It’s the eve of Harper’s first birthday and I have so much to say…but it’s so hard to summarize our entire amazing year…I never feel I can find the right words or write it as beautifully as it deserves to be captured.
But this will be published on her birthday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET BABY HARPER REESE!
How can I summarize this year and do it justice? (I can’t) It has been the most incredible year, the most fun, the most challenging, the funniest, the scariest. You made me a mother and with that you showed me the kind of love that makes your heart feel like it’s exploding into millions of pieces. You’ve shown me patience, made me stronger and better and helped grow me into the woman I always wished I would be.
You made me a mother and you gave me the world through your sweet, innocent, beautiful eyes. The day you were born, I could never imagine what you would be like a year from now—and now life is forever changed as I watch you grow and learn and thrive and I’m so lucky—we are so lucky and grateful to be your parents.
Your smile lights up my world, your laugh makes my heart melt and every time you learn something new or show me you understand something new, I’m just in awe of you.
From that sweet tiny little newborn nestled in my arms in our hospital bed to the walking, vocal, determined baby girl you are today, you have changed our lives forever in the very best way imaginable.
Happy birthday my life, my love, my beauty. We love you so much.
Health: Other than a 48-hour tummy bug, Harper has been doing great health-wise. She’s teething right now and she was definitely clingier and fussier than usual today. Poor baby teething on her birthday…
Sleep: Yay for sleeping through the night! This babe sleeps consistently from about 7:45 ish through 6 or 6:30 a.m. Once in awhile she will wake up in the middle of the night and go back to sleep on her own. Rarely, one of us has to actually go into her room. This has been huge for us because getting enough sleep makes life a lot easier as parents.
Diet: Harper is still getting frozen pumped milk. I’m really stressed about the transition to WCM…we were supposed to start this past weekend and we couldn’t because she was recovering from her tummy bug…so now, we basically have to try and transition in about a week because we have to travel. I hope she takes to it well because the logistics of bringing a ton of frozen milk onto a plane are not ones I want to deal with.
If you have any advice on transitioning, I’m all ears! We are going to mix WCM into her bottles 25/75 then 50/50 etc. to get her used to the taste. She likes most foods so maybe she will take well to it…but she loves those bottles so I’m guessing it will be a challenge.
She’s still doing great with solids—eating a lot of veggies, grains and fruits daily as well as cheese, eggs and Greek yogurt. She self-feeds really wonderfully and is very enthusiastic about food.
To be honest, I’m a little bit afraid of the hormone crash that’s going to come when my milk completely stops. Did that happen to you? Would love to hear your experiences with weaning.
Overall though, I’m so proud to have met my goal of Harper receiving my breast milk for an entire year! (yay!)
Clothes: Harper is wearing some 12-18 and 18-24. She’s in size 4 diapers.
Happy birthday, beautiful girl! Can't wait to see you this weekend to celebrate!! What a lovely post, Veronika. It's amazing how children can really shape and change us in all the good ways. She is a beauty and a treasure!
Happy happy birthday sweet girl 🙂
I pumped exclusively for eight months, baby girl is now 10 months (bless you for doing it for 12!) I tapered off just like you stated too down to really short mini sessions, and then the pain came (ugh!) anyhow I just stopped one day and things sorted themselves out in a few days. I did however develop a few clogged ducts several days later and just took a warm shower and then during and afterword massaged by hand to work out the lumps and it worked, i was feeling 100% the next day. I think if I would have done this while I was tapering off I wouldn't have had the issue (of course everyone is different) As far as a hormone crash I was good! I didn't notice that I felt any different in any way! Happy birthday to your sweet girl!
What a cutie! Her little personality shows in her pictures. I started reading your blog a when I went back to work for outfit ideas. I have enjoyed watching you sweet girl grow. My son will be 4 this summer and I think it gets more fun as he gets older. Each week, month, year, it's something new to do and discover. Have fun a the little gym this summer, my son adores that place.
