Between 8 and 12 months of age, babies become increasingly conscious that items have names and particular functions associated with them. Instead of chewing on or gazing at a toy telephone as they did in earlier months, they will now dial numbers and place the phone against an ear. They mimic adult behavior by attempting to drink from a cup, brush their hair, or eat with a spoon.
References:
Shelov, S. P. (Editor-in-Chief). (2004). Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. The American Association of Pediatrics. Revised edition. New York: Bantam Books.
