Jessica Gibbons of Boise, Idaho fondly remembers the first time her daughter showed that she recognized her mother's voice. "She heard my voice and started kicking her legs wildly because she was so happy to see me," Gibbons says.

Strengthening and Controlling Muscles
In the first few weeks, many parents are faced with a grandparent's waggling finger and nagging words, "Be sure to support her head!" Your baby's head is like a bowling ball sitting atop a twig. She's been floating around in amniotic fluid up until birth, after which an amazing force was introduced: gravity. Gravity is something she'll have to contend with if she is to gain head and neck muscle control.

"Developing neck strength becomes one of the important developments in the first three months of life," says Dr. John Tedeschi, chief of pediatrics at Virtua West Jersey in Voorhees, N.J. "By the end of the first month, a baby's movements, which have previously been very jerky, become more mature and their muscle control improves. The baby's neck muscles will also develop more rapidly, giving the baby more head control."

Dr. Andrea C.S. McCoy, associate professor of pediatrics and medical director at Temple University Children's Medical Center in Philadelphia, Penn., explains how quickly this control occurs.

"As a newborn, a baby can usually lift his head while lying on his belly only briefly," she says. "But by 2 months of age, a baby should be able to lift head and chest up while lying on the belly and sustain the position for a minute or more. While holding the baby at the shoulder, the head will be steady, but still requires some support."

How long should you support your baby's head? "By the fourth month, a baby will be able to hold his head and chest and support himself on his elbows. A parent's diligence in regards to supporting the infant's head can then be more relaxed," says Dr. Tedeschi.

Your baby may also begin bearing weight on her legs sometime before the third month. Gibbons' baby seemed to have a knack for standing before her third month. "It got to where we could get her to stand on our lap only holding her by the bottom part of her legs," she says. "Boy, could she stand straight and tall! It always amazed me that one so little could have such strength in her body."

Honing Motor Skills
In addition to head and neck control, your baby may also kick his legs purposefully and begin bearing weight on his legs when placed in a standing position before the fourth month. These body movements mark the first of many gross motor skills your baby will develop in the coming months.

Rolling doesn't generally begin until the fourth month, but "some babies will do this sooner, so it is good practice to never leave a baby unattended on a changing table, bed, sofa or other high surface, even as a newborn," advises Dr. McCoy. "Propping pillows around will also not prevent a baby from rolling to the floor."

Another way to prepare for rolling maneuvers is to allow your baby to have plenty of tummy-time. This also helps your baby strengthen her muscles and develop the head control discussed earlier. McCoy recommends placing your baby's arms in front of her head while lying on her tummy so she can prop herself up and use her arms to propel rolling.

In the fine motor department, your baby is making incredible advancements in the first few months. Your newborn has a very strong grasp reflex, closing her hand around anything that touches her palm. But your baby quickly discovers her first "toys" and begins using her hands with more purpose. "After two months, babies open their hand, look at it, discover it is always there and bring it into the mouth," says Dr. McCoy. "They also learn to use the hand to reach, bat at objects and purposefully grasp things."

Emerging True Smiles and Giggles
Sometime during the second month, your baby will begin to smile responsively. Before that time, your baby's first smiles "are generally during sleep and are reflexes in response to some unknown impulse," says Dr. Tedeschi.

How will parents know when they see a real smile? "They will know it is real if they can reproduce it by doing the same thing, whether it's a smile, talking to the baby or something else," says Dr. McCoy.

"My daughter's first real smile was when she was 5 weeks old," says Gibbons. "I had been trying for days to play with her and get a response. So I was playing a version of Peek-a-Boo with her and when I would get to the 'boo' part, I would say it in a very high pitched voice. After several days of trying I was getting discouraged and thinking, does my baby just not like me? Well, the very next day when we tried it again, she gave me her first smile. My heart was so full that it felt like it would burst out of my chest."

Dr. McCoy says that by 3 months of age, many babies are starting to squeal and may even giggle, "which I think is the most exciting noise you will ever hear your baby make," she says. But true belly laughs aren't expected before the fifth month, and some perfectly happy babies won't laugh until after their sixth month.

Your baby's smiles and laughs are like windows into her soul. Gibbons explains, "They look in your eyes, and you know they really see you, and then you see the pure joy that overcomes their faces."