Yesterday, Alice turned 8 months old. I won’t be cliché and write about how I can’t believe the time is flying by but honestly… WTF. I remember feeling the opposite when Vivienne was born. It felt like forever getting to the next stage, but Alice is just cruising in milestones and her two bottom teeth are about to pop. It’s all happening so fast and I’ll seriously miss those gummy smiles.
I feel like so much is happening at once right now (potty training, milestones, changes) so I thought I’d sit down and give you a little update on how Alice is doing and answer any questions that you may have. I love looking back on photos and updates on Vivienne, as you truly forget the little details unless you write them down.
I feel like 7-8 months was a huge step for Alice. She started having issues with sleeping a few weeks ago, showing that developmental leaps are real, by going back to her normal sleep schedule a week or two after and changing SO much in milestones. Now, I think we have a few awakenings because of the new sleep sack transition and those two bottom teeth coming in. But honestly, whoever knows what’s actually going on?
So, what’s new with Alice? As of around 6 months (maybe shortly after) she could sit up quite nicely on her own, yet, doesn’t really roll around too much. She prefers sitting and watching Vivienne play around her. She is very vocal, screaming with excitement and bugging sissy a bit when she wants to be heard. She babbles, belly laughs, and has serious eyes for daddy. The two people who can make her smile the most in my opinion are sissy and dada. Despite what you may think via social media, she does gets fussy from time to time, wanting to be held, missing a nap, when hungry, but is overall a very happy baby.
Q&A
When did you start BLW? 6 months old. I did a video with Megan of Feeding Littles with Alice to give you a little more information on getting started and using Alice as a visual to introduce the foods. Head over to my YouTube channel and check it out- if you are not local and want to take her infant or toddler course online, I highly recommend it, use code LOLA2019 for $10 off.
Does she eat steak or meat?She does. I don’t typically feed steak unless its SUPER tender and easy to eat but she loves meat… chicken, tofu, salmon. Lets be real, she loves every food right now.
Eating schedule? Solids– 730am, 1130am, 530-6pm, Breastmilk– 630-7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm
Favorite Food?Honestly, I have no idea right now as she literally eats everything.
Any allergies?No.
Has she ever choked?No. Thank goodness.
Do you still breastfeed?Has she had any formula? I exclusively breastfeed Alice unless I am going to an event but try to make my way back home to feed her throughout the day and in between appointments. She has never had formula but zero judgement to those who do.
How long do you plan to breastfeed?I’d love to be able to breastfeed until she is a year, like I did with Vivienne. Then switch her over to cow’s milk.
Is she still refusing cups and bottles? No. I have no idea what happened during that time frame but she went back to taking bottles a few days after.
What is Alice’s nap schedule?The other week, I thought I needed to change things up because she was missing her last nap often. The schedule we tried didn’t seem as good for us and she was having trouble staying away longer than normal so I went back to our original schedule and she’s been great. She naps 9-10am (depending on wakeup time), 1230-2, 4-430pm with a bedtime of 7pm. It all depends on her early morning waking too but I try to keep it as consistent as possible.
When does she use a pacifier?We keep the pacifier in her crib to use mainly at night. We do bring it out when she is fussy or traveling in the car and in need of a nap.
How did you transition out of the swaddle?I started with one arm out and she did much better than I thought. I was advised by Cara to do it at night, and if she woke up with issues, put both back in. So, I did that for a while to get her used to it. It was definitely an adjustment and didn’t happen overnight. The initial no to one I think is the hardest. Once she got used to that, I did two arms out… which again, was an adjustment but I thinks he conquered that sooner than none to one. I’ve recently put her in her sleep sack vs just swaddling her torso because she kept unswaddling herself in the middle of the night and flaring all over the place. I’ll probably do a legit post on this to give it a place on the blog but wanted to write it all out here so I wouldn’t forget.
How did you transition out of the dock a tot? Honestly, it was a fluke. I kept noticing Alice warm at night, sweating even, and so I decided to just take it away as it may have been the cause with swaddling. She did AMAZING. Way better than I thought and we never looked back. There was no adjustment or issue, she acted like it was no big thing.
We want more of what you feed Alice! Done!
Is she crawling or pulling herself up?She is not pulling herself up and I feel on the verge of crawling for sure!
Does she still have her blue eyes?YES, I hope they stay!
How much does she weigh? 18 pounds
First birthday plans? Don’t depress me. Honestly, probably something at the house like we did for Vivienne.
Will you pierce her ears? Not until she asks for them.
What is Vivienne and Alice’s relationship like? Alice is OBSESSED with Vivienne. Vivienne is super sweet yet also kind of uninterested in playing with her. She gets annoyed when she tries to go after her baby doll or grab at her. Super typical in this stage, I feel. Can only imagine once Alice can actually get to her or her toys.
How is her developmental compared to Vivienne at this stage? Its hard to remember honestly but I think they are pretty similar so far. Alice seemed to master sitter up fairly quickly but I wouldn’t say she was ahead of the game in that either.
Do you think Alice and Vivienne will be alike or different? I’m sure different, as we all are but I can see her loving a lot of the same things as Vivienne.
8 months of having two babies, how are YOU doing? Every day is different. Some days I feel like I could conquer the world and others I feel like I am failing at everything. I couldn’t be more grateful for what I am doing and being able to be working from home full-time. Alice is starting to become more mobile and so I could imagine we will start having our nanny take care of both girls once Vivienne starts school in August. We are kind of just going with the flow and managing as we go.
Favorite toys? Soft books, blocks, and anything music. I’ll be doing an update on some of Alice’s favorite toys and linking them in a blog post to make it easier.
xo, Lola