We had family photos plus Berend’s cake smash the weekend before his birthday. He really wasn’t really in the mood to smile, but we still got some cute photos!
I seriously can’t get over how cute these boys can be.
No smiles from this one, but he’s still as cute as can be!
Berend really didn’t want to sit alone on that picnic blanket, so Mama snuggles were in order.
Pretty proud to dump the whole cake that I made for him!
It took him forever to actually taste the cake!
All photos by Elizabeth McDowell Photography — she did an amazing job with my crazy boys who can be uncooperative! I’m always impressed by what she can capture in a short amount of time, and she’s so easy to work with.
I still can’t believe our Berend is a year old. It was a tough year, but it was also full of smiles and giggles. I’m so glad we have these photos to celebrate his first year with us!
Happy birthday, Berend Glenn! We’ve survived the longest and shortest year of your life.
Age: 12 months on 15 May 2019 Weight: 22 lbs 3 oz Height: 30.94 inches Teeth: 6 (but #7 is so close) Clothing Size: 12-18 months & 18 months Diaper Size: size 4 and one size in cloth
Milestones: really crawling!, waving hi/bye, pointing, saying “oh” and “uh” sounds, recognizing objects and pointing to them in books, giving big open-mouth kisses, standing unassisted longer, taking steps
Likes: baths, meals, socks, photos of his family, playing with Gerrit, being with Mama, tickles, going outside, moving things around in the refrigerator, mouth sounds (especially if it involves spitting), growling, being walked around, climbing on things, kicking things
Dislikes: having his face washed, having his nose wiped, the NoseFrida, long car rides, having his diaper changed, having his teeth brushed (vs him brushing his own), Mama walking away or being away, being confined (car seat, stroller, shopping cart), when people STOP walking him around, having things taken away from him
Sleep: Berend is still averaging about 12.5 hours of sleep a day with two naps. His morning nap is roughly 2.5 hours after he wakes up (usually starting between 10 & 11), and his afternoon nap happens about 3.5 hours after he wakes from his morning nap (anytime between 2pm and 3:30pm). We’ve had a few days with only 1 nap because that first nap started late and turned into a decent nap, but he definitely does better with two naps.
Night sleep hasn’t changed much. Bedtime typically happens between 8pm & 9pm right now because the afternoon nap pushes bedtime later. Berend is still up every 1-2 hours most nights, but he has had more 3- and 4-hour stretches! He is still usually up between 7am and 8am, although if bedtime is later, he can sleep until 8:30. And he still sleeps with me for the last part of the night:
I feel like sleep has been a little wonky as we approach dropping to one nap a day. I try to follow Berend’s lead for the most part, but 5pm is the absolute latest I’ll let him nap. I just hate when his bedtime goes much past 9pm!
Eating: Shortly after Berend turned 11 months, his appetite for solids picked up again! Although I wasn’t worried about his disinterest in food, I was frustrated. So when I realized he was eating again, I was thrilled!
Some of his favorite foods? He loves Cheerios and blueberries for breakfast, he always does well with meat, and if it looks messy (guacamole, mashed potatoes, spaghetti sauce) it goes straight to his hair. He really enjoys pizza, my homemade chicken nuggets, spaghetti & meatballs, and mac & cheese. Typical toddler foods!
Photo by Elizabeth McDowell Photography
Nursing also picked up. Instead of only nursing well before naps and bedtime, Berend started wanting to nurse every 2 hours again. Sometimes just a snack, but sometimes he wanted to hang out there for awhile. And it became a LOT more for comfort. It really didn’t bother me… I was just happy he was nursing more!
Mommy Update: Well, a lot of this past month was spent planning a birthday party! I tried to motivate myself to get things done in advance, but apparently nothing motivates me like procrastination. So I was stressed the day leading up to his party, true to character.
I have continued to try to carve out some “me time” every night, which always helps my mood. I’ve been working on my family photo album and re-watching “Shameless.” I still stay up too late, which I will have to stop doing, because Gerrit is out of school as of May 21st… which means no more morning nap for me once in awhile.
Photo by Gerrit
I went back and read the “Mommy Update” from when Gerrit was 12 months, and while it was probably comparable in terms of sleep, I feel a lot more positive this time. Part of it may be because Berend is a worse sleeper in general, so when it gets rough, it’s not that much worse than normal. And I know from experience that there will be a LOT of “two steps forward, one step back” with baby/toddler sleep, so my outlook is better in general. I guess I just don’t try as hard to figure out what I need to do to improve things because I know it will get better in time.
I’ve also gotten a couple of kid-free outings this month! At the end of April, I participated in the Spouse Flight day and got to have a ride in Andrew’s plane. I had never been in an AC130, so it was really interesting to see everything that goes on with all the people on the crew.
The day before Mother’s Day, I went to the spouse event for Andrew’s squadron at the local winery. It felt great to wear non-nursing clothes and be able to have conversations without being interrupted by kids! I also got to meet some more ladies and put faces with names. It was a great afternoon!
I’m hoping to get out more often without kids as Berend gets older and doesn’t need me quite as much.
