When my older was born, I planned to breastfeed and assumed it would be something I’d easily get the hang of once Baby arrived. Well, was I ever wrong about that! In fact, it was really hard. I had difficulty getting her to latch, which made me anxious, and the more anxious I got, the more difficulty I had. Luckily, my mom had come to stay those first few weeks after Tori was born, and she had many great tips to help with not only latching but all aspects of nursing a baby. While the breastfeeding did become easier over time, one thing I could never manage to get the hang of was pumping. It just never clicked for me. I learned to let it go—if I wasn’t able to nurse, Baby got formula, and that was just fine. Local mom Kim Antisdel writes about her breastfeeding journey. I love how open and honest she is with her journey and know many of you can relate.
So many milestones happen during Baby’s first year, from rolling over to sitting up and then walking. First coos to first words and first smiles—so many firsts! Although I don’t remember them all, one that really sticks in my mind with my younger is the first time she went an hour without crying. She was colicky, and those first few weeks were very, very long. But I specifically remember that first stretch of no crying. We were in the guest bedroom, she was lying on the bed, and I was sitting next to her writing an email. My sister was in town and started to say something, and I quickly shushed her so as not to jinx the moment. The silence was music to everyone’s ears! To learn about more traditional first-year milestones, head here.