In the months to come, he'll learn to handle objects by using just the pads of his fingers, and he'll even use his index finger to point. Certain tasks require two separate actions, and your baby explores this capability throughout the second half of her first year. She may inspect a fuzzy ball by holding it with one hand and stroking it with the other. Later she'll use her hands in even more differentiated ways, such as shaking a toy with one hand while letting the other remain relaxed and steady. By the way, even though your baby uses her hands in different ways, it's still too early to tell whether she's a lefty or a righty.
Babies often favor one hand for a while, then switch to the other.
By 7 to 8 months, your baby may graduate to reaching for a toy with only one hand and discover that he can pass a toy from one hand to the other. Of course, the fun of picking things up can't compare to the fun of dropping them. As your baby's first year comes to a close, he may enjoy sharing his grasping skills with you, passing you a toy that you can then return. He'll also move on to exercising some of his larger muscles, with the added thrill of pushing, throwing, and knocking things down. It's an exciting time in a year that has held many surprising developments.