ONE YEAR and end of a chapter that is kind of breaking my heart.

Beck is one year in just a few days and I cannot believe it.  Let’s go over a few of the things that he is up to these days:

*He loves to growl especially when he thinks I’m hugging him for too long.

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*Getting Beck dressed is a workout.  I have never tried to clothe a more wiggly baby in my life.  There are so many times that I am sweating by the end of it and sometimes changing his diaper requires two adults ha!

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*He was not happy with me leaving him for a few days to go to NYC and it felt bizarre to not be holding him 10 hours each day.  It’s crazy how much I felt like I needed a break before I left but then how quickly I missed the business/fatigue from this stage of life.

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*He still has no fear trying to jump off of the couch or bed and crawls as fast as he can over to unattended stairs.

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*Beck currently hates the car which means I stick to short drives or drive when he is napping as much as possible because my heart can’t take the crying.

*He crawls around after the kids anytime they are all home.

*He just wants to get in the cupboards all day long.

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*His current favorite foods are oatmeal, yogurt, bacon, spaghetti, fig bars and cheese.

*He refuses to wear hats which drives Andrew crazy because he wants them to be twins.

*He says mom, dad and waves.  He is also extremely good at shaking his head NO.

*Beck has sped up our kids’ reflexes because he is constantly trying to pull hair or grab things he shouldn’t be grabbing.

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*The girls are obsessed with trying to get Beck to walk.

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*I’m pretty sure that Beck thinks Brooke is also his mom.  She is constantly teaching him, playing with him and wanting to give him his bath etc.

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*I love the notes that Brooke leaves for him.

*He hasn’t taken any steps yet but he is so proud of himself each time that he stands.

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*Who do you think he is looking like these days?  I still see my sister’s youngest in him!

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*Beck usually sleeps for about 9 hours at night and then I feed him and he will then go down for another 2 hours.  During the day he will usually take one nap if we are out and about all day or take two naps if we are home that day.  Every 6ish nights though he will do a thing where he wants to wake us up every 2-3 hours for fun.

*He loves to come out and put his feet in the hot tub with me and gets so mad if anyone tries to take him away from me.

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*We are reaching the end of a chapter that I have really loved.  For the last few weeks, Beck only wants to nurse in the morning and sometimes right before bed. He has no desire (or he bites!) the rest of the day.  I’ll keep doing our morning/night sessions together as long as he’ll let me.  This transition is a lot harder on me than I thought it would be.   I have loved this experience we’ve had together and I’m sad to see it go… I’ve cried many tears saying goodbye to our old schedule.

It’s a good thing I love the toddler/big kid stage too:).

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Parents reading—> give me an update on your kid(s)? Any seasons that were extra hard for you to say goodbye to?

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26 comments

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I love your updates! As a mom I’m currently in the preteen/teen phase with my boys ( 14 and 11) I miss the snuggles and when they wanted to near me. Now it’s angst and emo moods. I’ve also realized that the phrase they grow up fast is true! I only have a few years left with the oldest and that’s hard .

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HEY MOLLY! You are going to have to help me out with that phase when I get there… not sure how to handle the emo moods! I bet that is really hard to think about (I get that feeling when I realize that Brooke and Knox are half-way there). Thinking about you and I’ve heard that those adult relationships with kids are the best! Happy Monday!

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Molly, my girls are 14 and soon to be 11, so I am right there with you! It’s a strange season to be in as a parent, because I am feeling like things are a bit jumbled up, knowing they aren’t little anymore. It’s so obvious every time I look at them, or stand next to them! I am simultaneously happy to see them grow, and a little shocked at how fast time is moving. I feel like I’m transitioning into this new teen/preteen stage with them from being little kids, and once I adjust I’ll be better lol. With my oldest being a freshman this year, all I can think is how fast high school goes. Trying to take it 1 day at a time!

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Oh Amanda, I bet that is a very strange feeling to have them grow tall and glance over and wonder how that happened! I hope that this new stage transition goes smoothly, I’ll need all the tips I can get when I get there. My sister said the same thing about high school, it just flies by once they are there! You are doing an amazing job and I hope your girls are loving this school year.

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Aaawww… I still can’t believe he’s almost 1!
And yes! Beck does look like your sister’s youngest! But I can see a lot of Andrew too.
I know it’s hard when kids grow out of each stage, but each stage just keeps getting better! Of course there are different challenges with each new stage, but it is so fun to see the growth – not just physical, but emotional growth too. Keep enjoying every moment.

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Hey Wendy! That makes me so happy that you can see Andrew in him too:). I loved reading what you said… so fun to see the growth! I look up to the amazing mom you are for your boys! Thanks Wendy and have a great evening.

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My kids are 22, 19 and almost 15- I can not believe how fast it went by! Love reading your updates.

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What fun ages! I’ll have to ask you questions about the teenage years when we get there:). Thanks Amy and I hope you all have a beautiful day!

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I love these updates! It has been so fun seeing Beck “grow up.” My little boy is about 8 months behind Beck, so it’s nice to get a look ahead at what is to come. It’s so much fun to see my little boy gain awareness and start to really observe the world around him. Right now he’s starting to get a little uneasy if anyone besides me is holding him. Hopefully this won’t turn into too much of a problem in the coming months, but for the time being I have to admit that it makes me feel a little extra special.

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Courtney! I wish we could get our little guys together over the years for playdates. I LOVE seeing that with babies too, they start to realize that there is more than our faces and snuggling all day (SO MANY THINGS TO GET INTO ha;). Your little guy loves his mom so so much and Beck did the same thing and I kind of loved it too. I hope you are getting plenty of sleep!

