Baby Update
A lot has happened since my last baby update post. Anna is walking now! She’s been walking for the last month and she is getting better and better at it each day. It’s so cute to watch her walk around and explore. She keeps me extremely busy! She doesn’t stop and she’s into everything! Her favorite activities are unfolding laundry, emptying every drawer and cabinet in the house and stealing my phone. She’s starting to get a little toddler attitude at times because she gets so mad when she’s told that she can’t have something that she wants. She’s defiantly a little stinker butt, but a really cute one so she can get away with it. 😂
Anna has been talking a little. She says “mama”, “dada”, “Ja” for Jack, “cheese” and “this?” She loves to go for walks in her stroller and the splash pad. She gives that best hugs too! She loves to hug and snuggle up with her stuffed animals. It’s adorable!
Feeding
I mentioned in my last baby update post at 9 months (Read HERE) that I was going to start weaning Anna off breastfeeding. We went slow and we were completely done right before she turned 10 months. Giving up breastfeeding was easier said than done. I thought I was completely ready for the transition, but when the time came I was actually really emotional about it. I forgot about all the changes your body goes through when you stop breastfeeding. The hormones start to change and you go through some crazy feelings, but I’m happy to say that I’m on the other end of it. I’m feeling almost normal again.
Anna has been on formula bottles for the last 2 months, but I am now weaning her to whole milk. Around 11 months I started giving her a little bit of milk in a sippy cup at meal times and she has been doing great with it. We are now on our final container of formula and I am pretty excited about that. I cannot wait to be completely done with bottles. It’s nice when you have a child who just eats regular food.
Sleeping
When it comes to sleeping, Anna is still waking up at least once per night. It’s not too bad, but she can be a pretty tough one to get back to sleep. Some times she’s up for an hour and the only way I can get her back to sleep is with a bottle or by bouncing her in my arms. She doesn’t take a pacifier so it can be tricky to comfort her back to sleep. Sometimes I just have to leave her in her crib. If she is tired enough she will just fall asleep on her own.
As for naps, Anna has been down to one nap for the last 6 months. Now that she is taking less bottles I’ve been able to get her on more of a toddler nap schedule and it seems to be working well. I’ve been keeping her busy and active all morning then after lunch she goes down for an afternoon nap. It’s forced me to change my schedule a little during the day, but it is worth it to have a nice little afternoon break during the day.
Life with 2 Kids
Jack and Anna have become good friends this year. Now that Anna can walk and she’s interested in so much and Jack loves to interact with her. He loves to make her laugh. He pushes her in the stroller when we go on walks together. He even loves to push her on the swing at the park. It makes my heart so happy seeing the 2 of them together.
Parenting 2 kids can be a little tricky. It takes a lot of team work. Kevin and I are getting better at it, but it’s still a work in progress. Learning how to balance both of them and their personalities can be hard. I’m happy that Jack is getting more independent. It gives me more time to watch Anna and make sure that she isn’t doing anything too dangerous. It’s not always easy, but I do love our little family. We have fun together and Anna completes us.
Postpartum
I’m not sure how long you are considered postpartum after having a baby, but I feel like you are always postpartum. So much changes after you have a baby, especially with your body. I am grateful for the body that I have been left with after having 2 kids, but that doesn’t change the fact that I do still have areas of my body I am not very comfortable with. My midsection is my biggest struggle. Anna left me with stretch marks and a lot of loose skin that I didn’t have after I had Jack. Sometimes I get frustrated about the way my body has changed so much, but I always try to remind myself to accept my body and be grateful for the miracles it has done.
Favorite Baby Products
Over the last year I’ve had the chance to try out a lot of different baby products. I’ve come to the realization that I am a minimalist when it comes to baby products. I feel like a lot of baby products are gimmicky or you don’t use them for that long, but you also never know what your baby will take to. For Jack, he loved pacifiers, his swing and we used his pack n’ play until he was 2. With Anna, I rarely used the swing, she doesn’t use a pacifier and she hates her pack n’ play. However, I used my ergo carrier with Anna all the time and I rarely used it with Jack. I also use my diaper bag so much more the second time around. I think that you just need to find out what works best for you and your baby.
Happy birthday to your baby girl! Time sure does fly by doesn't it? And I agree. I think as much as we think postpartum is a stage, I do believe it's daily. It's just some days, I feel better about my body and others not so much. I love that picture of your son and baby girl. It shows their amazing bond and how amazing that they'll be the best of friends! I hope your week is off to a great start and happy Monday!
Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com
Thank you so much! The first year does fly by so fast!