GUESS who turned one yesterday?!?!?!
Little baby KK is not so little anymore!
The rest of the images (including the cake photo above) are from the cake smash photoshoot I did with Allie! (@allielynnphotography) I requested a minimalist type shoot and a dairy-free cake, and boy did she deliver. We had SO much fun during this shoot. I know that I will treasure these images for a lifetime. I couldn’t be happier. The only thing I’m sad about is that I didn’t know Allie when KJ turned one year old, so we don’t have anything like this for him.
Please note that my website automatically resizes images when I upload photos, so that site speed does not get compromised. So if you are looking on a desktop, the images shared here are not as high resolution as what was sent to me. 🙂
Dear Baby KK – I can’t believe you’re one year old. This year seemed to fly by even faster than your brother’s first year. We recently had some major life events that made things fly even faster, like selling and buying a new home and temporarily moving in with family until the old owners vacated the new house. You’ve taken it all in stride, though, because you are a champ!
You were 23lbs and 30.5 inches at the doctor yesterday, around the 75th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight. In addition, your head circumference remains at the 90th percentile.
Last month you started crawling on all fours instead of doing the army crawl drag with one hand. And over the last few weeks, you’ve done a lot of cruising, initially on your toes, but now you are starting to realize you can balance better flat-footed. You aren’t in a hurry to walk, but I think it will be soonish, this morning you took one step by yourself!
You are a climber. It took you a few weeks, but you finally mastered crawling up your brother’s chair and onto the couch. Several times, I turned around in the kitchen to see your head popping out over the couch. (Ensuing a panic attack on my part.) We now keep your brother’s chair away from the couch when you are awake.
You say wa wa, uh oh, ta da (with arms up), and kitty (when you see the kitty or anything furry.) You also say dada and mama but not in relation to dada and mama yet. You sign all done, clap, play patty cake, high-five and peekaboo. Your favorite version of peekaboo is when I say where’s KK? You cover your face and then try to scare me when you remove your hand.
You are a happy little dude who loves to snuggle, especially when you’re tired. You are still taking two naps a day on average, but you only need one nap occasionally. Your bedtime is anywhere around 630-8 pm, and wake-up time is 430-630AM, so ya know that’s fun. Good thing you are cute!
We’re still nursing at wake up, before naps, and before bed. You still get your nighttime formula (nutramigen) and some formula before naps if mommy isn’t here to nurse. We move in a couple of weeks, and your pediatrician said to keep things how they are until we get settled in the new house. So I started offering you some ripple pea milk at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I also started having some dairy here and there in my diet. I haven’t noticed a big issue with you, so that’s good. I’m not sure how long we will breastfeed, but I’m so thankful for a relatively easy breastfeeding journey with you, little man. (One thing is for sure, we will wean slowly so I don’t go through the two-month hell I went through last time I weaned. )
Your favorite activities include eating, although you are a little pickier than your brother was at this age. You hardly ever eat veggies offered to you and are so so about meats. Sometimes you will eat them, with some coaxing, but you love potatoes, rice, bread, and fruit. You aren’t so thrilled with sweet potatoes or plantains. Allie said she had never had a kid destroy a cake so fast at your cake smash photoshoot. So, when you love food, you get after it! Overall you are a good eater, and I have no complaints.
Your favorite activities include going places you aren’t supposed to, like down the hallway, across the baby gate, and in the pantry. You also love to climb things and chase the kitty. You are half interested in your toys, with your biggest interest being the toddler activity tables where you stand and balance, the car tent, the tunnel you got for your birthday, and anything your brother doesn’t want you to touch.
You are starting to somewhat supervised “play” with your brother. You guys like to chase each other, or your brother builds things for you to knockdown. You’ve also started to “hold your own” with your brother by pushing him off you, trying to move him, or swatting at him when he is in your space. It’s hysterical to see your brother’s surprise when you do those things. I know this is just the beginning of lifelong brotherly love and fights.
As you start to have more preferences and feelings of your own, he has to adjust to you being more than a baby, which will take time. But also, I think it is exciting for him. He loves to show you things and teach you things. Each morning he brings his sound machine to you to turn off. Although he still fights for his things and his own space, he loves you to bits. We all love you to bits, my little daredevil!
Thoughts on Motherhood 1 Year Into Two Kids
At the end of KJ’s first-year post, I had thoughts of motherhood one year in. Reading how I felt back then made me realize I should record how I feel now because I’ll never be here again.
This year, being the Mom of two shook me in ways I never expected. It was so much easier than the first time around. You were a dream, baby KK, but also harder. I’ll never know if it was the transition to two or the fact that KJ dropped his nap when KK was eight weeks old, but either way, the change shook me in ways I could not even fathom possible.
In many ways, motherhood was easier. There were hardly any moments where I felt time moved at a snail’s pace. My bouncing toddler made sure we were all busy at all times. He entertained you in tummy time. He shared his world with you. There were more toys and activities to entertain a baby than when I had just one baby. But also, I couldn’t leave the baby out of my sight for even a second for fear he’d get clobbered by the toddler.
Life is happy and busy with two kids—full of life, activity, and lots of juggling. Sometimes the days go so fast that I don’t know what happened. Sometimes the days are full of sibling rivalry, and sometimes they are full of sharing and love. What surprised me the most was the little moments we all shared. It’s hard to explain. But, with two kids, we are more likely to sit down as a family and play together, be together. Vs. Mr. Hungry and I switching off, taking care of just KJ. So while Motherhood can feel overwhelming at times, it also feels fulfilling. Like the love of the family radiates through the lack of sleep, the struggles, and the juggling right when I need it the most. I’m very grateful for that and both my children. They teach me something new every day. They challenge me every day to be better, do better, and prioritize what matters most. I’m not always right, but I’m always trying.
Happy first birthday Baby KK, we love you to the moon and back!
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