Mommy Milestones

There Are Some Things We Hit That Deserve a Celebration!

I spend a lot of time talking, educating, and thinking about all of the milestones to look for in our little ones from the moment we get to hold them in our arms.  But there are quite a few things that occur for us as moms that we should take the time to celebrate, whether it's our first child or subsequent birth.  If you have any things that you think should be added to this list, please feel free to comment below.

September '12-I was able to have the natural birth I had planned.  I was in labor for less than 24 hours, probably around 15 of which was pretty uncomfortable.  I said said some things during the painful moments that I don't really agree with now, like "Why does anyone do this more than once?!" But overall, I was happy with my decision and that I was able to do it.

September '12-I let someone hold my son without feeling extreme anxiety.

October '12-I finally figured out how to swaddle with a regular blanket.  Of course I would only resort to the regular blanket when the handy dandy velcro cheating swaddles were dirty.

October '12-I was able to leave my son with a family member while I went to do laundry.  This was the first time I had him out of my sight (besides while sleeping or showering).  If felt very odd and I hurried to get back to him.

October '12-I was able to nurse without pain. This was a HUGE milestone.  I had a lot of issues during the first month and forced myself to push through in order to exclusively nurse.  A couple of weeks in it started to hurt less, so I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

November '12-I was able to get myself and my son to leave the house and run an errand without having a ton of anxiety.

December '12-My husband and I went out on our first date since the birth of our son.  I learned a lot that night regarding engorgement and the necessity of taking my lovely pump out with me.

January '13-I went back to work and left my son at home. This was probably the hardest milestone to reach and be okay with. I cried all the way to work.

February '13-I was able to drive to work without feeling sad for leaving my son.

March '13-I was able to nurse my son in his nursery.  Now this may sound like an odd milestone if you don't know about our situation. But our home caught on fire while we were in the hospital having my son. We lived in four different places before we were able to have the homecoming I had wanted so many months before.

April '13-I was able to put my son down to a nap in his crib.  Up until this point I was only able to get him to sleep while wearing him in a carrier. Although it took quite a bit longer to get him to sleep a substantial amount of time in his crib, it was a good feeling to be able to do so.

May '13-We got our bed back! Well, this wasn't so much of a celebration, to be honest. I actually enjoyed co-sleeping and I slept better than I was going to for many, many months to come.  We did not attempt any sleep training until a few months later so I was regretting hitting this milestone for quite a bit of time.

September '13-I planned an awesome first birthday party for my little guy.  I was very proud of how it turned out and I hope he appreciates the multitude hours of effort I put in.

February '14-I finally found a brand of cloth diapers that work for both me and my son. I was finally able to cloth diaper like I had planned almost two years prior.

April '14-I slept through the night!! My son had done it a couple of times before this night, but I finally slept a decent amount without getting up to tend to him nor my bladder.

As I remember some others, I will update this post and share.  I'd love to hear what milestones you've hit and feel proud of!