Happy birthday to your beautiful girl! It has been so fun to watch her grow throughout the year! Blessings!
happy birthday to your sweet girl!!! beautiful shots of her and love that outfit of hers.
Linh
https://abeautifulrawr.com
Happy Birthday, sweet Harper girl! I have enjoyed watching you grow over the past year! xo Good luck with the weaning, It is a stressful time. I did have a bit of a hormone withdrawl when I stopped breastfeeding… It lasted about a week and I was just really depressed, but I got through it… I woke up one day and I just felt better! I hope you don't experience it, but if you do just know it will pass xo
Happy Birthday to the cutest little girl! Thank you, Veronika, for continuing to blog this year. I always get so excited when they pop up in my feed! I also can't wait to have children – I know I was born to be a mommy. Hope you and your lovely family have a great day celebrating the precious one's birthday! xo
Hello ! My daughter tried cows milk for the first time around 11 months or so , she sipped it from a straw and she tolerated it very well , my daughter is also still breastfed as well as eating solids . Maybe Harper will take it better than you expect ? And if not you can try mixing it with the breast milk ?
Happy 1st Birthday Harper!!
Loved the sweet letter and the adorable pics! I hope she has a wonderful birthday!
Happy Birthday, Harper! Such a sweet post. I have a five month old boy and these pictures make me excited for all the mobile moments to come! 🙂
Congratulations both of your for coming through the first year so well! It's been lovely dipping in and seeing it all, happy birthday x
Happy Birthday to Harper and happy one year anniversary of being a Mom! About 8 days after I breastfed for the last time (after 13 months and weaning slowly), I had a hormone crash. It lasted probably 1.5 weeks. I had headaches, dizziness, crabbiness like PMS and felt a bit weepy. All of these things were manageable and didn't have me confined to bed or anything, butI wish it was talked about more because I didn't really expect it.
Happy Burthday Harper! Hope she had a wonderful day!! I wouldn't stress about her immediately liking WCM. My daughter didn't like it until 15 months (started trying around 13 months), but I was also still nursing. I know lots of kids who also didn't like it at first, but they were getting calcium through solids, as you said Harper is too. So, if she doesn't drink any milk while traveling I don't think it's a cause for concern. I don't have any weaning advice since I nursed my first till I got my pregnant again & I'm still nursing my 2nd daughter. Advil and hot showers/heating pads works when I get clogged ducts. Lots of pushing on the duct in the shower- painful, but will help pass the milk. Good luck!
Happy Birthday!! I can't get over her size, I never really think A is that small but then reading stats like those remind me she was pre-term. I don't have any advice for the weaning, though you could probably check my archives (april 2013), our last session was cinco de mayo and I started weaning when I found out I was pregnant, early April right before she turned one. As far as WCM, we started with almond and coconut milk bc she hadn't been cleared for dairy. She finally started drinking those after about 2 weeks of not being interested. I remember stressing out, but then one day she just went for it. If Harper doesnt take to it right away, don't stress. Make sure she's getting calcium through yogurt or whatnot and hopefully she comes around. It seems like most kids do. I do have a friend who's kid refuses it almost entirely, but she's still healthy and thriving. Not ideal, but she'll survive!
Congrats Momma! What an amazing post, your words to her are so sweet. Weaning is hard, I did it on a trip as well, and the first three days were difficult, but I started feeling much better after that. I just remember feeling very heavy and uncomfortable…and sad and happy and free at the same time 🙂
Happy, happy 1st birthday sweet Harper. What a wonderful job you and Kevin have done this past year. You are a natural mommy, and I love getting to "know" you all through your pictures and posts. I'm sure if we lived closer that Harper and the girls would have a fab time together! Congrats on a wonderful 1st year. happy birthday, Harper!
Happy 1st Birthday Harper. It's been really wonderful "seeing" you grow up. Can't believe it's been a year. Your mama's blog really helped me with my 8 month old little guy. Thanks for all the fun read!
