The 9 Biggest Baby Physical Milestones

Most parents of newborns cannot wait to personally witness baby physical milestones such as smiling, laughing, crawling and walking. These physical milestones are great to see because they show the development of the baby's physical, mental and emotional well-being.

PARENTING shared nine important baby physical milestones that will definitely make every parent shed tears of joy. Parents need to remember to be very patient with their babies because these milestones take time to develop properly.

Babies begin to smile at 8 weeks. It takes several weeks for a baby's nervous system and vision to mature enough to see its surroundings and respond with a social smile. "Smiling is a baby's first social skill -- he's picking up on how relationships work-as well as a signal of emotional growth," the article shared.

After two to three months, parents will start to see their baby rolling while flipping from back to front takes around five months. Parents should always make sure that their baby is always in a safe and secure place to avoid accidental falls.

Around the same time, a baby will also learn how to grab. This is an important milestone because it teaches the baby the function of its hands, how certain objects work and how to play.

Hugging is also common around this time. Babies do this with people they are comfortable with. They also like hugging stuffed toys and small pillows to feel warmer and more comfortable.

At six-months-old, most babies will start to play peek-a-boo. "When a baby understands the concept of object permanence -- that even though he can't see your face, it's still there behind your hands or his blankie-he gets a thrill from knowing that at any minute your smiling face will pop back into view," the article explained.

Sitting up usually happens around eight-months-old.  This happens when the baby's balance, arm strength, and head, neck and lower body control is developed enough. The baby's vision is also continuously improving around this time which will encourage the baby to pull himself up to see things better or to grab an interesting object.

Crawling happens at around six-10-months-old, just a short time after the baby learns how to sit. It might first slither on the surface while on its belly and eventually use the arms for crawling once they are strong enough.

Around eight-months-old, the baby will also learn how to get up on its feet while pulling on something. However, the baby will not be able to stand on its own and will always need to grab on something. A short time later, the baby's leg muscles and balance will be developed enough to stand alone without support.

Walking is learned at around 10-18-months-old. This is considered as one of the biggest baby physical milestones because walking requires balance, coordination, strength and a bit of self-confidence. "Your child's first steps are her first major move toward independence," Baby Center shares.