How is my little man already 10 and a half months outdated?! He’s seeming like such an enormous boy recently, particularly now that he has began strolling.
He’s positively not our little child anymore!
It has been ages since I’ve shared a child and mama replace right here on the weblog, so I needed to share a little bit extra about how Wes is doing now at 10 months outdated, and the way I’m doing 10 months postpartum!
Learn on for some large updates, plus whether or not having two youngsters has been what I anticipated it to be, how my psychological well being has been recently, and extra!
Wes: 10 Month Child Replace
I did a ballot on Instagram tales asking for any questions/matters you all needed me to handle on this publish, and obtained a lot of good questions!
Let’s get to it.
Wes’s Present Favourite Issues to Do
Now that Wes has discovered methods to stroll (he took his first steps a few week earlier than turning 10 months), he needs to do all of it day! He usually walks round and round our essential ground, simply doing laps principally by himself. Apply makes excellent. 🙂
He loves chasing after Riese, both crawling or strolling. He loves flattening block towers, and toys that make noise.
He actually loves music – he loves strolling over to the little piano we’ve got subsequent to our large piano, and he’ll hit the keys and attempt to “sing” too, it’s so freaking cute.
He has began enjoying peekaboo which is my favourite. He’ll conceal behind a curtain after which come out with an enormous smile.
He has 6 enamel – 4 on high, and two on backside. He’s drooling up a storm and biting on issues loads as of late which often results in extra enamel, so we’ll see!
He particularly loves holding on to my pants whereas I’m attempting to cook dinner, which isn’t my favourite. 😉 Oh and sure, we’re nonetheless sporting Christmas jammies, clearly.
I had forgotten how bodily this age is – they’re large however nonetheless need/must be carried round loads! My arms are getting a severe exercise day by day and I’ve already tweaked my again a number of instances hauling him round. #outdated
We’re additionally within the section now the place he HATES getting his diaper or clothes modified, and can principally lose his thoughts except yow will discover one thing tremendous attention-grabbing to distract him on the altering desk.
Making an attempt to vary him is principally a full physique exercise at this level and it’s not tremendous enjoyable for both of us. Making an attempt to recollect when that section ends…
Breastfeeding/Weaning Plans Replace?
Plenty of individuals requested for an replace right here, and it’s really the most important replace I’ve for you on this publish: we’re formally finished with breastfeeding as of final week!
It’s attention-grabbing – as a second time mother or father, I simply type of assume that issues will go the identical with child quantity 2 as they did with child number one. And, time and time once more, I’m confirmed unsuitable.
See additionally: sleep (Riese was a great nighttime sleeper fairly early on… Wes was not and we employed a sleep guide round 6/7 months to avoid wasting our sanity).
Breastfeeding is one other instance of this!
General, breastfeeding was SO a lot simpler the second time round. A part of this was that I felt extra assured and knew what I used to be doing this time, and a part of it was that Wes didn’t have the lip tie scenario that Riese did and was capable of latch fairly simply from the beginning with minimal ache on my half (not the case with Riese – OUCH).
Since he was capable of latch higher from the beginning, it additionally meant that my provide wasn’t a problem prefer it was with Riese, after I was all the time simply barely maintaining.
I began utilizing the Haakaa (<- Amazon affiliate hyperlink) straight away when Wes was a new child and was capable of construct up a really substantial freezer stash of milk with out doing any precise pumping, which was superior.
That stated, not like Riese, who favored bottles, beginning round 5 months Wes utterly refused them! A part of the issue was that since I used to be all the time round and had sufficient milk this time, we principally solely did bottles a number of instances, and it didn’t happen to me to supply them extra steadily as a result of the few instances we provided one after I was gone he was completely tremendous with it.
After which someday round 5 months Matt tried to supply him a bottle someday after I was out and Wes was like “what the heck is that this, no thanks!”
He continued to refuse bottles till he beginning consuming solids and we started providing him small bottles of breastmilk whereas he was in his excessive chair to clean down his meals. This obtained him used to bottles after which he determined he in actual fact LOVED bottles.
A lot so, in actual fact, that beginning when he was about 9 months he began on and off refusing to nurse. I had no thought what to do as Riese by no means did this!
My tremendous mature grownup response to Wes refusing to nurse was to burst into tears, clearly. He was nonetheless nursing very first thing within the morning reliably however the remainder of the day was completely hit and miss, and it obtained actually nerve-racking not being certain if he’d refuse or settle for, after which if he refused having to go pump.
Then someday proper earlier than he turned 10 months, he began refusing the morning nursing too. Not gonna lie, it was a fairly low level when he utterly refused that first time and I ended up having to make him a bottle as an alternative at 5:30 a.m., which he chugged whereas resting his head on my painfully full breasts.
At that time I made a decision that if he was finished, I used to be finished. I didn’t wish to preserve forcing it if he was over it, and pumping shifting ahead wasn’t a great match for my psychological well being.
Over the previous few weeks, I pumped a little bit to ensure I didn’t get any clogged ducts, however slowly diminished the frequency, and I provided him the breast usually nonetheless simply in case he modified his thoughts, however he was tremendous over it.
