Around the time that Luca turned 1, a lot started happening. He really shifted into a schedule, he started walking, he started drinking less breastmilk, eating lots of solids, and to my delight, started sleeping on his own! Every stage is so much fun and this stage just seems to be full of so many milestones! So, let's give an update and chat about his schedule, weaning, and just how we're doing!
Sleep
We never sleep trained Luca, primarily because we're not "schedule" people (we don't like to be on a schedule, so we didn't want to put the baby on a schedule that we'd have to follow.) The downside? He can't really sleep well on his own - he needed coaxing,...
Continue reading The Sunday before Luca turned one year old, we threw him a birthday party! The theme was "wild party animals," which meant lots of safari and jungle animal decor and themed food. We celebrated with our closest friends and family, and felt extremely proud, blessed, and loved that day.
The first birthday party is a funny thing, because, of course, the baby won't ever remember it, BUT the parents, family and friends certainly will. I mean, one year with a baby is an accomplishment! There are sleepless nights, non stop crying (at times!), early mornings, and just an overall total lifestyle shift. It takes about a year to get used to it! And it's the BEST.
I have to say, I've loved...
Continue reading for each month of this year (I started in March), I'm going to be doing a monthly challenge, where I practice something NEW for the entire month (about 30 days). I didn't want to preselect all the challenges for the entire year, because I'm always changing and there are always areas of my life that change and some need more help than others at certain times.
let's start with a recap of the last month and then get into this month's challenge!
september's challenge: recap
september's challenge was to listen to a new podcast episode everyday. I didn't do this very well, because it's impossible for me to listen to podcasts while doing anything that requires typing or writing (which is a big...
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27
Sep
month 11 of the BABY FAVORITES series. things that my baby (and me!) are loving at this stage. for this series, I'm going to list the things that made month ELEVEN great!
and this will be the LAST favorites post, now that Luca is 1 year old. I wanted these faves to be a catalog of all my favorite things for Luca's first year and now that he's officially 1, this is the last post! hope you enjoyed and found some inspiration.
and of course, you can check out newborn favorites, month 4, month 5, month 6, month 7, month 8, month 9, and month 10.
month 11: baby favorites
1. Peekaboo Bunny: This bunny is great - it plays Peekaboo and sings a little song...
Continue reading Dear Luca,
Happy Birthday, honey! You're one year old today. I knew that day and I know now that I was put on this Earth to be your Mommy. Nothing in my life makes me prouder or happier than you. Waking up to your adorable little face and fluffy hair starts each day off with love and light.
Before you arrived, we were never nervous. We were ready for you to arrive and change our lives forever - and boy, did you! When you first were put on Mommy's chest the moment you were born, I felt like I was born too - my purpose in life became clear. My purpose is you! I don't remember life before you, and what I...
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18
Sep
month 10 of the BABY FAVORITES series. things that my baby (and me!) are loving at this stage. for this series, I'm going to list the things that made month TEN great!
and of course, you can check out newborn favorites, month 4, month 5, month 6, month 7, month 8, and month 9.
month 10: baby favorites
1. play kitchen - Luca LOVES this play kitchen. we are telling people to bring "accessories" for it to his first birthday party and now, he just has random toys in it - but loves playing here. it's adorable!
2. fridge magnet board - this has made organizing my freezer meals for Luca so much better! now I know what's in the freezer, making meal planning easier.
3. baby gate -...
Continue reading I distinctly remember going over to friends' houses who had little children and thinking, "This looks like a daycare center!" The place was overflowing with multi-colored toys, big clunky soft furniture, playmats, plastic bins and stuffed animals. I also remember thinking, "Our place will never look like this! We're going to get all wooden toys and neutral colored baby gear."
Welp, that lasted about 1 day. You soon realize that babies love colorful things, especially once their eyesight develops and they see more clearly. From books to mobiles to newborn activity centers, we were (and still are) in total color mode.
However, we've still maintained our space so that all of Luca's toys are in a dedicated spot, there are some neutral...
Continue reading for each month of this year (I started in March), I'm going to be doing a monthly challenge, where I practice something NEW for the entire month (about 30 days). I didn't want to preselect all the challenges for the entire year, because I'm always changing and there are always areas of my life that change and some need more help than others at certain times.
let's start with a recap of the last month and then get into this month's challenge!
august's challenge: recap
august's challenge was to use less paper towels. aside from taking a daily walk outside each day challenge, this was my favorite. I quickly realized how many paper towels I was using (I was ordering a pack of...
Continue reading If you missed it, the Horderly team came and organized my entryway pantry, my kitchen, and now, I'm sharing the before and afters from my wardrobe and closet.
Let me back up and talk about my wardrobe and closet for a minute before I get to the before and afters. Just like everywhere else in my home, I'm a mess - just so disorganized. Literally, all of my clothes end up on my floor by the end of the week. I shove them back in my wardrobe drawers, I don't hang anything on hangers, and I can't even see my closet floor, because it's littered with shoes.
I'm never inspired to look cute during the week, mostly, because I can't even see...
Continue reading first off, before I say anything, let me say this: DO YOU. whatever works for you, mama. please don't let any book, online article, other mother, parent, mother-in-law, or Instagrammer influence you. do what works best for YOU and your family, always. we're all mamas just trying to survive through this motherhood journey. I'm simply sharing my thoughts and my experiences with my baby. that's it. take it for what it's worth. hopefully, some can relate.
when I became a mother, I became a mother at a time when I was ready to accept that my life would never be the same. in fact, I didn't want it to be this same. I wanted to start a family, I wanted a baby to...
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