This photo of my kids was taken when they started back to school last week. They are now in 7th, 5th, 4th, and 1st grades, but there was a period of time when all 4 of them were 6 years old and younger! It sometimes feels like that was decades ago, and at other times feels like it was just the other day that I was heading in to be induced with my oldest after my water was broken for too long.
As I look back on my experiences when they were babies there is so much that I am ashamed to admit that I don't remember. My 9 year old asked me what her first word was today and I had to tell her I didn't know (I'm not even sure if I kept a baby book with her!) Her question is what inspired me to write this blog post.
Here are some of the things that I do remember about all 4 of my kids as babies (and during my pregnancies):
Pregnancy cravings: #1: Flllet O'Fish sandwiches from McDonald's #2: Golden Grahams cereal #3: Rice Chex cereal #4 Sweet Potatoes
Bedrest: 8 or 10 weeks when I was pregnant with #2
Gestational ages: All were born between 36 and 38 weeks
Birth weights: 5 lb. 13 oz to 7 lb 0 oz.
Length of time I breastfed: 2 months to 10 months. One never latched and I had to exclusively pump for. One latched almost immediately after birth and nursing always went smoothly. For the other two my experience was somewhere in the middle. I worked closely with lactation counselors after my 2 oldest were born.
Number that received formula at some point before their 1st birthday: all 4
Milk protein allergy: Just one, but it was severe enough that she needed to be placed on a special formula called Neocate.
When they slept through the night (which I am defining as an at least 6h stretch of sleep sometime between 10pm-6am): 4 months-8.5 months
Colic: 1 and 1/2 (one had a really severe case and one had a mild case). They all had the dinnertime/evening "witching hour" at some point.
Postpartum depression: after my oldest was born but never recurred
Length of maternity leaves: 10 weeks to 16 weeks
Length that I wish my maternity leaves (and all of yours) could have been: 6+ months