Fortunately we launched formulation a pair months in the past and he’s been completely pleased consuming that or breastmilk – he doesn’t thoughts both manner which is nice.
I’ve quite a lot of combined feelings about being finished with nursing, as I do with all issues motherhood – isn’t that the way it all the time is? The push and pull of the polar feelings?
On one hand I really feel actually unhappy that we’re finished – that is my final child, so I’ll by no means nurse once more. It was a particular time we had collectively, one thing that was simply ours, and now it’s finished. I’m grateful that someday a few week in the past I did get him to nurse once more yet one more time which was great as a result of I knew it was the final time and will actually give attention to being within the second.
It didn’t really feel good that earlier than that the final time we’d nursed I didn’t comprehend it was the final time, and I couldn’t even actually keep in mind it, you already know?
It appears like such a bittersweet transition and a part of me appears like he doesn’t want me anymore and it’s simply exhausting to look at your child develop up and stroll proper out of your lap and into the large world.
However the different, more and more larger, a part of me is – to be sincere – THRILLED.
Not having the logistics and stress and psychological load of attempting to determine methods to plan work calls and conferences and appointments round nursing and having extra flexibility typically is an enormous reward.
I’m additionally happening my first journey away from him in July when he’ll be 13 months, and initially I used to be considering I might need to be pumping on that journey and I’m not gonna lie, I’m actually pleased I received’t need to cope with that and transporting milk on a airplane.
I’m additionally pleased to have my physique simply be mine once more for the primary time in practically 2 years. It’s a great feeling, particularly after I go working and my chest is noticeably lighter. 🙂
Whereas we’re on the subject of breastfeeding, about which apparently I’ve loads to say, have any of you ever handled a galactocele? It’s like a clogged duct in that it appears like a tough mass, nevertheless it doesn’t damage and it simply type of sticks round for ages.
I’ve one on my proper aspect that developed late final summer season/early fall, a month or two after I had a clogged duct proper in the identical space with a quick bout of mastitis. Wes didn’t actually like nursing on that aspect anymore within the current months because it was making it exhausting for him to latch because it obtained larger and more durable.
I went to the physician not too long ago to ensure I didn’t have breast most cancers (superb information: I don’t), and so they decided it was a galactocele and drained it for me; they use an enormous syringe needle scenario and suck the milk out. Yeah, it was as enjoyable because it sounds.
Sadly, although, it’s again once more. I’m hoping it is going to simply go away as my physique completely adjusts to not producing milk anymore, as what I’ve learn on-line says that may usually occur. It does appear smaller already, so right here’s hoping.
If anybody of you’ve got handled one, I’m curious to listen to the way it resolved!
What’s Wes consuming as of late and what’s his every day schedule like?
Wes LOVES meals. My goodness this little man can EAT!
He critically eats as a lot actual meals as we do some days, and positively eats greater than Riese (who’s in a really choosy section proper now and principally simply needs to eat bagels and cream cheese, fruit, and peanut butter and honey toast – I do sprinkle it with hemp seeds and he or she’s cool with that although which is a win).
Wes principally loves something we put in entrance of him, and we feed him solids 3 instances a day – breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
He’s getting bottles about 6 instances a day now – proper after he wakes up within the morning (often round 6am), earlier than and after first nap, earlier than and after second nap, and earlier than mattress (often round 7 or 7:30pm).
Each of his naps are sometimes about an hour and a half. Typically one among them might be nearer to 2 hours which is wonderful. Riese was a brilliant brief napper so this has been superior.
Each time he wakes up from his first nap, we do a 3 hour wake window earlier than his second nap and that appears to work effectively for us.
Right here’s an instance of a typical day for him:
- 6 a.m. – wakes up, has a bottle
- 7 a.m. – breakfast with us + Riese earlier than she goes to highschool (if it’s a weekday)
- 9 a.m. – nap time, he drinks a bottle earlier than he goes down
- 11 a.m. – wakes up, has a bottle
- 12 p.m. – lunch with whoever is round (both me or Matt or our babysitter)
- 2 p.m. – nap time, he drinks a bottle earlier than he goes down
- 3:30 p.m. – wakes up, has a bottle
- 6 p.m. – dinner with us + Riese
- 7 or 7:30 – bedtime, he drinks a bottle earlier than he goes down
We often provide him 6 ounce bottles and generally he needs all of it, generally he solely needs a little bit. We depart it as much as him.
A couple of of his present meals faves are:
- My banana protein pancakes (Riese nonetheless loves this too, which is good, so I could make it for each of them!)
- Oatmeal (every kind)
- Mashed avocado, hummus, or nut butter on toast with hemp seeds sprinkled on high
- Steamed veggies
- Fruit minimize into small items
- Eggs (both scrambled or fried or boiled and sliced into small items)
- Plain Greek yogurt, generally with nut butter stirred in too
- Shredded hen or fish
- Mashed beans or peas
- Quinoa
- Roasted potatoes (white and candy) – I simply cube them up as soon as roasted and depart off the salt
We often simply give him a little bit of what we’re consuming, and simply put together it with out the salt.
