Yes, the rumors are true. Time flies even faster with your second. How has it already been 5 months? Although time is flying by, its starting to become harder to remember what life was like as just a family of three. Again, another stereotypical comment from the mom of two. Yet, IT’S TRUE. It’s all true.
I took to Instagram story to get your feedback on what you’d like to know about Alice. Where she is at in milestones, her differences from Vivienne, and really… anything and everything you want to read.
Before I get into the specific questions, I want to talk a little bit about our baby Alice. She’s an absolute angel baby. She’s honestly one of the chillest babies I’ve ever encountered and I can’t believe I got so lucky as Vivienne wasn’t a difficult baby either. But boy is Alice one happy and smiley babe. We are ALL so in love.
Latest milestone: Alice has rolled over from her stomach to her back but doesn’t frequently. She often rolls to her side from her back but hasn’t quite mastered what to do next. She can sit, but falls forward or to the side right away. Doesn’t get bothered by tummy time, smiles, laughs, can see something in front of her and grab at it, mimics facial expressions, and naps 2-3 times a day.
Daytime schedule: The schedule changes based off awake time in the morning. If we are going off a typical day: lets start with 7am. 7am: awake and feed. Two hours later (regardless of awake time this is what we do) she will go down for her first nap. 9am-10am: nap. She will wake up at 10am to feed and stay awake for about 2-2.5 hours. Today, Alice made it to 12:15. She will sleep max 2 hours here, but typically sleeps for an hour. If she wakes after 2 hours, I’ll feed her and then keep her awake for another 2-2.5 hours before giving her a 30 minute quick nap around 4pm so she can make it to her 7pm bedtime. If she sleeps only an hour, its the same thing… making it 2-2.5 hours later for an hour. Babies at her age should sleep 3-3.5 hours max to continue to sleep through the night. Does that make sense? The nap transition was tough for the first 2-3 days but after has been seamless.
How did she start taking a paci? When does she use it? I introduced the pacifier from the beginning but never pushed it on her. She uses it primarily for bedtime, stretching sleep at night, and if fussy in the car/home.
Traditioning out of swaddle? I won’t lie, this is a scary subject for me. I kept Vivienne in the swaddle for a hot minute. I mean, hot minute… and my philosophy is always… why fix something that isn’t broken? Yet, I know I need to. I really wanted to focus on getting her nap schedule changed these last couple weeks and since that has changed, I can work on something else. TBD. Wish me luck.
How is V compared to Alice? I mean, how similar are two humans? Both were great babies… just different. Vivienne had moments of being more serious and gassy and Alice has a little more rolls and smiles so easily.
When are you planning to start solids? Is she going to do BLW? Planning to start solids at around 6 months. So much of it is based off of her sitting up on her own. I remember Vivienne being a little after 6 months that she couldn’t sit up, so I helped prop her up a little in the high chair. I am going to guess Alice may be the same way. Which is fine. I’d like to do BLW and feel confident in doing it again. I will share my journey once again and have Megan of Feeding Littles help in the process.
Is she sleeping in her own room? When did you transition? Yes, she has been sleeping in her room since 3 months. It was one of those things that I wasn’t quite ready for but knew it was time. I’d suggest to transition before your baby starts to really notice you around and disrupt their sleep.
Is she teething yet? She chews on things and hands, so maybe… but I honestly don’t know. Nothing I can physically see yet.
Do you swaddle every time she has a nap? Yes, it is a queue for her to know that she is about to sleep.
Does she babble a lot? Ohhh once she is on a roll… she is on a roll with chatting. It’s so cute.
Does she sleep through the night? She sleeps from dreamed to around 5am or so… then prompted with pacifier to sleep longer. So, yes.
I am 22 weeks with my 2nd girl, what advie would you give? Girls are magical. OK, I have nothing against boys as I only know what its like to have girls… but I am so in love with having girls. I can already see the bond they have and can honestly say your love doubles. For me, the second time was easier in every way as you’ll have way more confidence this time around… you got this! It isn’t really advice, but encouragement.
Has your mind changed since having Alice on having more children? I’ve flip flopped on this subject to be honest but have a hard time imaging 3 children. I think I’ll always want to continue making mini us’s… but we are really happy with two.
How many ounces is she eating? She eats about 4-5 oz.
What pajama brand do you often have her in? Kickee Pants is our jam.
Does she bottle or breastfeed? Both, depending on the day.
Do you use the dockatot at night and when are you planning to transition? The Dock A Tot is like the swaddle, I’ll be transitioning it sooner than later but wanted to get the sleep schedule on track. So the Dock A Tot is a very controversial subject as it states on the website to not be used in the crib overnight. Vivienne used it for a long time while being swaddled and I personally don’t see any issues with Alice using it either. I think it is a personal choice and do what you are comfortable with.
Did alice have colic or reflux? Alice and Vivienne both did not.
Does she ever cry? She does, haha! I just don’t share that to social media.
How much does she weigh? She weighs about 15 pounds.
Difference to bringing home your first baby vs. second? Oh, the confidence! So much more confidence.
What baby carrier do you use? Miamily carrier… they are launching their new one next month. It’s a good one!
Who do you think she looks like? She reminds me so much of Vivienne, yet a little different. I see a lot of myself and my side of the family but also have moments of JJ in there too. We are all in sweet Alice!
Whats been your favorite moment so far? When Vivienne and Alice first met in the hospital. It was by far the best moment.
When will you stop dream feeding? TBD. One transition at a time… just trying to figure out which to do first.
What do you do during awake time? Tummy time, walks around the block, brought out somewhere with sissy, face time with mama/dada and sissy.
What brand of diaper and wipes do you use? Pampers Pure
How do you feel about cloth diapering? Never tried it, but not for us.
What bottles do you use? We are using Tommee Tippee Anti Colic Bottles with Alice and have used and loved Lansinoh Momma Bottles with V.
What makes her laugh the most? Her sissy.
Did Alice experience flat head? She hasn’t.
How do you keep her on a schedule with how busy you are? Yes, I am busy but my priority is always my girls. I make sure that they are on schedule no matter what we are doing or weigh it out later on in the afternoon if a nap was missed/short. Things happen but we figure it out or the person watching them when I am busy (babysitter/JJ) knows what to do.
What are her favorite toys? She loves anything with music, Sophie the giraffe, and a wire ball that she can easily grab onto.
What do you do when she fights her nap? I keep trying. As of late, she hasn’t been fighting naps but takes shorter naps… which is equally tough. I just figure out based off the nap what to do next.
Do you take her out to any classes? Alice and I have been doing swim since she was 10 weeks old. She LOVES it. I don’t think I’ll do music class with her (I didn’t with Vivienne) but wouldn’t rule anything out.
Does she deal with fussiness? She actually doesn’t have your normal afternoon fussiness (aka witching hour) like other babies do but def has moments of fussiness when she is tired/overtired.
What are you most excited for? Vivienne and Alice really playing together – talking, laughing, and spending holidays together. Am I going too far? I am also really excited to hear her say her first word. Prayers for MAMA!
What are your plans for her 1st birthday? Let’s get to 6 months before I start planning 1st birthdays… 🙂
xoxo, Lola