One Year of Rhona
our week in the hospital
Favorite memory from this week -
There was a chance that we weren’t able to room with Rhona while she went through her rounds of antibiotics, which would mean we would’ve been commuting back and forth from home for feeds and skin-to-skin time. We learned this less than a day after I had her but thankfully, at midnight of our second day in the hospital, we got news that a sister hospital had room for us to all be together! I remember that being a huge relief to us.
MONTH ONE
I remember the day we brought her home, we put her down in her bassinet and just stared at her while she slept. It was magical. Ian and I kept asking ourselves, “Who let us take the baby home?”
MONTH TWO
Month two. Sheesh, I remember wanting to fast forward through those first sleep regressions and growth spurts. The highlight was that we made it through!
MONTH THREE
I remember this is when things started getting fun and we did more than just feed a baby, put baby to sleep and feed ourselves. We were coming alive and it felt real GOOD!
MONTH FOUR
This month we took our first road trip to a friend’s family beach house a few hours away and it was the perfect little getaway to get our toes wet before holiday travel. First halloween party was a blast - it was Oscar themed, so we dressed as the concession stand workers and Baby Ro was the popcorn in the Ergo.
MONTH FIVE
Lots of first this month. First plane trip to Minnesota for Thanksgiving, first real bath (we had been using the Puj Tub in the sink), first time setting up a Christmas tree with a baby. Also the first time we paid an arm and a leg for our tree. Not in Virginia anymore, haha!
MONTH SIX
My parents spent the holidays in Las Vegas and they graciously booked a hotel room for us over my birthday weekend. High school Anina probably envisioned a much different first experience in Vegas but it was honestly the best way to celebrate my first birthday as a Mama - with my mama and my baby! Ian and I took advantage of free sitters and had nights out on the town. Hello Coke-Cola tasting flights, bags of yummy M&Ms, and a two story Taco Bell!
month seven
I think this month was one of the roughest patches we hit with Rhona. She got a UTI and it was the curveball that really tested our parenting instincts. It was just another experience we get to have under our belts to empower us through this journey!
month eight
We started Rhona on solids more regularly this month - we took breaks here and there while we got her healthy and chubbed up on milk. We learned that she loves tortillas and mexican food in general - just like her parents (and she still does)!
month nine
Started the process of packing up our first home in California and onto bigger places for our baby girl to explore. She also started to really really love her llama lovey.
MONTH TEN
This month we adjusted to our new home, and took a trip to Phoenix where Rhona met two sets of her great grandparents for the first time!
MONTH ELEVEN
I think this month we went to Florida for a big family vacation with my side of the family. Looking back at our first year, we sure didn’t let this pretty little thing slow us down. She had numerous flights in her first year of life and while she won’t remember any of it, having her part of these memories will be a treasure to us.
MONTH TWELVE
The week of her first birthday, Rhona started to walk! It all happened overnight it seemed like because just a month beforehand, she seemed most comfortable scooting around. We also have wood floors so that might have had something to do with it (I’ve heard babies are more comfortable on carpet). We had a little one year celebration at our place complete with tacos, a homemade birthday cake and a foam play gym we rented just for her from Mesh Kids Co! She was the only baby since we are still in the process of finding other little friends but it was perfect and she was showered with so much love.