Happy Birthday to cute baby Harper! May she be joyful and cheerful child! And congratulations to you, parents – your girl is growing. It sure is a miracle to observe it every day.
Maya | Domestic Cleaners Maida Vale
Happy Birthday, Harper! We recently made the switch to goat/cow/almond milk (baby is 13 months) and it was REALLY easy. We did 25% additions throughout the course of a week and a half with each milk until we were at 100%. Goat milk (from HEB) was what we started with, then we went from goat to cow, and cow to almond, and now she will drink either of the three whenever it is served to her! It went so smoothly! Weaning was physically easy for me since my supply was so terrible, but it was emotionally difficult. Wishing you and the little girl the best on this special day!
Happy birthday Harper!! I have so enjoyed following your journey as our girls are a week a part! We are traveling soon too and I DONT want to bring bottles or formula with us. We are trying the same. 75/25 and then 50/50. Then hopefully soon we will be at 25/75 and finally at 100. Our doctor said to try and eliminate bottles at the same time as formula and said it could be done in about two weeks!! I think we are going to take a little longer with the bottles (especially for nighttime feeding) but I all over this new stage! As Ellie is adopted and I didn't BF I don't know about that.
atparsons.blogspot.com
Happy birthday to Harper! She is such a doll, I love that pink dress. I was slightly anxious about transitioning my daughter (now 17 months) to WCM, but it went so smoothly. I started mixing 50/50 and had no problems so we went to full on WCM. Good luck! When I weaned I took some sudafed/cold medicine, it is verrry helpful with drying up milk. It might be worth a shot, clogged ducts are no fun.
Happy birthday to Harper! She is such a doll, I love that pink dress. I was slightly anxious about transitioning my daughter (now 17 months) to WCM, but it went so smoothly. I started mixing 50/50 and had no problems so we went to full on WCM. Good luck! When I weaned I took some sudafed/cold medicine, it is verrry helpful with drying up milk. It might be worth a shot, clogged ducts are no fun.
Happy belated birthday Harper! I cannot believe she's one!! Did you cry as much as I did when my first one turned one? 😛 I am STILL trying to get my almost 2 year old to drink WCM – do not stress out if she doesn't like it! Some little ones just do not like it no matter what – we tried EVERYTHING. The good thing is she loves yogurt and cheese so she is still getting plenty of calcium but after about 6 months of trying to get her to drink WCM we slowly stopped forcing it. We will try every once and a while but girl just does not want it! As for weaning, massage worked for me (not too much as it can stimulate but probably the same as pumping). If I would feel a clogged duct coming I would apply pressure the area to try and keep milk flowing there which helped and I think I was completely done by 2 weeks. Good luck, mama!
loveandlifesimplified.blogspot.com
Happy birthday to sweet Harper! I started following your blog shortly after you announced your pregnancy; it's been such a joy to follow your (and how Harper's) journey. I look forward to seeing what else is to come!
The first year flies by, this second year better take it's time but I have a feeling that it's not going to happen that way. We mixed breast milk with cow's milk to transition too. I increased the amount of cow's milk each week and it took about a month to fully convert. Beware of constipation when transitioning… and beyond. It's very binding for them so make sure she's getting plenty of fiber.
Aubrey has been over the headbands for a couple of months now too. I was able to get clips in but now she pulls them out too (unless I sneak one on without her realizing). It's all about the Pebbles pony right now, that's all I can do!
I can't believe it has been one year already! I have watched Harper grow up and your journey as a family with huge interest. You make a wonderful mother and Harper is such a cute little girl. 🙂
My little one had issues going from breastmilk to cow's milk. The Pediatrician suggested mixing cow's milk with pediasure milk (it comes in all different flavors). We did this and within a week he was on cow's milk. Good luck to you!
I almost had tears in my eyes, all the words just echoed beautifully in mind as I could totally relate to it, my little munchkin will be turning one in almost a months time. And seeing your baby grow is the purest of joys motherhood could offer .. Love reading your post and seeing pics !! Stay blessed 🙂