2-3 Months Milestones
Gross and Fine Motor Skills
- Raises head and chest when lying on tummy
- Supports upper body and arms when lying on tummy
- Waves, kicks, and squirms when lying on back or tummy
- Opens and shuts hands
- Pushes down on legs when feet are placed on a firm surface
- Brings hands to mouth
- Swipes at dangling objects with hands
- Grasps toys or other objects when put in hand and shapes them
- Sustained grasp response
- Midline hand play
- Object manipulation
- Head lag on pull to sit
- Thumb in palm, fingers flexed (bent)
- Reflex hand/flaring open
Language/Oral Motor Skills
- Smiles at sound of familiar voices or sight of familiar faces
- Begins to babble
- Startles to loud sounds
- Says “ooh” and “ahah”
- Laughs and possibly squeals
- Suck/swallow reflex
- Tongue, jaw, and lips work as one unit
- Tongue movement in/out pattern
- Tongue is cupped to provide channel for backward movement of liquid
- Rooting reflex
- Phasic bite reflex
- Gag reflex
Personal and Social
- Begins to smile in response to someone else’s smile
- Enjoys playing with others and may cry when people stop or leave
- Becomes more communicative and expressive with face and body
- Imitates some movements and facial expressions
- Appears fussy at times, often at end of the day
Visual
- Watches mother’s face
- Begins eye focus and follows horizontally at 6″–10″ side to midline
- Has longer periods of focus; follows objects; learns to use eyes together
- Circular eye movement
- Visual response to environment and sound
Other Characteristics
- Watches faces intently
- Responds to loud sounds by becoming quiet and still, or with general body movements
- Follows moving objects
- Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance
- Looks at own hands, and stares with hands and eyes in coordination
- Stares at things a lot
