Although Arta is sleeping longer at night, it may be a while before he stops waking at 6 in the morning; but don't bother trying to keep him up later at night in the hopes he will sleep later in the morning - that generally doesn't work at this stage of development and you'll just wind up with a tired, cranky baby. He might be able to entertain himself for a few minutes in his crib after waking, but for the most part, he will be anxious to get everyone in the household up and started on a busy day of playing. Sometimes the best way to allow other family members to sleep longer in the morning is to move Arta farther away from the other sleeping members of the family.

Are Arta's naps getting shorter and less frequent? At this age many babies begin to sleep less and play more during the day and are happy to take three or four naps of about an hour a piece. However, some babies will take several shorter naps, while others will take two longer naps. The number and length of naps your baby takes isn't as important at this stage as the total amount of sleep your baby is getting in a 24 hour period. Arta should be getting approximately 14 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. If you don't think your baby is getting enough rest, check with your doctor.

Arta is figuring out who's who in the world and likes Mom a lot more than most others, and may start to feel insecure in the company of strangers. As a result, you may notice Arta is becoming more selective with his smiles - strangers are not welcomed as readily as they once were. Arta is also starting to develop preferences. Your little one may reach out for his favorite toys and turn from those he doesn't like. He may also become attached to one toy more than others and rely on it for security.