Tyler, the little grabber, is working feverishly at improving his grasp by latching onto anything and everything that he can get his little hands around. Tyler will want to touch, hold, turn, shake, and put in his mouth everything within his reach. If one object isn't interesting enough, it's likely to be pitched in favor of another. (He loves to grab long hair. He'll concentrate on it so hard and when you bend down over him, he'll snatch it right up! It is the cutest thing. Shelby doesn't like it so much, though. It used to make her pretty mad. But, I explained to her that he doesn't realize what he is doing. We just have to encourage him not to do that.)
Tyler may be beginning to display some distinct personality traits - is he quiet or a nonstop babbler? Is he outgoing or shy? He may also start to protest when it's time to put his favorite toys away as he is able to retain the memory of an object even after it's gone.
To encourage Tyler to make choices and practice crawling, try placing a toy just out of Tyler's reach so he has to move to reach it. He may also start pushing objects out of reach, either because he doesn't like the item, as a game to reach for it again, or so that he can get YOU to pick it up for him.
Although some friends and family may advocate feeding Tyler solids early to encourage him to sleep longer at night, you should feel confident if you decide to wait a little longer and continue nursing exclusively. Studies show that introducing solids before six months of age may cause your baby discomfort because his still-immature digestive system isn't quite ready for solid food. The end result is often less sleep, not more. Your little one will not be harmed by your decision to wait, and you'll both enjoy the final weeks of exclusive nursing.
The Twentieth Week In Your Baby's Development
http://tishblack.blogspot.com/2005/12/twentieth-week-in-your-babys.html
