Remy Bea // 1 YEAR!

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Guys. I can’t believe we survived a whole year with this child! She has been challenging since her first days at home. She has pushed me to my physical and mental limits, but we survived. I feel like this blog post should just be titled “WE SURVIVED!” I’m not even joking.

For those who haven’t followed our journey from the very beginning, let me quickly recap: Remy Bea came into this world a few days late, but in a big hurry. After a drug-free delivery, and immediate latch, we headed home. Once home, Miss Bea decided that she didn’t want to latch anymore — at least not without using a nipple shield. We dealt with it. It was fine.

But that was really just the beginning of her difficulties.

We spent the better part of the next 8 months trying to figure out why she wouldn’t sleep. She averaged about 2-3 hours a night and then would literally scream the whole rest of the night. Oh – and she wouldn’t take a bottle. Just me and my nipple shield. I was exhausted. I was at my wits end. I would regularly wake up my husband (who slept in the other room so he could actually sleep) just to cry and hand her off because I was afraid I might actually shake her. I spent so many nights crying and screaming and saying atrocious things to my baby. These are not my proudest moments, but I have to share so that if anyone else has been in this position (which, I believe more women have been than care to admit) they know that they are not alone.

After figuring out she’d been dealing with UTIs and then visiting a chiropractor to get treated with cranial sacral therapy (oh, and me giving up dairy), our life took a turn for the betterish. No, there weren’t rainbows or butterflies; but the nights where I screamed obscenities were fewer and further between.

And since I didn’t do an 11-month recap, here’s what you’ve missed since her 10-month recap:

• Girlfriend still isn’t walking, but totally should be. That’s right. Chick can cruise furniture, she can stand up on her own in the middle of the room, and she can walk using her walker. In fact, I know she could walk if she wasn’t so lazy. That’s even what our pediatrician said! Ha! She just knows she can hustle by crawling even faster!
• Eating. Ari calls Remy Bea a “hungry, hungry, hippo,” and this could not be more accurate. She throws down full-adult sized meals. No joke. Her favorite foods (besides ‘everything’) are rice, chicken, beans, muffins, bananas, pancakes, cranberries, blueberries, prunes, grapes, pasta, and ham. This kid can eat, y’all.
• Which is amazing considering she weighed in at 16 lb 3 oz at her one year well-visit. If you’re keeping track, she’s still holding strong in the 2nd percentile for weight. I legit asked the doctor if she has a tape worm because she’s honest to God eating food nonstop!
• Sleep is happening, ya’ll. Sleep is happening! I feel like shouting this from the rooftops! About 5 weeks ago, I moved her out of our room (where the crib is) and into Ari’s room with the pack-n-play. And, believe it or not, she sleeps! I swear it has more to do with me not being in the room than anything else. If she can’t smell me in the middle of the night, perhaps she just doesn’t wake up because of me! (It also can’t hurt that I wear earplugs and will only go down to her if she really needs me).

• Girlfriend is still very much breastfeeding. It was still regularly every 3-4 hours up until a few weeks ago. Magically, one week before her first birthday, she decided to take a bottle of pumped breastmilk and just drink it. I. was. in. disbelief! Also? A little irritated. Like, now, you decide to take a bottle!? Sigh. Oh well. Hashtag WeSurvived.
• Words. Miss Bea can scream “Mama,” “Dada,” and “Mommy!” like it’s her job. But she’s also saying “no,” “mine,” “ball,” “hi,” “bye,” and “hello?” Hello is by far the cutest thing she says, because, when she says it, she’s either holding up my phone to her ear, or just her hand. And it’s definitely a question! “Hewo?” ahhh! Melt my heart!
• She had her first experience with throwing up. (insert sad face) When we all had the stomach virus, Remy got hit almost as hard as Ari. I was able to stop her from getting dehydrated, but she still was throwing up quite often for a few days. It was awful, ya’ll. See all those different types of food she likes to eat?? Well, it wasn’t just breast milk vomit. It was real-food vomit too. Ugh.

I have to say, as much of a pain as she has been, and as much as I can actually see her continuing to be a ‘spirited’ child in the future, I’m so grateful that she completed our family just one year ago! But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m ecstatic to be out of the ‘baby’ stage. It’s a cute stage, but it’s oh-so-difficult! I’m so excited to see what this next year bring us with both of our kiddos! Thanks for following along for the first year of Miss Bea’s life! xo