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Mila Turns ONE!

written by Parita Leave a Comment

I can’t believe my baby girl is one. October 2021-October 2022 was seriously the quickest period of time in my life so far. It zoomed by in lighting speed!

But this post isn’t about time – it’s about Mighty Mila! So let me share a little more about her at one…

Mila still loves to sleep. Prior to starting daycare she was napping for 3-4 hours during the day and sleeping about 11-12 hours at night. Now that she’s in school, her naps are a little hit or miss (but getting there…she already napped for an hour today!), but her nighttime sleep is fine. She does occasionally wake up at night screaming. We pause for about 5-10 minutes and then proceed from there. Most of the time she’s able to go back to sleep on her own. Hoping she/we stay blessed in the sleep department!

In terms of food, Mila is now officially on a true solids diet. Our formula days are over! And boy does Mila love to eat. Fruits are her favorite, especially berries, but she’ll try anything and I love that about her. She’s also taken to Indian food, which is awesome to see. Feeding her is a joy, and I’m trying to enjoy this time because soon enough she’ll have her preferences…and that will bring with it what it will!

We’re still having a tough time getting her to drink milk in a cup, but there’s little progress every day, so I’ll take it. I went the cold turkey route with bottles because she’s really good with water in her straw cup. She either doesn’t love milk (and that’s ok because she gets dairy in her meals) or she’s just not used to drinking anything other than water out of a straw cup. I think she’ll be fine in the next month or so, but she definitely prefers solids over liquids.

Her temperament (so far) is very sweet and silly, but she can also go after what she wants and/or demand it. We’ve noticed that she’s a little quiet and reserved in larger groups, but when it’s just us or close family, she’s much more lively.

Mila loves to play with things that are not actual toys. She also loves to play with whatever her brother is playing with at the time, which is proving to be interesting! She loves reading books, dancing, clapping, and playing hide and seek (she just slaps her face to ‘hide’ it!).

While she’s definitely a less emotional and calmer baby than K was (at least for now), Vishnu and I talk about how she’s going to give us a run for our money as she gets older. Honestly though, that’s my hope for her. To really know that she’s capable and intelligent and funny and kind and worthy of it all. And if she makes us sweat along the way a little…so be it!

Other than that, the only notable thing is her hair. She has SO MUCH of it! Her daycare teachers have been putting it all up in a little pony/bun, and it’s so cute! I usually do half up/half down hairdos. In any case, I’ve been debating about whether or not we take her to get a haircut. My gut says no for now, but shall see. It’s pretty wild!

State of big brother

I can’t not share about my other baby while I’m here. Kaiden is doing really well. He still has his outbursts where he goes from happy and calm to upset/angry/whining/crying. We’re working on it with him! But overall, he’s the sweetest kid. He loves his sister and really watches out for her, but you can tell he’s also starting to get a little annoyed by her toddler ways (re: knocking down his stuff).

In terms of school, I just had a parent teacher conference with his teacher, and she shared that he’s a very patient child. He’s also very kind. Both of these comments made my mama heart swell. We also talked about focus (or rather the lack of) and how we’re slowing helping him build it (karate, Legos, etc.). She said it’s also an age thing. In either case, he’s doing great!

We’ve also recently discovered that Kaiden is a little fish. We started him in private swim classes last week, and he absolutely LOVES it. His instructor has to stop him from just jumping in. So fun to watch!

State of mom and dad

While we’re here, let me share a quick update about me and V.

Vishnu’s doing well. Work is good (he still loves it!). He’s working on more than he ever has, which is so awesome to see. He’s also fully embracing various house projects and tinkering around with all that constantly. Football season is also now here, so he’s enjoying that and even has some games lined up that he’s going to with friends.

I’m also doing well. This week in particular was hard because Mila started daycare. I’m fine now, but man Tuesday was tough! Mila is on a 4 day/week schedule, so I’m thinking most weeks I’ll keep her home with my on Fridays. A little mommy and Mila day!

Awarify is now on it’s 3rd lifecycle, which is exciting! I have SO MANY ideas and projects I want to tackle but constantly have to remind myself that owning your own business is a ultramarathon not a sprint! With Mila in school during the day, I have more time to really focus on Awarify and Momsanity, and then when the kids are home, I’m all theirs. It’s a nice balance!