Memorable Events: Berend’s first Easter! First we had the Easter event on base. Berend didn’t participate in anything, but we did get a brother photo!
Here’s Berend going through his first Easter basket:
And his Easter day outfit (crazy hair and all):
Berend’s first time in his daddy’s plane:
And right before his birthday, Berend had his first trip to Santa Fe! We met Andrew’s parents there on Mother’s Day (the 12th) and came home on Berend’s birthday. We enjoyed our few days there, and we’d love to go back to see more!
And here is Berend’s May photo:
Berend, my baby bear, you are ONE! I love watching you learn new things and your personality develop more and more. You are sweet but tough, snuggly but feisty, and moody as anything! You can go from happy to angry so quickly when things don’t go your way, and you already can throw quite a tantrum. I can only laugh at how much your name suits you: you ARE a little bear cub in so many ways. You’re a growly, rough-and-tumble, stubborn, strong-willed little thing… but oh so cute and cuddly! We love you so much and wish you the happiest first birthday!
You know when you first have a baby, and they’re crying all the time? You have thoughts like, “I just need to make it through this hour/day/week/month.” And then you’re writing your baby’s 11 month update thinking, “How are we only a month away from your first birthday?!”
Age: 11 months on 15 April 2019 Weight: about 22 lbs Height: about 30.25 inches Teeth: 6 Clothing Size: 12-18 months & 18 months Diaper Size: size 3 in disposable (this box is lasting forever) and one size in cloth
Milestones: saying “z” sound, saying “tuh” sound, crawling on hands and knees more regularly, responding to “no,” signing “milk” (maybe?)
Likes: playing with Gerrit, baths, meals, Mama (bordering on obsession), tickles, going outside, rummaging in the refrigerator, finding tiny things to put in his mouth, unraveling the toilet paper roll, mouth sounds (blowing raspberries, spitting, clicking his tongue, smacking his lips… and don’t forget his trademark growling!), dropping & picking up toys, being walked around, climbing on top of baskets/boxes/toys, eating shoes, climbing up and down the stairs like a pro, snuggling with Mama in the wee hours
photo by Gram Kiel
Dislikes: long car rides, diaper changes, clothes changes, Mama walking away, being confined (in the car seat, in the stroller, in the shopping cart), getting his face washed
Sleep: Berend is still getting about 12.5 hours of sleep a day including 2 naps. His morning nap is usually around 10 or 10:30am and is almost always on the short side (40-45 min). His afternoon nap is all over: anywhere between 1:30 & 3pm, sometimes short, sometimes longer. He’s in a much better mood when he gets a decent afternoon nap though!
Night sleep is about the same as it has been. Berend goes to bed between 7:30 & 8:30 (9 if he had a late nap), is up every 1-2 hours (3 hours is a treat), and wakes for the day between 7 & 8. I bring him to bed with me around 3 or 4am most nights. Sometime he’s restless in bed with me (crying out, moving around a lot), but other times he just snuggles right in. I love waking up and watching him sleep.
Eating: At the start of this month, I felt like Berend had days of not being very interested in nursing or eating. But by the end of the month he was nursing a lot! He still seemed off of solids though. I think he has been eating more than I thought, but he’s also been dropping a LOT on the floor. Especially broccoli. I feel like he may be teething, but nothing has popped through yet.
Although when we went out for sushi with Andrew’s parents? Great eater, of course.
Mommy Update: Shortly after Berend turned 10 months, Andrew’s parents arrived for a visit! It was basically just for Andrew and me to get a break… and a date. It gets hard to not have family to help out, and we were thankful Andrew’s parents wanted to visit.
It was nice for me to get to sleep in for a couple of weeks, Andrew got to do some projects he’d been wanting to get to, and we even got out for a lunch date and errands!
I also celebrated my 34th birthday this month! Nothing much planned to celebrate… I made one of my favorite meals for dinner, made a strawberry lemon sheet cake, and got some sweet gifts from my guys.
Opening my gift from Gerrit: a story about potatoes and dinosaursOpening my necklace from Andrew: a bear for Berend
Memorable Events: Berend’s 1st St. Patrick’s Day… even though we didn’t do anything other than dress in green haha.
While Andrew’s parents were visiting, Berend had his first trip to the zoo! There’s a small zoo here in Clovis, and it was pretty much the perfect size for us to get through at this point.
Berend tried some raw sushi for the first time!
Here’s Berend’s first time riding in the “fun cart” with Gerrit:
And here is Berend’s April photo:
Berend, oh child, you are a handful! I feel like the closer you get to walking, the closer you get to me. You have been very attached to me all day long. You don’t even want to sit in a shopping cart! It’s my arms (or Dada’s) or nothing. You still love playing with Gerrit, but you two have been butting heads a bit more. You’re getting speedy cruising around furniture, and you end up getting into your brother’s things. And Gerrit likes to “help” by taking things away from you that you shouldn’t have. Tears on both sides… but you still adore each other. Sometimes when we’re eating dinner, I look at you and can’t even imagine you not being in this family. Good days or rough ones… we love you, and we’re so glad you completed our family, little bear. I can’t believe we’re planning your FIRST birthday already!!
On An Even Kiel 