First Time Mom Chronicles II

Just like that time has flown by and my little girl is already 6 months old. It has been quite the roller coaster but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am truly blessed to get to stay home with my baby girl and watch every milestone and see her grow each and every day. Some days are definitely harder than others but one good day makes up for the previous bad days. I am starting to get the hang of this mom thing.

My Life Changes

My body and mind have gone through so much change from the day I knew I was pregnant to now. Of course the weight gain is obvious and it is definitely the last thing on my mind to try and change but definitely gets me every time I look in the mirror. No matter how beautiful it is to bring a child in the world nothing prepares you for the changes of your body and how you feel. We know there’s always he chance of stretch marks and the weight gain but it definitely does not hit you until it actually happens to your body. The mental change has gotten to me the most because I’ve thought that I had a heavy mental load before but now it is a whole other level. Mom brain is definitely a real thing! I feel like I have a thousand thoughts running through my brain at one time throughout the day and night. I can check one thing off my todo list and three more gets added. I am still trying to manage my mental load so that I can start feeling better physically too.

Breastfeeding

As I said before, I am beyond grateful and blessed that I can provide milk for my daughter but boy it just gets harder, I have the constant feeling I am not making enough for her and yet I always have enough for a bottle at each feed. I exclusively pump and I am really bad at keeping a schedule of when to pump but somehow I still manage to make enough for what she needs. It is a pain and I can’t wait for it to be over so that I don’t have to wear a bra to bed anymore but I wouldn’t change a thing.

Starting Solids

This was the most stressful and nerve racking thing about my baby girl turning six months. Her father and I decided to wait until six months or when she had a tooth. She now has two bottom teeth and is working on some more. I definitely did not know where to start. I did so much research and was just stunned and stressed out. I was set on making all of my own baby food because of all the preservatives and junk in store bought baby food but I didn’t know where to start. I started with purées to ease my worry of choking and I’m slowly introducing new foods but I have been slacking because I never know when to give it to her throughout the day or time just gets the best of me. I am slowly getting the hang of it.

Sleep

Naps are definitely getting shorter now. She has about 2-3 short naps a day and then one 2 hour nap. She is still sleeping through the night which I am very grateful for and have been since she was 3 months old. It been getting a little harder to put her down for nap because she does seem to stir and cry a bit but the Ferber Method has helped me a lot. Even though I hate hearing her cry it eases my pain by letting her know I’m still around and that I love her without holding her. I definitely miss our contact naps but I am able to get so much done during her naps now even the 30 minute ones.

Joys & Milestones

Baby girl is now almost seven months old and it is amazing how much she has grown. She is definitely going to walk before she crawls because all she ever wants to do is stand and bounce. She is babbling and laughing so much more now. She is interested and aware of so many things around her. She loves all of her teething toys because no matter what she is holding it goes straight into her mouth. Even though we limit screen time her favorite shows are Mickey Mouse, Bear in the Big Blue House, Storybots, Boss Baby, and Trash Truck. The moments we have together I will cherish forever and I can’t wait to see what the next 6 months hold for us and how much she will grow and the new things she will learn.