Does anything interesting happen between 3 and 6 months?

[InMyChime]

Just asking, because reading the development calendars on here, it seems like nothing interesting happens developmentally in babies between 3 and 6 months. DS is 10 weeks now and we've hit most of the 3 month milestones - smiles, laughing, goo-goo, la-la sounds, attempts to crawl, slightly longer sleeps (4 or 6 hours) - but it seems like I'll have to wait until after 6 months for all the bigger milestones like weaning, talking, standing, crawling, recognising you, recognising himself etc.

So does anything interesting happen for the next 3 months? I'm not wishing his life away or trying to hit milestones early but he just seems to have a lovely personality, really smiley and sociable and talkative and I suppose I'm just keen to see more of that really rather than occasional glimpses. He seems to be independent and getting bored easily but can't do much yet so I'm at a loss as to how to keep him stimulated and active for the next 3 months - is it just a case of more of the same - gurgling, playing with some basic toys, 'tummy time' - but for longer periods every day?

They discover their hands.

not for my two
from 3-6mo they were too old to sleep all day, and too young to actually be able take an interest in anything much at all
they spent a loooottt of time going for long walks in the sling/buggy to relieve the frustration (theirs and mine).

He's doing the hand thing already though - staring at them, opening and closing them into fists, putting one fist on top of the other, interlinking them and grabbing (clumsily) for his rattle toy - or is there some other hand discovery stuff that happens after 3 months?

I hope I don't come across as some awful PFB pushy mother. I don't mind if it's just more of the same for the next 3 months but equally it seems like a long stretch of time for nothing particularly interesting to happen...
[taps foot impatiently...]

Enjoy the calm before the storm when they start charging around on their hands and knees headbutting the furniture.

I agree with Pretend, don't be impatient, otherwise the Gods will reward you with a late walker/talker and then you'll reeeeeeeeeeeeally have to wait ... just kidding...

Some can sit up from around 5 months. I can't remember the rest at that period (and mine is only 13 months!)

Mine sat up at 5 months, and started putting lots of things in his mouth. And rolled too but he was quite late with that

Rolling over. That's HUGE.

Much better than 0-3 months, imho. But still pretty dull.

Don't worry, you'll look back on these boring days & giggle incoherently smile because you didn't appreciate how good you had it.

I don't think you really see much of the persistent aspects of their unique personality until about 2.5yo.

My DD is 5.5 months and has changed loads since 3 months! She is more interactive now, more responds to us in new ways, looks around a lot, is interested in things, grabs stuff and puts it in her mouth, lunges for stuff slightly out of her reach, rolls over, seems to have more of a will, is well on the way to sitting up... although she was smiley and gurgly at 3 months it is like she's woken up since then and noticed the world!

But, it is small changes, none of the major milestones! Like yesterday I noticed her deliberately passing from one hand to the other, and last week she started exploring stuff with her hands rather than trying to put it in her mouth. Nothing hugely interesting to an outsider, but interesting to me.

Oh well, looks like it's more of the same with some minor changes over the next 3 months then! I'll just keep up the usual tummy time, basic toys and pretend conversations I suppose and try to appreciate the small bits of progress. Iit's just hard to grasp how everything takes so long for them and that it's not a linear progression of each day or each week meaning an obvious change, more like a vague tendency towards getting more mature in a very vague way!

You are right though, I shouldn't wish this time away. I was trying to get him interested in the Christmas tree today and he was vaguely impressed by the lights but didn't react to the bell chimes particularly or the baubles when I made them swing. Next year, I'm sure he'll be trying to eat the glass baubles, chew the fairy lights and wear the tinsel and I'll be longing for the boring newborn stage again...

Rolling over. That's HUGE.

esp if they do it before you're expecting and have therefore left them 'safely' on a bed!

Oh yes, Peek-a-Boo - a proper game! YMMV but IIRC before 6 months.

Yikes, 2.5 years until we see his personality become more established, lijkk, it's such a long time! It's not like I didn't 'know' this before we had our son but equally I didn't really know it in that the reality of the timeframe involved never really hit me until now.

Maybe it's just me because I was never really interested in babies as such, never had baby dolls etc but did and do want children, as in ready-made-with-their-own-personality 4 year old children. I have a long wait ahead of me... I mean, don't get me wrong, I enjoy being with DS and he's lovely but goo-goo ga-ga and playing with a rattle does get a tad repetitive after the 9 millionth time!!

[reaches for glass of red wine to numb the tedium]

Next year, I'm sure he'll be trying to eat the glass baubles, chew the fairy lights and wear the tinsel and I'll be longing for the boring newborn stage again..

seriously, you might want to avoid the glass baubles and maybe even the fairy lights for a year or two after this.

I don't think you really see much of the persistent aspects of their unique personality until about 2.5yo.

Not sure I agree ... it was obvious from about 3 months that DD had a GSOH and a determined character!

Yes, sorry, Grimma, I won't be letting him eat glass baubles or chew fairy lights of course(!). I just mean that I was thinking that a 1-year old would in theory be very interested in such things but in all the wrong ways if he were allowed to get at them. So he'll be more 'interesting' in a year's time but a lot more challenging...

I found 3 to 4 months to be an amazing time. As he was turning 3 months I was thinking - gosh this is boring, I can't remember (from DS1) when babies start to get interesting - and in that month he started to grab things, hold things, play with things, stuff his hands in his mouth, full-on belly laughs, smiling because he wanted to not because you are trying to make him, interacting with the world around him, and he rolled at the end of the month.

When you look back from the perspective of an older baby it seems like small stuff but at the time it is amazing and lovely to watch. Enjoy!

Oh and in terms of what to do all day- meet your friends in coffee shops and let the baby watch what is going on around him while you TALK and EAT CAKE and DRINK YOUR COFFEE, because (speaking as parent to a toddler too), this phase will be over soon enough and then you will never ever get to finish your sentances!

I remember reading somewhere that age 4-6 months is the golden age of babyhood. Because they are happy and content and fun to be with. Whereas if you find the very early days tedious, you might find the slightly later ones even worse... Repetitive is one thing, but repetitive and frustrated, screaming, tantruming... Enjoy the easy smiles while they last!
Other things to look out for, though my memory of that time is not too great:
-real tears
-proper laughing
-sitting up by themselves - DS sat at 5 months
-grabbing your food and eating it - first food ever, seems huge enough to me :)
If you do find nothing interesting happens, you can always use the time to read up on weaning so that you're ready for it when it happens. And shop for highchair, bowls, spoons etc. :)

Yup definitely. I think during that period we had real laughter, sitting unaided and 4 teeth. I think there are amazing developments all the time though; think what they're accomplishing in such a short space if time...