My baby girl turned 5 months old a few days ago. I can't believe it! Kinsey's personality is sure starting to shine and she is a funny girl. She is the happiest lil gal and Ryan and I are spoiled rotten (she might be a little bit too). Honestly, having a child is nothing what I thought it would be like...it is so much better. I have learned a few things along the way and will continue to do so. I was reflecting the other day about some things I have learned:
- It is okay if when you see your child for the first time it is not "love at first sight" like you hear so many people say. Don't get me wrong... I loved Kinsey SO MUCH while pregnant with her and when she was born. I cried when they whisked her away and I didn't know what was going on. My hormones were everywhere and I felt so many different things the first two weeks of K's life. After about two weeks I truly began to understand the love a parent has for their child.
- Breastfeeding is hard! You couldn't tell it if you watched Kinsey and I in action now. It took a good two and a half weeks for us to get in the swing of things. Kinsey lost to much weight and we had to do supplemental feedings every three hours around the clock. It took us 1.5 hours for me to attempt to nurse, supplement, and then pump. That left 1.5 hours until we did it again. Many times you do not hear of these struggles from other parents. After I started talking to other Mom's I realized that many of them had problems breastfeeding and had to supplement also. My advice to those who want to breastfeed is to give yourself 3-4 weeks before you decide not to breastfeed. Talk to a lactation specialist while you are at the hospital and after if you need to. And you know what, even if you don't breastfeed, pump and bottle feed, or formula feed you are just as good as a mother as anyone else. The important thing is that you are feeding your baby.
- Hormones are a real thing after pregnancy (men, read that sentence again). After I had Kinsey I would cry at the drop of a hat about ANYTHING! It's okay and it will go away after a couple of weeks. Praises to my husband as he handled all my meltdowns wonderfully!
- Having a kid is scary and a major life change. It is okay to be nervous about the future and how your life is going to change. If you have never been a parent you don't know what to expect. You can't imagine the love you are going to experience for this child and how they will naturally fit into your life. The first couple months are a little harder because you are still learning and EXHAUSTED, but you will get to where you can just jump in the car and go whenever you need to.
- You will receive A LOT of advice from family, friends, and strangers. My advice is to be nice, listen, and then do whatever you want to. :) Who knows, they might actually say something that is helpful! In the end, follow your gut and do what YOU want to do.
- People are fascinated about whether or not your child is sleeping through the night and have lots of advice for you if they aren't (again, smile and nod and do whatever you want to). Kinsey is five months old and is still waking up every three hours at night to eat. I'm okay with it and feel like she will sleep longer when she is developmentally ready to. That is just my opinion from a Mom who doesn't have to be at a typical job 5 days a week.
- How and where your baby sleeps is up to you. Again, you will receive a lot of "advice" on this topic. Kinsey slept in our room until about a week ago in the pack and play. I like having her close and it is a lot easier to feed her in the middle of the night. I would still have her there except I think the crib gives her more room to move around. And yes, I am still sleeping on the couch close to her bedroom because I am afraid (even with a monitor) I won't hear her in the middle of the night. Call me weak I don't care... I am still going to sleep there until I am comfortable. To top it off, sometimes after Kinsey's 5 or 6am feeding we sleep in the recliner together. Not because she won't go back to sleep... because I want to. Snuggle with your baby as much as you want because they grow so fast! If you want your child to sleep in your bed go for it. Only you will know what works for you and your baby.
- Schedules - we don't really have one. In fact, Kinsey kind of created her own. Sometimes she is up at 7:00am and sometimes it is closer to 9:00am. She has no set nap times as I just watch and read her cues. She only sleeps for about 30 minutes at a time and then is good to go for another couple of hours. She also has a loose bedtime. Again, I just watch for signs that she is getting tired and then we start our bedtime routine. She usually goes to bed between 8:00pm - 9:00pm. In the last week bedtime has been as early as 7:30pm and as late as 10:30pm. (Our bedtime routine is simply a bath and nursing before she lays down). If you are a schedule kind of person and your baby follows one that is great. If not, that is okay too. Do what works for you and your child.
Ok, now onto the pictures:
Below: We got Kinsey an Exersaucer and she loves it!
Below: This is our mood most days.
Below: The R1 Kinsey Lou racing turtle showed great promise in warm-ups, but when it came to the main event she choked! Once she overcame her fear she made a good run for it but she couldn't cover the ground she needed to make up for it. I think there might be a future for her though! Not bad for a rookie!
Below: Addison participated in the tractor pull. Daddy is giving her a pep talk!
Below: Peddle Addison!!
Below: Kinsey couldn't hang and had to take a nap.
Below: Some of our bunch at the celebration.
Below: Ainslie and her Momma are full of smiles.
Below: Addison and her turtle are waiting for the race to start.
Below: The turtles were in the bucket and we were waiting for the race to start,
Below: Family picture with our turtle!
Below: Maybe next year little guy.
Below: Ben, Addison, Angie, and Ainslie with their turtles!
Below: Addison hanging out with Grandma.
Below: Addison digging for money in the wheat.
Below: Kinsey hanging out with Grandma.
Below: Lisa and Addison with the necklaces she bought her (which turned out to be great fun on the slide later).
Below: Addison won first place in her weight division in the tractor pull. Who cares that she was the only one in her weight class. She was SO EXCITED that she won a trophy. Here she is showing it off to Uncle Jake.
Below: Addison with the other tractor pull winners.
Below: Fun on the slide.
Below: Kinsey getting ready for the fireworks. Ok, she totally did not make it to the fireworks. She went to bed long before they started.
Below: Grandpa and Kinsey watching soccer together.
Below: Kinsey taking a nap. I take advantage of these snuggles when I can get them!
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Below: Fun times with Dad! Kinsey always has a smile for her Daddy.
Below: I just love baby hooded bath towels.
Below: Preston and Chip having fun in the pool.
Below: Madison has no fear when it comes to jumping off the diving board.
Below: Around and around the pool Preston went.
Below: Grayson having fun in the pool.
Below: Natalie's turn to go off the board.
Below: Kinsey and Pat having a good time.
Below: Getting some love from Aunt Elaine and Maria.
Below: If you come a little closer I can get those glasses.
Below: Kinsey finally got to meet Uncle Mike! We were sure happy to see Aunt Megan too.
Below: Uncle Kevin is always the cause of a good time.
Below: More fun with Daddy!!
Until Next Time
Ju
