Bye-Bye to the first 12 months – What I Will and Won’t Miss

My little peanut is 18 months old and my big peanut is now four.  Phew.  I really felt that things eased up when my youngest was 15 months and I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I’m starting to take care of myself a bit better, the kids are a bit easier to manage, and I feel like things are becoming a new normal.

Every year I make an annual photo album.  This is our cherished way of remembering all the pictures we take of our kids in one neat little way.  I started working on our 2015 album, beginning with January when Alex was only 3 months old and it made me think about his first year, and what makes it so special.  (And also why I’m SO happy I captured this amazing time in photos!)

I’ll miss…

Portability!  All we needed was a diaper bag and a boob and off we went.

He mostly just lied there…  I didn’t have to run after him to catch him from falling off the back of the toilet, half way across the park, crawling on tables or playing in the toilet.

So. many. changes.  Wow – they change so much throughout the first year don’t they.  It’s just fascinating watching it all.

Snuggle-y sleeping in bed.  We co-slept a lot with Bastien and Alex but once we sleep trained Alex that was the end of the co-sleeping together for him.  Now as soon as we bring him to bed hoping for some more sleep, he just jumps all over us.

Tininess.  He will never be a tiny baby ever again.  He will never have those super tiny fingers and toes, or that little mouth again.

Baby wearing.  Baby is upset?  Wants to be held?  Easy – just throw them in the carrier.  Now it’s about carrying a 25 pound sack of potatoes in my arms.

I won’t miss…

Screaming car rides.  A little baby screaming their face off in the back seat while you’re stuck in traffic just sucks.

Boob days.  These are the days (I think there were maybe 2 in his first couple months) where all he wanted to do was breastfeed.  All. Day. Long.  I watched A LOT of TV those days.  Which, in retrospect wasn’t that bad.

No sleep.  I won’t miss getting up 5 times a night or breastfeeding at night either.  I did try to cherish those night feeds as much as possible though knowing they would be my last and they are a special time.

The witching hour.  This is the time after 4:00 when all Alex wanted to do was breastfeed and cry.  It’s pretty tough with one, but when you are trying to feed, play with, bathe and put to bed another little one it’s tough.  I had some of my lowest life moments here, especially when my oldest would just NOT go to bed and throw a tantrum and the baby would just be screaming.  I do NOT miss that for one minute.

I’m totally OK that we aren’t having another baby and I won’t go through this special time again.  Instead, I am excited about this new time in our life when it’s ever easier to get out and explore this great city and world.  I can’t wait to show my children what is out there and see how they react to it all!

What did I miss?  What about you?