We just hit 3.5 mos and all of a sudden, she's a little human! Looking at things, chatting away, reaching for toys (or anything in reach). So much more fun than the newborn stage. And we had a relatively easy newborn. It's totally worth all the sleepless nights to get those smiles. Hang in there, you're close!

Babies change so much in the early weeks/months, you'll start getting more interaction soon. But I agree with PPs who said 6 months. Sitting up is a game changer. My DH would say somewhere around 10 months/when they start walking. My DC is 2.5 and I think it just keeps getting better and more fun. Mobility and talking has its own challenges, but I find it much more interesting.

Op here.. to those who misinterpreted my meaning.. I adore the little lovebug and cherish the moments like when he sleeps on me, and makes newborn sweet sounds. But I also find this period stressful, the newness of everything. so I appreciate the many responses! I so look forward to smiles!!!!

Anonymous wrote:I think around 6 months to a year was awesome.

Agree then it's all downhill until about 4.

I always loved my child but I didn't think he was really "fun" until about 20 months or so. He was very happy and he was having fun from a young age, but he was also quite difficult and verbally delayed. Oh yes and an early walker/runner so there was a lot of chasing going on. Around 20 months when he started speaking and understanding speech, it got better. And at close to 2.5 he is a ton of fun. It's amazing to see him learn and absorb, and the fact that we can now reason with him (up to a point) is a big bonus. From about 2 years on it went from good to awesome and just keeps getting better. I enjoyed him as a baby but I'm really not a baby person so it was a mixture of love and duty. Now it is genuinely fun.

Smiles help a lot. Once they start sitting up, it's also a lot more fun. Crawling and walking are even better. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the baby stage in general. It's exhausting and hard to figure out, and you're seriously short on sleep all the time. Some people love it, but I didn't really start enjoying it much until my oldest was 1.5 years old. I'm enjoying it a bit more with my youngest as a baby this time, but I think it'll be more fun when I can talk with him and understand a little more of what's going on in his head.

8 weeks was an improvement because my daughter started smiling at me on purpose. 3 months was good because she started sleeping through the night. And at 4 months, she started getting more interactive and more interesting.

I thought 6-9 months was fun because they can sort of smile and interact, but can't move yet. Then once they start crawling you have to always be within arms reach so that they don't kill themselves, which is exciting but super stressful. Then around 18 months they start to be able to not kill themselves so much, so they're a little more fun. Then around 2 years old they get really fun and start saying funny things. Then around 2.5 they get so many feeeeeelings and the whiiiiining starts and they get to be less fun. We haven't hit the preschool years yet but I've heard that those are really fun too. But literally every stage is more fun than the newborn stage. Newborns are sweet and precious, but def. not fun. Takes a few months for them to fluff up a bit before the fun starts.

I liked ages 1-2 and 3-4 best so far with my now 5 year old.

The almost 8 month old has been a much easier baby so my perspective might be off for him, but he's so quick to smile and laugh so the slog of the earliest days just didn't wear on me so much.

When you decide that having a baby is fun. Its all mental.

I think 6-9 months is cute and sweet but not really fun.

I like 2+ when they can have conversations and do things

Anonymous wrote:4 months you turn a corner, 5 months is super cute, 6 months is fun, and it gets better from there. Newborns are boring and sleep deprivation sucks. Hang in there!

Agree.
3.5 months: They smile instead of glaring at you, and you're like "FINALLY!"
4 months: Then they coo, and you melt.
5 months: Then they laugh and giggle, and you're set for life...can it get better?
5/6 months: Then they sleep through the night! And you can go out without them melting down! And look at me now, I'm eating lunch in a restaurant!
7 months: they sit up, laugh, talk, eat food...

For me, I thought it was fun at 3.5 months-on. I loved the cooing and smiles and kicks. For my DH (who always adores our son), he'd say 6 months.

Mine is 6 weeks and so much more fun. She recognizes me and smiles when tickled and turns her head to rattles. But maybe I'm just one of those who likes it all.

Smiles at six to eight weeks, by ten weeks it's a big change.

But, yes, most of the early weeks are a lot of grueling work and exhaustion with moments of joy interspersed throughout. I did love just holding my baby while she slept, reading a book. That I will always miss a little.

Your baby will probably start being a little more interactive soon. I still remember the first time DS actually LOOKED at something and was interested in it. I mean, obviously he had looked at me and my husband before. But he was about 5 weeks old and during a diaper change, he was screaming his little head off so I turned on a wind-up mobile that I put near his changing table and it spun and played music, and it was the first time he ever truly looked at it. His eyes were open and he stopped crying and he just stared at it and I was so emotional I started crying!

Then a few weeks later he smiled for the first time (show your baby himself on your phone or in a big mirror, that was the first thing that got DS to smile), then he started sleeping longer stretches at night, then he gradually started to be interested in more stuff and now at 7.5 months he's a pretty fun baby. He sits up decently well and grabs at stuff and loves to get attention from everyone. I wish they could be born as 3 month olds, hahaha. The newborn stage is not for me either.