Sounds or crying

• By 8 or 9 weeks your baby may cry a little less by now, but will still need to cry tell you when he is hungry, upset or frustrated. Hunger cries are definitely louder and more forceful, while the frustrated cry will be less intense and a little "whiny" sounding. Pain cries are still very intense and will send you running to help your little one. Take time to learn these important cries and respond to them as quickly and lovingly as you can.

• Your baby can now convey happiness by cooing, gurgling, and squealing.

• By about 4 months (sometimes earlier) your baby will laugh out loud when he finds something amusing.
• When feeling uncomfortable or lonely your baby will tell you by crying loudly.

• You may notice by about 8 or 9 months of age your baby will burst into tears when you leave the room or a stranger approaches him. This is normal and these stages are known as separation anxiety and stranger anxiety. By crying loudly your baby is telling you that he needs comfort from you. This phase will pass - just be aware that your baby is communicating his needs to you.

• By 5 1/2 to 8 months your little one may begin making very simple syllable sounds like 'ma', 'da', and 'ba'. Respond by repeating them back to your baby. This encourages language development.

• From about 8  - 12 months your baby will begin to understand more words such as bye bye, kiss, or hug. Do the actions with the words so she can gain an understanding of what they mean.

Body language

• Use entire body to express feelings. When excited your baby will use quick energetic movements with his arms and legs.

• When your baby recognizes you are getting ready for something he enjoys such as eating or bathing, he'll use excited body movements accompanied by happy gurgling and cooing sounds.

• By about 4 or 5 months of age your baby will be learning hand-eye coordination. And will communicate what he needs by reaching out for it.

   "I want that"                          "Interesting"                                     "Okay...I'm done"

• Your older baby will also begin communicating with you by using her fingers to point at things of interest.

• Pulling on ears can mean either "I'm feeling tired" and sometimes indicates a sore ear if accompanied by a cold.

• Older babies who are sitting will indicate their interest in something by physically turning their head and eyes towards it. (See what I mean it does get easier to figure out what your baby wants as they get older!).

• Rubbing eyes still generally indicates that  "I am tired and ready for bed."

Eye-contact

• This is fairly similar to when they were newborns. Avoiding eye contact can still mean "I'm feeling tired" or "I just want some quiet time as I'm feeling overwhelmed." Seeking eye contact means "I need some attention" or "Is this okay?" or "I'm ready to play!"

Next: How to communicate with your baby

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