Paul Daniel: One Year

It blows my mind that one year has gone by with Paul. From the moment I found out I was pregnant everything happened so fast. And then just like that he was here and we closed the door on having anymore children.

I’ll admit, it’s been harder than I expected deciding that we’re done expanding our family. We know that it’s the right decision for us, but it doesn’t make it any easier knowing I’ll never get to have these moments again (especially the newborn stage).

As I navigate my grief I also feel an immense amount of gratitude. I’m so grateful I was able to have not just one but two beautiful babies. They’re healthy, they’re safe, and being there for all their special moments is something I don’t take for granted.

@thelovelygeek

♬ My second child poem – Jessica Urlichs

What’s New

He’s always been a vocal baby, and it’s so funny how he tried to mimic certain sounds. He does this little monster growl and loves when we do it back at him. He’s also trying to talk more and can say Mama, Dada, and is working on saying Titi (my sister’s nickname).

It’s hard to tell what came first but Paul is both crawling and pushing himself up to a seated position. He still loves to roll if he wants to get somewhere fast, but he’s mastered pivoting on his belly to quickly turn around. He loves to be mobile!

Now that he’s more mobile he is so curious and very determined. I love watching him explore and it’s surreal to experience these memories all over again after experiencing them with Lily.

Feeding

He’s still at three bottles a day, but lately, he’s been only taking about 5-6oz in the morning as opposed to 8oz. He enjoys his solids, and I have no doubt that weaning him off a bottle now is gonna be no problem. He’s a big fan of his puff cereal and cheese, just like Lily was when she was his age.

Sleep

In terms of Paul’s sleep habits or schedule, nothing has changed, thank goodness. He loves his sleep, much more than his sister. He has no problem going down or staying asleep both at night and for his naps.

It’s funny, by 10 months Lily was done with her sleep sack and Nanit breathing band. At 12 months, Paul is done with the breathing band but only because he’s figured out how to remove it. He likes sleeping in his sleep sack though, as I’ve noticed he sleeps much better with it than without.

I’ve noticed he’s a thumb sucker, and he’ll typically do it when he’s feeling sleepy and to cuddle. I was the same way as a baby. He hasn’t gravitated towards a particular stuffed animal or blanket yet to accompany his thumb sucking, but I don’t remember doing so until I was closer to two. We’ll see if he becomes exactly like his mom. 😉

Favorites

Both kiddos got colds, so it was the first time in my parenting journey that I truly got to experience taking care of sick littles. These are my favorite products that helped make things a little easier.

Mommy’s Bliss Organic Baby Cough & Mucus Syrup – There aren’t a whole lot of good options for baby cold meds, but this is one of the few I felt safe using.

Fridababy NoseFrida – Oh man, when I first heard about this thing I was little grossed out, and I was secretly hoping I would never have to use it. But Paul had a ton of mucus, so I finally broke out the NoseFrida and gave it a try. It comes with a little filter so you don’t have to worry about anything coming into your mouth. And boy is it satisfying to use!

Fridababy Baby Breathe Easy Kit – I love Fridababy’s kits! This one had everything I needed – nose wipes, chest balm, and vapor drops for Paul’s humidifier. I used it all, so nothing went to waste, and it all helped.