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I love these updates! My son is around Beck’s age. It was hard for me to stop breastfeeding my older one. I’ll definitely have a hard time when they don’t need me at every fall and bedtime, but I know they’ll need me in other ways. I also won the Brooks shoes the other day! ??? I emailed you back. Let me know if you didn’t get it. (I’m sure you get a lot of emails!!) Always love reading your blog!

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Oh my goodness I didn’t get your email, I’ll email you right now to this address and see if I get the reply! I wish we could get our little boys together and you are so right, they will always need us but just in different ways. Have a great day.

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Happy birthday Beck! I have kids almost the same ages as you (9, 7, 4, and 10 months) and I’m already getting emotional about my baby not being a baby! Toddlers are hard for me, but also really adorable. Also I am so glad that nursing has been a positive experience for you this time.

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I feel like every season is hard to say goodbye to! My son is a freshman in college now (let’s not even go there) and my daughter is in middle school. When I drive her to school, we pass the elementary school and I see all the little kids, looking so excited- I miss that phase so much!!! I know it’s crazy because my kids are still pretty young, but I’m already looking forward to grandkids!

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Oh Jenny, that is so hard! I’ll be feeling the same thing when I pass the elementary school in the future. I feel that way with Brooke and Knox sometimes when I see their old pre-school. The grandkid stage will be a blast and you will rock that just like you do with motherhood. Hope your day is a beautiful one!

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At 10 months Hope self -weened the day feedings. Way more emotional than I thought it would be. My chest is heavy recalling it, because I remember the feeding where I knew this was it.
Hugs to you! Wishing there were a pause button for those moments right along with you.
xoxo

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I love these updates!
I will admit that the baby and toddler stages were not my strongest. Every year and every stage has gotten better and more fulfilling. Now we’re in the teen years and It’s simultaneously my favorite and so bittersweet because of the changes to come. But it’s definitely the stage I think I’m the best at parenting.

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Such a sweetie!! Beck is so lucky to have such helpful big siblings! I had a sad time when my daughter stopped her nightly breastfeeding a little early – I made it to 18 months with her brother & had expectations for her to do the same. She did make it past a year (for nights only) but not quite to the month I was prepped for. The phase I was saddest to see go, was the stroller/baby carrier/hiking pack/etc phase! Both kids are happiest on bikes now, and the only time we bring a stroller is to carry extra stuff. Their ages are SO so fun though, at 3 and 5, and there are just different fun things to look forward to.

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Our youngest is 2 now and has decided on her own that she wants to potty train. We decided it is time to get rid of her pacis too.
We are done having babies. I have my moments when I am really sad that she isn’t a baby anymore and then I have moments when I really want to be done with all of the baby things in our house like diapers and pacifiers!

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It was so difficult both times finishing breast feeding. It’s such an emotional journey! I’ve since read about post breast feeding depression and apparently it’s a thing getting ‘bluesy’ the month after you stop. On a plus note though I had plantar fasciitis throughout both my breast feeding journeys and it stopped almost instantly once I was done nursing. Don’t know why, but seriously, I haven’t had problems before or after but with both my boys I had it quite bad for a year post partum. Don’t want to give you false hope there though, just my experience ?

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My 18 month old boy is a growler, too! My oldest never did that, it’s so funny :) I had a very hard time weaning, as well. But I must admit that the freedom of not having to pump and nurse is pretty nice. I’m done having babies now which is so sad for me. But, like you, I love watching them grow, and adore the toddler stage, as well. It’s hard to let go, but all stages must come to an end eventually. I’m so glad you had a better breastfeeding experience this time around.

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All the stages! It’s tough when you’re in the thick of it but so sad when it’s over. My son is nearing the ‘doesn’t believe in Santa anymore’ phase and it makes me sad and I just want him to believe forever. My daughter, 5, has been so independent since she was born so on the nights she asks to snuggle I don’t dare say no.

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Aw, Beck is in such a sweet adventurous phase! All that squirming must mean he’s going to be a great athlete – whether that’s as a runner/soccer player/ballet dancer. He definitely reminds me of your sisters youngest. And I think Skye is looking so much like you lately. It seems like she’s maturing a lot too, helping out with Beck. It’s so fun to see the great relationships your kids have with each other. And I’m sure the weaning is hard, let yourself feel all the feels!

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What a cutie beck is!! Sounds like he keeps you on your toes ;)
Well if feels like Zach has been around forever but he is 12 weeks today!! He is enormous, doubled his birthweight by 2 months and already wearing 6-12 month clothing!! He is a pretty chill guy when he’s with his mama, other people not so much. He knows what he likes! He nurses constantly… we have him in the snoo bassinet at night and he sleeps anywhere from 5 hours on a good night to 2 on a bad night.
Allie is doing amazing, she’s almost SIX! She’s loving year 2 kindergarten aka Senior kindergarten and she is such a big giant help with Zach. So glad I had them far apart!! She is doing gymnastics and swimming and doing so well in both. She loves to watch food network and bake with her mama and of course LOVES candy! I’m gonna send you a pic of them!

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My daughter is just over 9 months and still going strong with breastfeeding 4x a day. She definitely loves her Dodd, so I could see self weaning happening sooner than later. But I agree, breastfeeding is such an amazing connection that I know will always calm and comfort my little one. We will always have snuggles!

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Is this working – having either one or two naps? Mine would go crazy without the strict routine I think. But good for you!
For us sleeping was always a battle. Until I’ve followed this book https://www.parental-love.com/shop/toddler-sleep-training – guide in a nutshell author says, and it’s totally right. The author made me try the routine and it was like a miracle!

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