We’re nonetheless doing baby led weaning (<- all the main points, through a publish I wrote when Riese was little) and let him feed himself for essentially the most half, though Riese does like feeding him and he enjoys that too. 🙂
And I’ll be sincere generally if it’s one thing tremendous messy like rice or yogurt I’ll simply spoon feed him if I don’t have it in me to cope with one other large mess…
If you need some suggestions, right here’s an outdated visitor publish that might be helpful: Vegetables for Babies: 5 Ways to Encourage Eating Veggies.
Professionals and Cons of the Age Distinction
This is likely one of the questions I obtained on Instagram tales!
Our youngsters are 3.5 years aside, and I do see quite a lot of professionals for having youngsters nearer collectively – particularly, they might be nearer rising up, and in addition you don’t lengthen the tremendous intense toddler section for as a few years, however ready longer felt like the correct name for us.
I actually like that by the point Wes was born, Riese was capable of be extra unbiased (ish). She might go up and down stairs by herself with out me worrying, and he or she was sufficiently old to wish to “assist” with Wes.
The con right here is that she had much more time getting used to being the Queen and the only focus of our consideration, and that was a tough adjustment for her, particularly as she just isn’t a child who likes enjoying by herself/doing her personal factor.
However general, ready longer felt like the correct name for us for certain.
I see the enchantment of the “get it over with” method when it comes to simply persevering with the nursing/being pregnant practice proper together with no break, however for me, I actually wanted that yr in between the place I had my physique to myself and will reset a bit.
Having that area helped me be much more capable of benefit from the child section this time round, I feel, vs. being tremendous overwhelmed (though I really feel like that loads too, don’t fear – however simply much less so than I think about I might have if our youngsters have been nearer in age).
Has having two youngsters been what you anticipated?
One other Instagram story query, and I assumed this was an attention-grabbing one!
I feel like with most issues in life and motherhood, going from 1 youngster to 2 has been each precisely what we anticipated, and in addition not what we anticipated. 🙂
In quite a lot of methods, going from 1 to 2 felt a lot simpler for us than going from 0 to 1. We have been already arrange within the child routine and consuming dinner at 6 p.m. and out doing quite a lot of child stuff, so it wasn’t like our complete lives modified like they did going from no youngsters to 1 child, you already know? That simply felt like such a much bigger transition for us.
I felt far more competent this time round having a child, and in quite a lot of methods having an older child already made the newborn really feel loads simpler by comparability. I used to be capable of loosen up and benefit from the child section a lot extra this time as I felt extra calm general, knew higher what to anticipate, and in addition actually knew how rapidly it goes.
However then there’s what I talked about earlier, the place you simply kind of assume that what one child did the opposite will do, and that’s positively not all the time the case. Infants are totally different and have totally different personalities, so what works to your first child is probably not a match to your second.
That was positively the case for us with sleep. Riese beloved the merlin sleep swimsuit and pacifiers, Wes didn’t like both! Once we stopped attempting to power what we have been used to and let him select his personal manner, it labored out so significantly better for everybody. A great lesson in there. 🙂
One of many coolest issues about having two youngsters, although, has been seeing them begin to work together and play extra collectively.
Riese is Wes’s favourite – he adores her and anytime she’s round he needs to be together with her.
Her love for him may be very large and could be a little smothering at instances, and he or she doesn’t love when he knocks over stuff she’s constructing, however they’re usually tremendous cute collectively!
Riese loves crawling round with Wes and chasing him; he thinks it’s hilarious and all the time lets out an enormous snort when he turns and sees her proper there behind him. It’s so enjoyable.
I nonetheless can’t imagine Wes is strolling already! Riese began strolling round 14 months – Wes appears to be doing all the pieces sooner than she did, most likely as a result of he has her to look at and be taught from.
One enjoyable new factor is that final weekend they took their first bathtub collectively! Riese was tremendous enthusiastic about it and helped me wash his hair. It was very cute to look at them splashing round collectively. 🙂
How is your psychological well being?
Hit and miss, to be sincere. Some days I really feel good and different days I discover myself getting actually simply overwhelmed and overstimulated.
Two youngsters is wonderful and additionally it is a LOT.
As somebody who finds chaos and mess and noise triggering, two youngsters is doubly exhausting as one child, and I discover the three and 4 yr outdated age have been particularly difficult for me.
Some days I really feel like I’m capable of present up and be the mother or father I wish to be, and different days my persistence is brief. I do know I’m not alone right here.
I’m frequently engaged on methods to guarantee that I’ve my very own wants met as a result of if I don’t have my very own wants met (with issues like time for every day train, alone/quiet time, and so on.), it’s a lot more durable for me to entry pleasure and to be the current, affected person, and enjoyable mother or father (and spouse!) that my household deserves.
Being a mother or father is the very best reward I’ve ever obtained and in addition essentially the most difficult factor on this planet. It’s price it AND it’s exhausting.
And I’ll depart issues there. Thanks for studying and for being right here – I recognize you! <3
