Thursday, October 27, 2011

Did I mention....

that my baby is one?

And though this post will be about her first year, I am not including any photos. It's feast or famine around here! ;)

Of course, as every mom in the world laments, I can not believe she is already one. A toddler. Her infancy is over. In all honesty, she was my hardest infant. But these days, in her babbling, tottering around phase, she is much happier. And her cheeks.... on. my. goodness. Softest, most kissable cheeks ever. Still fairly bald, but I'm okay with that. I don't have time to do any more pig tails in the morning anyway! She {FINALLY} takes a short nap at 10am and long nap at 3pm. She's getting down right religious about it!

One thing that I think contributed to my fatigue and just general I'm slowly dying of sleep deprivation feelings during this past year is exclusively breastfeeding her entire first year. Well, I don't know if exclusive is the right word since she did eat solids but never ever ever a bottle/sippy. No juice. No formula. Not even expressed milk in a bottle. Just nursed the whooooooole first year. Now... I am very glad to have nursed my babies, and obviously don't regret it. BUT. It would have helped me if she would have taken a baba once in a while!

Here's the moral of the {terribly uninteresting} story:

When you read in the baby how-to books that if you don't introduce a bottle to your baby, ideally at 2 months, they may never accept a bottle, they really do mean that! They ain't jokin'! Not even a little! It may not apply to every baby. But let me tell you: It does apply to some! Namely, Leila Christine McCoy.

I was pretty "by the book" with the older girls and made sure they could switch from breast to bottle comfortably. But with Leila I though oh fooey on the book; I'm sure it'll be fine. And of course it was fine in the sense that the child was fed and grew and pooped and grew and all that. And {I think} I survived it too. But around 6 months into it, I began to really really wish the baby would take a bottle... you know... at church or in the car or with a sitter or (and here's a big one) in the middle of the night! Even if she did accept a bottle, I still would have continued nursing... it just would have been nice to have a little variety in the "soothe the baby" tool bag. Because when only one thing and one thing only soothes the baby.... that one thing may occasionally want to pull the covers over her head and go back to sleep.

So maybe someone out there is thinking That's just crazy!A baby who won't take bottle? Absurd.

And last year around this time I would have agreed with you. But now I don't. =P

Yes, I just stuck my tongue out at you.

yes, YOU.

So the following guidelines will be in place should I have another baby:

1. At exactly 8 weeks, the baby will be introduced to her (because of course, it would be a girl☺) new friend, and my old friend- a bottle.
2. Bigger hair flowers will be worn.
3. The baby will pose for hundreds of photos.

I reserve the right to add to the list at any time without advance notice.


Love,

6 comments:

Mrs. Reverend Doctor said...

Kayte, I'm on my #3 and she wouldn't take a bottle of anything till she was over 4 months,then she would ony take apple juice for a few months then formula.I try to remind myself of all the money I saved.She never would take a paci either....

Kathleen said...

I am now a Grandma, but I had the amazing privilege and honor to nurse my seven delightful babies. Nursed them from 16 months to 2.5 years each and have NEVER once in all those approximate 14 years of nursing given a bottle to any of them. And I would not change it for the world!!!! It was truly a blessing for me.

I just wanted to share that perspective for those young mommas who might think they NEED to offer bottles. Really, they grow up just find without them.

Hugs to you sweet momma! May you be blessed with many more sweet babies (girl babies!). :)

Karla @ {The Fast Lane!} said...

I nursed Titus for a full year and never gave him a bottle, BUT he did take a sippy at 6 months with juice - very handy for shopping trips, etc... HOWEVER, my girlies were introduced to a nurser bottle of expressed milk in the hospital and never would nurse after that. VERY SAD for me, but it was probably best for my sanity's sake!! I pumped for both of them for 6 months - which in my mind is x2 and equals a year! :) I gave them the milk in their sippy starting at 6 months and they did fine - I've seen some babies older than a year STILL taking a bottle and well, that was NOT my preference. Moral?? All babies are totally different and NOT BY THE BOOK!! :) And I am very much a by the book person....who has learned to go with the flow. :)
And the main reason I'm commenting... what book/website/blog have you found to be most helpful for photography? I've found a few good sites, but need something with a step by step, do this first, etc... (aka by the book!) Your pictures are great!! Still hoping for that lens under the Christmas tree. :0

Unknown said...

Thanks for commenting ladies... and with gracious attitudes towards the differing ways. It really is true that every baby is different, and every mom is too for that matter! Karla, I always think moms who have the determination/patience/perserverence to pump for extended periods (most of whom would much rather just be nursing but for whatever reason need to pump) are amazing! I honestly don't think I would stick with pumping... I hated it! But I had a lousy pump so that may be to blame.

I need to get a photography post together! I just need the time! Stay tuned.... =)

Unknown said...

Thanks for commenting ladies... and with gracious attitudes towards the differing ways. It really is true that every baby is different, and every mom is too for that matter! Karla, I always think moms who have the determination/patience/perserverence to pump for extended periods (most of whom would much rather just be nursing but for whatever reason need to pump) are amazing! I honestly don't think I would stick with pumping... I hated it! But I had a lousy pump so that may be to blame.

I need to get a photography post together! I just need the time! Stay tuned.... =)

Karla @ {The Fast Lane!} said...

I didn't particularly enjoy pumping...BUT with twins AND a 2 year old it really worked out for the best!! I could pump on my schedule and feed on theirs. I ended up investing (ALOT) in the Medela Freestyle hands free pump with a rechargeable battery. And the pump was so small I could literally carry it in my purse...granted I do carry a large purse. :) Nice to know that if we're lucky enough to have a baby #4, I'll have more options! :0
Heading over to your other post to comment... :))