When do babies start to hold their arms up to you?

Gannon doesn't do this. x( Sometimes he does extend his arms, but usually only when he is very upset. However, today when he was crying and I held my arms out to him, he pulled them towards him. Hmmm...

Also, what's with the baton-twirl hands? Does anyone know what I am talking about? Basically, imagine someone trying to twirl a baton, badly, *without* the baton. He has been doing this since birth, and I thought it was a normal newborn thing that he would grow out of...But he hasn't.

Any insight? Thanks!

[Sandy]

I can't remember exactly when Alexander started holding his arms up to me but I want to say it wasn't till around 8 or 9 months. As far as the baton twirling for Alexander it is usually a sign that he is excited about something. It is one of the ways he communicates that to us. He has only recently stopped doing that as he verbalizes more but every once in a while he gets so excited he still does it.
;-)


Sandy
mom to Alexander Thor 3/16/02

Oh my Gosh Joanne I read the (second half) of your post and burst out laughing! You see, Arielle did the same thing with her hands (*love* your description of it!) all the time and my mil would see it and go, "you know DH did the *same* thing when he was a baby". And she said this EVERY SINGLE time she saw it (which was a lot!). Made me feel so bad! It didn't hurt that apart from her blue eyes and curly hair Arielle looks nothing like me, and all like DH...But anyhow, I think she stopped baton twirling at about 8 months? Now my mil has other things to tell me that DH did too. :)

As for extending her arms, I also seem to recall it being sometime in June which would be during Arielle's 8th month. I *loved* it when she started to reach up, it's worth the wait!

-Rachel
Mom to Arielle Jill, 10/30/01
#2:) EDD 10/24/03

I bet he'll do it very soon. He is a week younger than Caroline, and she has been doing it for a while now. I hear you on the baton twirl too! Silly babies. I am definitely learning that there is no rhyme or reason to the things they do when... for example, Caroline rolled back to tummy at around 3 1/2 months, but did not go the other way until she was about 6 months and even then, it was not at all graceful... she looked like she would break an arm with her method. She now gets on all 4s and does all kinds of crazy motions, but cannot seem to understand the idea of crawling...

My DD has baton-twirl feet - we call it "twinkly-toes" or ballerina feet. She used to twirl them non-stop. Everyone comments on it - we think its cute. They were non stop twirling whenever she is sitting...she still does it now, but not quite as often. The twirling was probably at its height from 5 - 10 months - when she spent the most time sitting. Now (13 months) that she's crawling and standing and cruising, she doesn't have as much opportunity to twirl them, but she still does it in the high chair religiously- even if I'm not looking, I'll reach my hands under the high chair and feel her feet - sure enough, they're in motion.

It might be hereditary - apparently, according to DH, I twirl my feet in my sleep...

She didn't start reaching her arms out to me till she started crawling, abt 10 months. But she still doesn't do it all that often. Only when she's upset or tired, but she will crawl to me and pull on my pants and try to climb up my leg...I guess that's her way of asking to be picked up.

Joanne,
Sabrina has been doing that for a couple of weeks now. I'm sure Gannon is very close too (he's a week younger than DD), especially if he started pulling your arms towards him (that's how Saby started).
BTW...Sorry I didn't have a chance to e-mail you the recipes yet...it's been one of those days (with no sleep last night on top of it). I'll try doing it later tonight.
Annette
SAHM to Sabrina 6/24/02

I have twins - Molly and Patrick and Patrick does the baton twirling thing too. They were born June 27. 2002. Whenever I pick them up I say "up" and hold up my arms to try and teach them. Just remember every baby will do things at his/her own rate. I see this first hand. One baby will do one thing, the other won't for weeks. Of course I freak out daily that one is slower/faster than the other!

:)