Speaking of Momsanity, if you got this far (thank you!) and are a mom who’s looking for a fun and FREE event to attend in early December, be sure to sign up for our virtual end-of-the-year Momsanity event on December 8 at 12 pm EST! It’s going to be awesome.

Again, thanks for reading and the support (for everything I’m doing!). You have no idea how much it means to me. Lots of love!

Written on October 27, 2022 Related:Baby, motherhood

Mila’s Birth Story

written by Parita 2 Comments

Mighty Mila’s (that’s my nickname for her) birth story isn’t as crazy as her big brother’s. In fact, the only thing that had me on edge was if she decided to come early and what that would mean in terms of her delivery. Thankfully, she didn’t!

In terms of her fairly predictable birth story, here’s how it all went down…

On Sunday night, my parents came over (they were staying the week at our place to take care of Kaiden) and brought dinner. After a full Gujarati meal, I headed upstairs to look at my hospital bag one more time and ensure I wasn’t forgetting anything. Turns out, I didn’t use half of what I brought!

After doing a few more things to prepare for the big day, Vishnu and I went to bed. We had to be at the hospital by 6:30 am since my c-section time was set for 9:00 am. I was up at 5:00 to shower and get ready. I couldn’t eat anything after 11 pm the night before, so I didn’t have to think about breakfast (although I wanted to eat so bad!). Vishnu grabbed a coffee protein shake, and we headed off to the hospital.

Once we got to the hospital, we checked in at the front desk and headed to the triage area where I changed out of my clothes and into a gown. We didn’t have to wait long until our team of nurses and doctors came to check in on us and get the ball rolling. I had an IV put in, met with our anesthesiologist, and was walked through how the next couple of hours would go.

It was soon time to head to the OR. I went in first and had my spinal tap. They laid me down pretty quickly and the bottom half of my body went numb. The room got very busy with various nurses and assistants coming in to prep everything. Once my doctor arrived, things started moving fairly quickly. Vishnu was allowed back, and pretty soon, I could start to feel some pressure in my abdomen area. Nothing painful, just tugs and pulls here and there.

Let me back up, just so I cover my emotional state. Once they put the curtain up, things became very real for me. I started crying immediately and couldn’t stop. Vishnu was talking to me the whole time and really made me feel better and more calm. The tears didn’t stop flowing though. Not quite sure what made me cry, but I think it was just knowing we would be meeting our baby girl very soon and that I would no longer be pregnant ever again.

Anyways, once the tugs and pulls started, it was just a matter of time before I could literally feel the doctor pull Mila out of my body. It was the most incredible feeling ever! They quickly showed her to us over the curtain and then took her to get clean and measured, etc. I didn’t get the best look but was just so happy to hear her cry.

Vishnu got to see her first, and when he came back, I was like, “How is she?!” He told me she’s my mini me and looks exactly like me. Woo hoo!

A nurse brought her over to us soon thereafter, and again, I couldn’t stop crying! She was so alert and sweet.

The doctor continued to stitch me up, and Vishnu and Mila headed back to the triage room.

Once I joined them in triage, I was able to hold Mila and feed her some colostrum, do skin to skin, etc.

In some ways, this was the birth experience I never got with Kaiden. With him, it was chaotic from the start, and I honestly don’t remember much aside from feeling very cold in the OR and obviously seeing him for the first time.

I’ve shared many times that Ms. Mila is the fourth and final addition to our little family. Vishnu and I made the decision a while back that we would stop at two kids, and I have to say, she is THE perfect addition. She’s absolutely perfect and adorable and lovable and eatable! I love all the faces she makes, her chill personality (so far!), how she loves to sleep..seriously though, gf would sleep all day if we let her, how strong she is already, and so much more.

I honestly never cared if we had a boy or a girl next and would’ve been happy either way, but I will say, it’s fun thinking about all the things Mila and I will hopefully get to do together as she gets older. And most of all, I’m so excited to see how her and Kaiden’s dynamic evolves. Big bro definitely adores his little sister and is always looking for her and wanting to kiss her feet! It’s the sweetest.

Vishnu and I are extremely tired, but we’re also very aware of how blessed and lucky we are to call these two beings our children. This party of four is ready for the ride of a lifetime!

Written on October 24, 2021 Related:Baby, motherhood, Uncategorized

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