This third month is a time of incredible growth and psychological development.

Some babies are not quite as fussy now that they have learned to feel safe in their new environment. In fact, this is the month when babies learn the important developmental lesson of trust by realizing that their needs are consistently - and quickly - met. At the same time, they'll start to consciously figure out that they can get your attention - wherever you are. Your baby's confidence will grow as a result -allowing her to focus on learning other important developmental skills

What you can do:

To encourage your baby's efforts at communication and development of trust, you can talk, sing and hum, play music, and read to your baby. Encourage everyone, including big brothers and sisters, to give your baby a good example to follow by pronouncing words clearly and using short sentences and simple words.

This month, some babies may:

• Bring their hands together and reach for nearby objects as their coordination skills develop.
• Consciously unfold tight fists.
• Suck on fingers as they continue to explore their environment with their mouth.
• Practice focusing their eyes by maintaining eye contact with you.
• Your baby's eyes are also continuing to develop. Although your baby has been able to see colours since birth, similar colour tones can be hard for newborns to distinguish, which is why they first prefer black and white. By now, however, your baby will be able to perceive colour differences more clearly, and will prefer bright primary colours.
• Babies' eyes can also now focus on very small objects, and they will begin to follow you with their eyes.
• In addition, as the ability to locate and recognize sounds improves, your baby will be able to turn toward the sound of your familiar voice.

The skills described above generally appear during the indicated time frame. But don't worry -all babies are unique and develop at different rates. Talk to your doctor if you become concerned about your baby's health and development - at any time.