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You are here: Home / MOTHERHOOD / Babies / 15 months old and goodbye to the baby phase

15 months old and goodbye to the baby phase

January 8, 2016 by Molly 10 Comments

15 months old

Baby Girl turned 15 months old two days ago. It’s almost impossible to get my head around the fact that it’s nearly two whole years since I found out I was pregnant with her. It feels like forever and no time at all.

It hit me with a weird sort of bump that if I was to have a two year gap between my second baby and a third sibling then I’d have to get pregnant right away. Which feels kind of horrifying at the moment, to be honest. In fact, both myself and the NLM are pretty sure we’re done with the baby phase.

It’s odd, because I’ve always considered myself to be a broody kind of person (OMGTHATBABYISSOOOCUTE etc) but when I saw a tiny newborn recently I didn’t get that familiar lurch of hormones and ache in the womb. It made me realise that I’m quite content with our brood of two girls and am really enjoying the phase they’re both at right now.

When I look back to this time last year I don’t feel an ache of nostalgia. Although the tiny baby cuddles were lovely, the waking up every half an hour certainly was not. And neither was the slow adjustment of juggling the needs of two children. At the beginning I found it easy, and then I didn’t.

I remember one particularly horrendous school run, where Frog was distraught and crying all the way to school with a tantrum of epic proportions. It was pouring with rain and I had the baby in the sling so I couldn’t physically lift Frog up or do anything really other than try to plead with her to put one foot in front of the other and walk. And all of that was dealt with on approximately an hour and a half of sleep. The memory of that morning helps to quash any sentimental feelings of broodiness over tiny fingernails and milk drunk babies.

Bathtime

I really love the current phase we’re in, with both girls actively playing together and getting into mischief. They wind each other up something rotten, but they’re also a little team – them against the world – which is pretty hilarious.

At 15 months old Baby Girl is as much of a bruiser as ever. She’s a tough little cookie, preferring to play rough and tumble games to sitting quietly flicking through a book. She has no fear which, as a mum who’s used to dealing with an anxious child, is quite odd. I’m used to cajoling Frog into swimming pools, for example, while her baby sister throws herself in with wild abandon (leading on more than one occasion to me diving in and scooping her out of the water).

There are pros and cons of both and I think the girls’ differing personalities really compliment each other. As they get older I can imagine Baby Girl encouraging her big sister to take more risks, and Frog encouraging Baby Girl to slow down and think about things a bit before she dives headlong into danger. Possibly.

15 month old toddler

Baby Girl isn’t saying any words yet (other than cave man speak “Og”, “Uh”, “Am” etc) but manages to make herself known without any problems. A mixture of pointing, shoving, pushing and shouting usually does the trick. The other morning the NLM turned around from putting the kettle on only to find that Baby Girl had climbed into her high chair all by herself and was waiting patiently for her breakfast. Girl loves food.

Sleep is still a sensitive subject. We’ve had nights where she’s slept soundly for 13 hours straight in her cot and others where she’s woken every hour or so. There’s always a reason – teeth, growth spurts, developmental leaps etc – but often the only thing that calms her down is a fix of boob. At 15 months she’s showing absolutely no sign of weaning off the breastfeeding and, I think, actually loves it more than ever. She’s taken to grabbing at my top when we’re out and about and she now starts clapping her hands and flapping with excitement when she realises boob is on the way. It’s how I imagine I’ll be when I get my first glass of wine at the end of Dry January.

breastfeeding a toddler

Despite her fearless streak and her feisty independence, Baby Girl is still a real softie. She’s hugely affectionate and is generous with her cuddles and sloppy baby kisses. Although she’s walking and climbing, putting her firmly in the toddler stage, she’s still so little. Those sleepy cuddles and love of breastfeeding remind me that she’s not left the baby phase behind completely just yet.

Happy 15 months in the world, baby.

Filed Under: Babies, Kids, MOTHERHOOD Tagged With: babies, baby sleep, mum life, toddler development, toddler sleep, toddlers

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Comments

  1. Slummy single mummy says

    January 11, 2016 at 3:15 pm

    That’s such an adorable picture of them in the bath! I have some great pictures of my girls in the bath when Belle is about 18 months I think, and Bee must be 8. I love them šŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Molly says

      January 12, 2016 at 9:25 pm

      Ones to treasure!

      Reply
  2. Sarah | Boo Roo and Tigger Too says

    January 9, 2016 at 7:05 pm

    It’s always interesting to hear how different siblings are but yet manage to compliment each other

    Reply
    • Molly says

      January 10, 2016 at 9:29 pm

      I’m constantly amazed at what different kids I’ve got – it’s lovely to see their little personalities shine though.

      Reply
  3. Lia says

    January 8, 2016 at 10:23 pm

    Awww, lovely post. I really miss that age, it feels like forever ago to me xx

    Reply
    • Molly says

      January 10, 2016 at 9:29 pm

      Such a cliche I know, but it really does speed by!

      Reply
  4. Katy says

    January 8, 2016 at 5:52 pm

    What a sweetie. Such a lovely post x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      January 10, 2016 at 9:30 pm

      Ah thanks Katy. x

      Reply
  5. Candy Pop says

    January 8, 2016 at 2:50 pm

    Happy New Year.. Such a sweet post and happy 15 months! x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      January 10, 2016 at 9:30 pm

      Happy new year!

      Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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Image description: A close up of Molly’s bare skin as she hugs herself. It’s dark and part of her body is illuminated by light. She has her eyes closed and is smiling.
ā€œMummy I wrote a letter to myself,ā€ she said. ā€œMummy I wrote a letter to myself,ā€ she said. And my heart swelled. Maybe I’m doing an OK job after all šŸ¤žā¤ļøšŸ’• #BodyHappyKids 
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I could leave this caption here but I need to make something clear: if you think it’s great that my daughter - a thin, white, nondisabled, cisgender kid - feels good in her body but you’re not here for the self-love of any kid who doesn’t look like her.... then you’ve missed the point.
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ALL bodies are good bodies, and without this important piece of the puzzle ALL children will be at risk of doubting their body. And what happens when they doubt their body? Well... hating our body doesn’t make us treat it with love, and the same is true of kids. 
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Great, now we’ve cleared that up, can we take a moment to appreciate the incredible phonetic spelling on show here?! 
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Image description: Effie, age 6, stands against a white wardrobe holding up a letter she has written to herself. It is spelled phonetically and reads ā€œMy body is good and excellent and my body only belongs to me.ā€
I used to struggle to buy stuff for myself if I ha I used to struggle to buy stuff for myself if I had any spare cash - not just treats, but basics like pants and tights that fit properly. I’d tell myself I didn’t need it, didn’t deserve it, couldn’t justify the expense. There’s still that little voice (the habit of putting everyone else’s needs first and my own last dies hard it seems) but I’m leaning into exploring why it still sometimes rears its head, instead of always listening to it. 
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I’m trying to buy as much as I can from pre-loved places or small businesses these days, which is why I’m very happy to share with you some of my latest finds: a star dress from Depop (Ā£5), earrings from @kelzojewellery by @ourtransitionallife (Ā£12) and the comfiest tights I’ve ever owned in Raspberry Pie by @snagtights (Ā£6.99) šŸ’•šŸ’•šŸ’•
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Image description: Molly is smiling and sticking out her tongue to the camera. Her hair is freshly dyed a light shade of pink. She’s wearing a pink t’shirt underneath a black and white star patterned slip dress, with bright pink tights and black and pink earrings decorated with a boob design.
This is what teaching kids to idolise thinness and This is what teaching kids to idolise thinness and fear fatness looks like and it hurts my heart šŸ’”
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This is what happens when we only give children a very narrow representation of what health / beauty / success / happiness looks like, and when we don’t incorporate mental health into conversations about health. The body image, self-esteem and wellbeing of children suffers. And it IS suffering.
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Last week @Childline_official launched their #NobodyIsNormal campaign and released figures showing they’ve run 43,000 counselling sessions for children since the first UK lockdown earlier this year. These are quotes from children they spoke to, showing that low self-esteem is a major issue for many of the kids they’ve been in touch with. 
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Image description: a series of slides showing quotes from ChildLine. Full text can be found in Alt Text.
I was at my desk all weekend so here’s a throwba I was at my desk all weekend so here’s a throwback to September when we hiked along part of the South West coast path and discovered three new beaches. I miss the outside. 
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There’s so much research on this subject and about why diet culture and weight stigma is harmful. Suffice to say if you’ve not read the research, or any books, or listened to any podcasts, or even read the captions of some of the amazing people educating about this subject then you won’t know it all... despite what you learned at school or what your own unexamined internalised bias is telling you, or what the newspaper headlines say. 
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Image Description: Molly and her two daughters on a beach, smiling. They wear hiking boots and Molly is wearing purple leopard print leggings and a neon yellow jumper. The sky is blue and the sun is shining.
Did you know the same area of the brain lights up Did you know the same area of the brain lights up when we experience the pain of social rejection as when we experience physical pain? True fact. Which is why I think 
it’s wild we spend so much energy in kids’ health education on nutrition (or ā€œgood food and bad foodā€ as is so often the case) and so little on prepping them with the skills to navigate social media in a positive way. 🧐
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Social media can be a great thing, but it can also be a scary and anxiety-inducing place too (watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix for more on this!). We’re having conversations with children about the dangers of sugar but not even touching on the dangers of social media and the impact it can have on health (because mental health is health too FYI). 
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I’m a 37 year old woman and social media still messes with my head. What chance has a tween got? 
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I could lie and say that I always take the ā€œother people’s opinion of me is none of my businessā€ approach but the truth is I’m a sensitive people-pleaser so when I experience negativity online it stings. 
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I don’t read hate forums and am quick to block trolls, but that doesn’t mean this stuff has no impact. 
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I had a conversation with my pal @jskychat that helped me through a difficult phase recently, and I’ve shared the tweets that started it off in case they’re helpful for you too. I think Jsky should be brought in by the government to help design a PSHE social media lesson for the curriculum to be honest, but that’s a fight for another day. ā¤ļø
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In the meantime, I’m teaching my kids the affirmation that ā€œTheir opinion is not my truthā€, which works well in all life but seems particularly apt when it comes to social media.
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[Image description: Molly’s hand covers her face. On her hand are written the words ā€œTheir opinion isn’t my truth.ā€ She is smiling. Full description of second slide in Alt Text.]
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