We’re in double digits, folks! Just two more months until this baby is one year old and each and every month I still marvel at the time that has gone by. Does the world just run in “fast-forward” mode when you become a parent? It sure feels like it.
Harper has become the sweetest, funniest, silliest, most loving baby girl. Her personality really shows more and more every single day and I have these moments where I can’t believe I’m the lucky woman that gets to be her mama.
Harper is also showing more independence this month and she’s more vocal. It’s fun to anticipate what new or cute thing she might do each day.
Health: Harper has been pretty good this month! She has a perma-runny nose, but that’s par for the course at this point. Spring and summer should clear it up (I hope!) One of the neonatologists I work with mentioned that most babies have 10 colds in their first year of life, so that was reassuring. We continue to use a cool mist humidifier in her room to help with her nose.
Sleep: The recent time change means that Harper goes to sleep a little later and this working mama couldn’t be any happier about that! We put her down between 7-7:15 ish and she typically sleeps until 6:30 a.m. She also naps twice a day, usually around 10 and 2 which is the schedule the daycare has the babies on. It has been a blessing to have her sleeping through the night consistently. We still have a day here and there where she will wake up early or wake up crying at 2 a.m. but they are few and far between and she takes just minutes to settle back down.
Social: I love watching Harper interact with the other babies in her daycare class. Sometimes, they steal toys from each other and one ends up in tears, ha! I noticed that Harper has been a little better with strangers lately. She returns smiles, waves sometimes and is overall passing through her stranger danger phase. She does get shy once in awhile which is really cute.
Diet: I am still exclusively pumping for Harper (read more about my pumping story here). I’m currently working on having Harper get either five 5 oz bottles or four 6 oz bottles bringing her to 24-25 oz total per day. I noticed that as she’s eating more solids, she seems to have dropped a feed all on her own but we continued to provide three 6 oz bottles for her at daycare and she would sometimes not take one. So I think balancing it out to where she’s getting about 25 oz total is the direction we’re headed in. Of course it’s still the bulk of her nutrition, but she’s so great with solids that she’s getting a nice balanced diet.
Right now I’m working on weaning down from pumping. I started today with going from four pumping sessions a day to three. I hope to produce about 25 oz per day for the next three weeks and then I’ll try to wean down to two and then one pumping session per day until I’m done at the beginning of May. Then, I plan to use my freezer stash to feed her through 12 months.
Solids are going fantastically and this baby loves all food! She is especially into cheese and yogurt right now and she also loves fruits and veggies. We got lucky with what a great eater she is, but I know that can all change as we move into toddlerhood (and as an aside, I’m totally not ready to use the t-word yet!) I continue to make all of her food except for bread, yogurt and cheese and I recently had her try a waffle as well. I love that soon she will be eating exactly what we eat but in smaller bites and portions. It will also force us to eat as clean as she does right now which will be great for our health too.
She is so awesome at feeding herself! She’s got a great pincher grasp and learned to chew her food better than before. Still just two teeth but eating great!
I’m also eager to get back into a fitness routine and I know for me it will have to be classes. Ideally, I’d like to see my personal trainer for 8 weeks about twice a week just to get back into the swing of things and then I’d like to do Bar Method a couple of times a week to maintain muscle tone.
We are traveling to Canada this summer (I’m the maid of honor in my friend’s wedding) and will be visiting lots of family and friends who are all meeting Harper for the first time (except for my mom, of course) and I’m just so excited about that! It will be nice to be back home and have a little break. I’m also itching to plan a vacation for the fall or winter but haven’t thought too much about it yet. I would love to just go to a resort and lay on the beach and swim in the ocean….ahhhh!
Baby Gear Love: We love our Prince Lionhart bathtub and mostly toys and books this month. I’ll share some in an upcoming post!
Milestones: Harper is crawling much more quickly, pulling up on everything, balancing well and sometimes even briefly standing with no support. She can clap and wave and started to point a lot recently. She’s also been more “talkative.” I notice she continues to have better and better movement control when it comes to getting from one place to the next. She loves to cruise on furniture…I also can’t resist her smile lately…not a milestone, but goodness gracious it’s cute!
She is so adorable – what a smile! My little girl is 2 and I think the same thing every day – how is it possible that time flies so quickly? I wish it would slow down!
mydearveronica.blogspot.com
Life really is in fast forward mode now! Aubrey is obsessed with cheese too- at least it's healthy but we balance her cheese binges out with a high fiber English muffin to keep her from having tummy issues. Aubrey is pretty much on the same exact schedule as Harper with naps and everything but she's been going to bed a little later, between 7:30 and 8 so she may transition soon and you'll have a little more time with her. Aubrey is not a fan of diaper changes either- it like she's thinking ain't nobody got time for this- I have places to be! The diaper and pj battle is a nightly battle here too. I think they know it's time for bed and get upset that playtime/cuddle time is coming to an end.
I love reading about Harper's updates. She's such a sweet and beautiful child. What blessing! Your blog is great…thanks for sharing these special moments with all of us! xo
You are such a wonderful mom, V! I'm so glad you've been documenting your journey with Harper… It gives us future moms a realistic overview of what life with a child will be like! Plus, I hope to do the same so I can have something to look back on.
Jenny
http://www.chibistk.com
She is such a doll!! I can't get over her little legs – they are adorable!!
She is just adorable and look at those legs/thighs! Oh my 🙂 LOVE IT!!! Marli had chunky little thighs, but i think she's leaned out a little with ALL the mobility of running and walking around. So happy to hear she's growing up and doing well. It's the best thing ever when they start learning to feed themselves…sweet freedom! haha
Linh
https://abeautifulrawr.com
Ah, I looooove those chunky thighs! My daughter has a matching pair, and I now completely understand why old ladies like to pinch cheeks because it takes EVERYTHING not to just squeeze those little ham hocks all the time 🙂
She is precious, and I'm glad my daughter isn't the only one up several sizes in Gap (she's 6 months and today is wearing a 12-18 mo outfit!). Love these healthy babes!
Adorable photos! Love her little blue dress with matching diaper cover. What a little sweetheart!
She is precious, Veronika! Can't believe she's 10 months old already!
sweetsandcelebrations.com
I love how similar Harper and my Ellie are. They are both 10 months and its so fun. Ellie loves bread and cheese but the dairy doesn't agree with her very well. I also make her food – mostly her veggies. So cool!
atparsons.blogspot.com
I just love her! She's getting so big, and of course, SO beautiful! Happy 10 months Harper! xo ~Jenn http://www.twobytwomom.com
Loving her head of strawberry hair! She is just so precious! I think the after bath thing is quite normal. Kaitlyn thinks it is absolute TORTURE from the moment you take her out of the bath till feeding before sleep. I think they realize how tired/hungry they are suddenly or something. lol Happy 10 Months Harper!
xx Viv @ joiedeviv.blogspot.com
I'm so curious to know what daycare you're at? I live in the same area as you and I've had the HARDEST most stressful time picking a daycare. I am not pleased with the one we're at so I'm on the hunt for a new one. Any suggestions would be extremely helpful!
feel free to email me- veronabrit at gmail dot com