Our babies' development week 9

On Tuesday Kaden and Kaleiah will be 9 weeks old but, because they are preemies and were born over 4 1/2 weeks early, they are only 4 weeks old developmentaly.

Here is what an actual 9 week old is doing:

Physical Development

As your baby passes the two-month mark, she's gaining coordination and learning to control her muscles; newborn reflexes like the Moro (startle) reflex are being replaced by voluntary actions. As a result, she may appear to move less, but this is only because her movements are smaller and more controlled. In the next month, she'll learn to exercise her arm muscles by batting at toys as well as performing the "baby push-up," pushing up with her elbows or hands when she's lying on her tummy. She may even start to roll over.

Here is what a 4 week old is doing:

Physical Development

What a difference a month makes! Your baby has lost his newborn appearance and can even hold up his head for a minute or two. He's beginning to discover his own body, especially the hands, which fascinate him as he moves them about.

As a general rule, motor development proceeds from head to toe. The first milestone to be reached is control of the head, followed by the body, the arms, the torso, and the legs. At this point, most of your baby's responses are still reflexive; for instance, his hands are held in a tight fist, and he'll reflexively grasp anything put into his palm. This will change in the next month or two, when movements start to become voluntary.

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