I cannot believe just how fast a year can fly by! I used to think time moved fast but after having a baby, I can say that time moves like NASCAR…EXTREMELY FAST! My baby is now a one year old!

I am blessed to write this post today. A year ago, I was quite uncertain of what my future held for my health and recovery process. I was still in recovery mode from my massive open-wound from my C-Section. Here I am a year later and the only remnants of March 2016 are my scar, my recurring tailbone pain and…my amazing little boy!

This post isn’t about my recovery. This post is to celebrate the year that was: a year of growth, love and a deeper knowledge of self.

Monthly Update:

Let’s start with the regular updates:

Height/Weight: About 23 lbs and 33 inches.

Routine: His routine has seen quite a few changes. He wakes up for the day around 8am, eats and plays for about two hours before taking his first nap. He takes another nap in the late afternoon around 3:30/4pm lasting about 45 mins to 1 hour. His bedtime is around 8:30pm. His nighttime routine consists of: bath, massage, feed, story time, prayer in his crib, lights turned down, at which point he falls asleep laying with his dad.

Sleeping: He still sleeps through the night for an average of 12 -13 hours and usually takes one “good” (>1hr) nap a day.

Eating/Feeding: He is mainly formula-fed and has about 6oz every 4 hours with the exception of nighttime when he eats about 8oz. He eats solids randomly throughout the day with one “meal” a day at dinner.

Sizes: Alayo is wearing 12-18 months clothing both in pants, tops/onesies and sleepers. He’s up to size 4 in diapers.

Milestones: We have come such a long way since the last update. Alayo is attempting to walk by himself, taking about 4 steps when he has a goal of reaching the next piece of furniture. He can walk for as long as you let him along furniture. His biggest milestone is attempting to walk and his ability to connect sequences. For example, he knows that in the mornings when myself or my husband leave the room and go to the bathroom, we are about to have a shower and he will stand in the bathroom by the foot of the tub just watching and waiting. Alayo is able to feed himself by holding his bottle, he requires a little assistance when starting a meal with a reminder to hold his bottle. He is up to a total of eight teeth, four on the bottom and four on top. Alayo loves clapping when he feels like he has accomplished something, however small that accomplishment may be.

Parenting

Over the last year, I have watched Alayo grow from a helpless little baby to a boy who is attempting to learn everything about his environment while pushing his limits whenever he can. This has truly been the best part of parenting.

While on vacation with a few couples last month, we were having a conversation and I was asked whether I would go through my birth and pregnancy journey all over again and my answer was…of course! In a heartbeat! Watching Alayo grow over the last year is truly worth all the pain and trauma I went through in my pregnancy journey. Motherhood is a blessing and I truly wish it for every woman who desires to experience it.

Year One Lessons

What have I learned over the last year?

• Love is a powerful driving force that will give you the strength to do things you never thought you could do. Things such as:
  •  surviving happily on less than 3 hours of sleep for weeks on end.
  • Cleaning up vomit. I have always despised seeing people’s vomit, including my own. My son was the first person to ever vomit on me and I didn’t even flinch when it happened. I cleaned him up, cleaned myself up and continued to cuddle him as he proceeded to vomit on me again and again.
  • Smiling as you wipe bodily fluids off your precious phone.
  • Having the strength to carry a 30lb child in one arm when I could barely lift a 10lb weight before having a baby.
• Having a child will awaken an emotional side of you that you may not have known you had.
  • I find myself crying every single time I watch a movie or show with a sick child or sick parent. The thought of someone losing their child or a child losing a parent makes me extremely sad.
  • I can look at my little Alayo and become overwhelmed with joy.
• Your child/children have the ability to truly change your view of the world around you
  • After the arrival of Alayo, a lot of trivial relationships became meaningless to me.
  • I found that it was easier for me to let go of things and people that weren’t serving me positively.
  • I began to spend time with others more intentionally. If you’re taking me away from my son, our time together must be intentional and filled with good.

The most important thing I can say about my first year as a mother is that it’s so important to enjoy every minute and love your child with all that you can.