365 days of Leo Twiddy

One whole year old...it is almost impossible to believe that our sweet, little baby boy turned one year old a few weeks ago! I cannot tell you how much love, laughter and amazing family memories he has brought to us this past year and I thought it would be good to share a few things I've learnt in my first year of motherhood as well as a couple birthday ideas if your little one is nearing a big day too!

What I've learnt in my first year of motherhood...

• Breast feeding is HARD but so so worth it- This is probably one of the most controversial topic when it comes to newborns and I am a true believer that as long as your little one is getting fed and putting weight on nicely then really whose business is it anyway? After all it's YOUR boobs and YOUR baby! From day one I was adamant that I wanted to give breastfeeding my best shot with Leo and I was one of the fortunate few that got lucky with my milk supply coming in straight away and little one being a great latcher. That is not to say that it was all easy and there were countless nights of hour long feeds and cracked nipples but that was just a month or two and after that it was the best decision I made. Not only was it accessible at any time no matter when or where but it was also helped shift the baby weight and is completely free. It helped me in every aspect possible to bond with Leo and I am so glad that I persevered through the hard to get the good!

• Your body will feel normal again- Even if it doesn't feel like it straight after having a baby I swear its true! I felt like a complete whale for my last couple months of pregnancy and after a very traumatic labor I honestly didn't know if my body would ever feel like 'mine' again. When Leo was first born I took it super easy and didn't do any particular exercise routine but slowly and surely if you just start walking with the pram rather than taking the car then everything will return to where it was without too much hard. And more importantly 'what does it matter?' you have done the most incredible (eye watering!) thing with your body so give it time to heal!!

• Not EVERYTHING has to change- You are sort of taught that having a baby will completely change everything about your life but if truth be told we have just got Leo to fit right into our world. Right from a month old our baby bear was joining us on little trips in the car and meals out and he honestly learnt to love the attention and thankfully he is a dream in the car (then and now!) Of course routine is great but Lee-lee didn't have a set bedtime for the first six months or so and we found that so much better for us as a family and for him as a baby!

• Babies are AMAZING- This may seem like the obvious one but genuinely being a mummy is the best thing I've ever done and I am so lucky to have been graced with my little cub. He has made me laugh and smile everyday for 365 and somehow all of the sleep deprivation, sore boobs and lost social life is forgotten when I look into those deep, brown baby doll eyes. I think the thing to try and remember is that each phase is so short lived. The 'no sleep teething phase'...over in a few weeks (if you're lucky)...The 'fussy eater phase'...done with the second I found something that he loved to eat...every bad time will pass and they are replaced instead with the most precious and perfect of times.

• Name your baby whatever you want to- When we were pregnant we had already set on Leo's name from day one and there was no changing our minds. However for some ridiculous reason it would upset me every time I heard another child with his name. I didn't want Leo to be one of fifteen 'Leo's' in his class at school and my greatest fears were realised when a baby Leo was born opposite me in the labor ward a day before I had my own cub. I have learnt to completely change my mind on this now and see it as a lovely compliment every time another person chooses a name that I love so much. Stuck with your gut when it comes to names guys!

• Sleepsuits and babygrows are your best friend- And secret weapon! Ok, so I have said this literally so so many times in different posts but I cannot rave enough about the sheer volume of sleepsuits and bodysuits you will get through with a newborn baby! They get poo'd on, spat on, milked on and grown out of in a matter of weeks but they are fairly inexpensive and look adorable so use them while they are little enough to use them!

• Everything will work out- This was a phrase that I never ever believed while me and my husband were going through infertility treatment and I am fully aware of just how incredibly lucky we were that our little embryo stuck and worked but a little faith goes a long way to me. I knew that I needed to be a mummy and it broke my heart that I couldn't make Arron a father when I knew how incredible he would be. But look at us now, with a one year old celebrating a whole year as new parents. 

Last but not least it comes to little Leo's birthday himself and although I know he will have no memory of this day I will sleep easy knowing that he was safe, happy and surrounded by people that adore him on the day that he turned one year old. We had family over in our new house and he had all day to take his time and play with whatever he wanted to rather than being overwhelmed by a big party that he wouldn't understand. Presents have never been important to us but of course Leo being the spoilt little prince that he is obviously got some really lovely gifts. So if your little one is nearing a birthday or you know an 'almost' one year old then this is my super quick present list of Leo's most loved toys...

• Bath toys
• Ride on toys (or anything with wheels)
• Toy box (essential considering how many toys he got!!)
• Climbing cube
• Garden swing
• See-saw 
• Clothes
• Any toy 'hand size' so that he can actually grip and hold things
• Balls!