Your baby will continue to grow rapidly during these months. The typical eight-month-old boy weighs between 17.5 and 22 pounds (8 to 10 kg). Girls tend to weigh half a pound less. By his first birthday, the average child has tripled his birth weight and is 28 to 32 inches (71 to 81 cm) tall. Head growth between eight and twelve months slows down a bit from the first six months. Typical head size at eight months is 17 1⁄2 inches (44.5 cm) in circumference; by one year, it’s 18 inches (46 cm). Each baby grows at his own rate, however, so you should check your child’s height and weight curves on the growth charts in the Appendix to make sure he’s following the pattern established in his first eight months.
When your child first stands, you may be surprised by his posture. His belly will protrude, his rear end will stick out, and his back will have a forward sway to it. It may look unusual, but this stance is perfectly normal from the time he starts to stand until he develops a confident sense of balance sometime in the second year.
Your child’s feet also may look a little odd to you. When he lies on his back, his toes may turn inward so that he appears pigeon-toed. This common condition usually disappears by eighteen months. If it persists, your pediatrician may show you some foot or leg exercises to do with your baby. If the problem is severe, your pediatrician may refer you to a pediatric orthopedist.
When your child takes his first teetering steps, you may notice quite a different appearance—his feet may turn outward. This occurs because the ligaments of his hips are still so loose that his legs naturally rotate outward. During the first six months of his second year, the ligaments will tighten and then his feet should point nearly straight.
At this age, your child’s feet will seem flat because the arch is hidden by a pad of fat. In two to three years, this fat will disappear and his arch will be evident.