Only a few weeks shy of his or her first birthday, your baby's no longer a helpless infant who can't do anything without you. He or she still needs plenty of care and support, but a growing independence – evident in solo standing, stooping, and squatting – is becoming apparent.

Your baby may walk while gripping your hand, and will hold out his or her arm or leg to help you during dressing time. At mealtimes, your baby may be able to grip a cup and drink from it independently (though some children may not do this for a few more months) and eat an entire meal without your help.

Once your baby's able to drink from a cup independently, you may need to start ducking, because he or she is just as likely to toss it when finished as to put it down gently.

Your baby will also purposely drop objects for someone, probably you, to pick up. If you get tired of this dropping game, take away the object for a few minutes and try to distract your baby with something just as enticing, such as a fun game of peek-a-boo.

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