Well, I'm a month behind again, which makes it pretty hard to remember specific things about this month. I'll have to use the pictures to jog my memory...
If you haven't checked out his 12 month pics yet, go to epicphotodesign.com and go to Druelinger Family: Beck 12 month.
He had his 12 month check up. All's well! Finally gaining and growing like he did the first 6 months of his life. He just took a bit of a break from 6-9 months; so it will be interesting to see if all of our kids will follow that pattern, as Blanke said that's a possible family pattern. He began eating lots more table food this month as I began weaning him.
This next part is for me to reference with my next baby, so if you don't want to read about weaning... skip down to the next paragraphs! I began on March 7th, and I planned to cut out one feeding per week. I started with the noon feeding. The next week I cut the 4 o'clock feeding. Both of those went well. Only if he was sleepy and would sit on my lap would he want to nurse, so I tried to avoid those situations. The 3rd week I dropped the night feeding, which was easy too. I was surprised at how well he was adjusting because he had been a very loyal nurser up until that point. Well much to my surprise on the morning after his first dropped night feeding, March 21st, he chose to only eat on one side. So I went with it; I didn't ask him to eat on the other side, mostly because I was in shock and didn't think fast enough about the effects. The next morning I had him start on the opposite side, thinking I'll just have him eat on every other side every morning that week. Well that caused some problems. I got clogged on one side and the vicious cycle began. In the past the only thing that has unclogged me before is Beck eating in football position, so I allowed him to do this once or twice during the day for a couple days. Well he wanted nothing to do with it so he wouldn't suck hard enough or long enough to release the clog. I decided to try cabbage leaves. I wore those suckers til they were wilted every day, all day. They felt good for the pain, but I didn't notice any improvement in the clogs. I tried pumping, massaging, and applying heat, all of which only made it more painful, as they usually did, and ultimately it just stimulated my body into thinking it needed to make more. Nice. Finally on the morning of his birthday party, I had him stop eating altogether. This whole time I was fear-stricken that I'd get mastitis. Every day I just waited for the symptoms to occur, certain I was doomed. It was the most painful thing ever! Finally at Beck's 12 month check up on April 1st with Blanke, I asked him about it. He told me that mastitis doesn't form that way. It forms because bacteria gets into the breast and causes infection and the only way for bacteria to get into the breast is from a baby feeding. So since Beck wasn't feeding, I was safe and I just needed to ride it out. It finally became completely clear on April 5th. Uggh loooong misery. I definitely learned my lesson... WEAN SLOWLY!!!
As for the emotional side of the weaning process. I was definitely surprised that I wasn't sad about it. I found the freedom of not nursing a relief. One year of nursing was perfect for me. He was such a good nurser that I was afraid he would fight it and that would've made me sad if I was making him do something he wasn't ready for. I'm glad it all worked out!
He's on to bigger and better things now. He typically has an egg, a banana, and oatmeal with almond milk for breakfast. He eats yobaby yogurt with applesauce or pear puree and some avocado for lunch. For dinner he has pureed veggies, such as butternut squash, carrots, broccoli, peas, or green beans and pureed black beans. He's a good eater. If he has a hard time with the texture of something at first, I just try it several days in a row and he begins liking it by the 3rd day or so.
He still only has the 2 teeth on the bottom, but the top 2 are making their way through the gums.
snack time=happy time
This boy got some shaggy hair this month. I just didn't feel like tackling more than one hair cut this month, so we held out until his birthday party. We need a live-in hairstylist for this boy!!
So the games that Dad plays with him are hit him on the head til he tips over, butt heads, tickle him til he pees his pants, and the newest... pull his shirt behind his head. Nice.
haircuts by mom
I finally decided to try out the clippers this time and it was AMAZING! So much easier. He didn't mind them at all.
It is very funny to watch him get frustrated when he can't get something just right. Hopefully this temper goes away with training and as he begins to communicate his feelings! He just tries so hard!
He finally learned how to maneuver the walker. Before he would run into a wall and just ram it over and over until we came to help. Or he wouldn't be able to turn himself around to change direction. One day it just clicked!
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