Monday, April 2, 2018

Baby at One Year

Technically not a baby anymore! But this is our final monthly "baby" post so I'm not messing with the format. Read on for what we are up to, including birthday celebrations and Lucas's current schedule!






Baby Update!

Lucas enjoyed his first birthday! We celebrated a week early while my in-laws were in town. After some debate, I made him the same First Birthday Cupcake as his brother enjoyed.



He also got a few new toys and particularly liked this little Frolicking Frog!




Lucas's schedule remained unchanged from his 11 Month Update until about 2 weeks after his birthday, then I cut his mid-day breastfeeding and here we are:

7:30 Wake and Breastfeed
8:00 Breakfast
10:00 Nap
11:15 Wake
11:30 Lunch
2:00 Nap
3:15 Wake and Snack
5:15 Dinner
7:00 Breastfeed and Bed

Breastfeeding... A note of caution on weaning, let baby be your guideMy first son was drinking better from a sippy cup at this age. Lucas will drink from a sippy cup or straw but, after taking 1-2 good sips, wants to keep drinking and just spits the majority of the water or milk everywhere. We switched to the Miracle 360 Cup with some improvement and have been practicing over the past several weeks.

When weaning, it's important to make sure baby is staying hydrated from other sources. You can monitor wet diapers, urine color, and also just keep an eye on baby. At this age, baby will likely be fussy if they are thirsty. 

It's important to encourage water drinking throughout the day! I have to do this with my toddler too. He will ask for his water bottle, but I also remind him frequently to drink. Otherwise, he will play all day, drink a ton before bed, and then overflow his diaper during his 11 hours of sleep.

I gradually reduced Lucas's breastfeeding time at his mid-day feeding for a few weeks. We were down to 2-minutes per side before I cut the feeding entirely. 

Eating... Lucas loves food and enjoys a wide variety. If only I could get him to eat avocados and yogurt! He is not a fan so far and I consider those to be two super foods for toddlers. 

Here are some items on his typical diet:

Breakfast
Banana, scrambled egg, overnight oats with fruit puree and raisins, pancakes, waffles


Lunch
Homemade freezer waffle with hummus or peanut butter, Pea Pancakes, Spinach Mac n Cheese, Falafel, fruit, veggies 

Snack
Baby Muffins, pureed prunes or other Happy Baby pouch

Lately we've also been enjoying this Paleo Banana Bread, which I make into mini muffins, use 1 cup flour and 1 cup almond meal, and replace the maple syrup with 1/2 cup apple sauce. The almond meal is a big hit, but I find it bakes up better if some regular flour is incorporated too, however this means my final product is not actually Paleo. 

Dinner
Baked chicken, steamed pork, sweet potatoes, polenta, brown rice, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, other veggies

Lucas is eating a wider variety of things earlier than my first son did, partially because he got into finger foods so much earlier. My meal planning was so different with my first son. Check out my post on Meal Planning for a Young Toddler. We still eat a lot of the same things, but I don't do the 3 meal/1 snack plan I used to!

Moving... Lucas is cruising around everywhere! He can climb up the stairs and has been practicing standing independently. I'm sure walking is coming soon. He particularly likes reaching up for things and trying to get into trouble...




We've been enjoying some warmer weather as spring blooms and Lucas is getting used to being outdoors in the grass. He loves balls and was especially impressed with our outdoor soccer ball.




Stats...
Lucas weighed 22 lbs. 3 oz (50-75%) and was 28.75 inches tall (10%) at his check-up!




Mom Update!

I'm doing well as usual. Lately my biggest frustration has been in trying new recipes. I have a good idea of the foods my kids will reliably eat. But still, I'll on occasion make a new meal and then watch Lucas pitch every piece onto the floor. (This is also frustrating as I've been really making an effort to mop my floor more often lol.) 

It's fun to notice differences in my boys. Lucas has figured out the "on/off" switch on most of the toys already, much sooner than Henry did and is also a big fan of rolling and playing with cars, which was never an activity of choice of my older son. He is definitely more adventurous than his brother!

Looking back on the past year, it's flown by! I'm not too reminiscent though, I'm excited about the year to come. One-year is such a great age! I know Lucas will be changing so much in just the next six months. I can't wait to hear him talking and see him walking!


3 weeks old

1 year old


Toddler Update!

Henry has been doing well. His latest new thing is announcing, "I don't want to play with any of those toys." (insert eye roll here)

But here's a picture from a few weeks ago on a typical Saturday morning while my husband was out doing the weekly grocery shopping. I was relaxing in the rocking chair, sipping my coffee and they just put themselves into this perfect photo op without any prompting from me. The picture was taken with my iPad so quality is lacking, but still, I love them looking at books all companionably like this!




The Snail and the Whale (Henry's book above) is my absolute favorite book of Henry's currently. He got it for Christmas and it is just lovely. Lucas is looking at Doggies by Sandra Boynton. We really enjoy her toddler books and artwork as well.


If you've been following Lucas's monthly posts this past year, thanks so much!!! If you missed some, check Baby #2 Label or click by age to find a specific post!



2 comments:

  1. Happy birthday Lucas!! I love reading these, and especially love reading about what other babies / toddlers are eating for more ideas :) My 18 month old pretty much eats a version of what we're eating for dinner, but I'm trying to think of more variety for his lunches. I always love the recipes I find on your site!

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    1. Lunch is hard! Henry would eat leftovers from dinner or I'd make him chicken sausage and cabbage or something healthy when he was 12-18 months. Now, I find that too often it's traditional "kid lunch" fare at my house, with peanut butter, hummus, or grilled cheese sandwiches and sliced grapes, apples, or kiwi. But those options are convenient, cheap, filling, and oh so kid approved!

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