So it just dawned on me – I’ve been doing guest posts of Mom’s and their little one’s celebrating their first birthday but I have not even shared my own experience of my little Aidan’s first year!
This past year has certainly been the hardest and longest year of my life – but it’s all been worth it:
Let’s unpack this a little bit:
- What has been the most challenging part of the past year for me?
The transition from one to two kids has definitely been the most challenging part for me. When you have one child it’s very possible for you and your spouse to each take little breaks but when there are two kids, you both kind of have your hands full, especially when the age gap is so small. The first few months were the hardest, but it’s getting easier with time.
Sleep (or the lack thereof) has also been tough. Alyssa slept through from the age of 2 months, while Aidan woke up frequently until the age of 10 months. I’m a light sleeper and I take very long to fall asleep so there were days I went to the office with not really sleeping at all.
- What has been the most rewarding part of this past year for me?
Watching Alyssa and Aidan play together just melts my heart. They almost have their own little language and the way Aidan looks at his big Sis is just amazing. Another recent accomplishment was getting them to take a day time nap at the same time. I literally felt like I won the lottery 🙂
3. How do I juggle working full time and being a Mommy?
It’s all about balance. Yes. But it’s very hard! Between work, being mom, writing and blogging. I’ve even found the time to start exercising (don’t ask me where) but it really does help me to unwind and clear my mind.
- Have I done anything special to record Aidan’s milestones (sitting up, crawling, first tooth, walking etc) throughout this year?
I’ve recorded the dates of his first smile, first tooth (which we celebrated with pancakes) etc. but this blog also kind of serves this purpose 🙂 The milestone stickers I placed on Aidan’s t-shirt for a picture each month also made this journey more exciting as it’s so nice to look back and see how he’s grown. It also served as a nice collage at his first birthday party.
- Is there anything new that you’ve learnt about yourself since you’ve become a parent?
Becoming a parent puts everything in perspective. You are forced to re-prioritize what’s important in your life. I no longer sweat the small stuff. I just focus on what is important to me and my little family. I also realised that I am not as patient as I always thought I was, but I know it’s something I need to work on.
- Aidan is now officially a toddler! Am I ready for what this new chapter has to bring – walking, running, talking and the good old tantrums?
It’s just so hard to believe that we no longer have a “baby” in the house. We are slowly packing away the baby rocker, bath seats and soft toys. Aidan is becoming quite the “kaputs-maaker” (I learnt this from my swiss cousins – it basically means Destroyer) – he is damaging our cupboards, breaking his sisters toys and climbing all over the house. Alyssa was quite chilled at this age, compared to him but I think it’s just a case of “Boys will be Boys”
Seems like just yesterday
- How did we celebrate Aidan’s first birthday?
We had a nautical themed birthday party for him recently but on the actual day of his birthday we were on holiday in Saldahna bay and spent the day on the beach and had some lunch and birthday cake at the local restaurant. It was certainly a day to remember and we took lots of pictures to remember it.
