still important that they have the breast milk or formula, so drinking it out of a bottle is ok. Many moms are still nursing, even if it is only once or twice a day, and some continue past the first birthday and well beyond. It is essential that you do what is best for your child and yourself. It is recommended that you nurse your child as long as both of you are still comfortable with it and accepting of it. It still is providing nutrition to your baby now, as they are not ready to switch to whole milk.

It is not likely that your baby will have a visit this month, but remember to write down milestones and concerns as they arise. This gives you a base for questions to ask at your next visit. Also feel free to contact your pediatrician if a concern arises, regardless if you have a scheduled visit or not. Sometimes a phone call can ease a month of worry.J

While it seems that the real baby proofing is done, it is important now that you reinforce the limits you have set with your child. Do not allow them to walk or crawl around with food in their mouths. Watch carefully what they put into their mouths, and watch for possible climbing and tipping hazards that may not have been as accessible before. Taking great care of what you feed them and how it is served (temperature, size, portions, etc) is of utmost importance. As your baby is getting older, you may be leaving them with sitters more often. Ensure that your sitters are knowledgeable about safety, choking, your child’s routine, and have had training in CPR, First Aide and the Heimlich maneuver.