How is it that a whole 365 days have passed my boy and that you, Levi turns 1? It feel likes just the other day, that I was sitting at KFC, waiting for Clicks to open so that I could buy a pregnancy test. I waited until 09:00, but it turned out that they only open at 09:30 on a Wednesday. I then went into Pick n Pay and to my amazement they sold pregnancy tests, not the fancy kind, but the kind that are 99,9 % accurate. So off I went to the staff bathroom and while I waited, so many thoughts went through my mind. Feelings of fear and excitement all rolled into one. I took a deep breath and I opened my eyes and saw the two lines, so clearly. I immediately rubbed my belly, and said to you that I will keep you safe, now and forever and always. The rest of that day was a blur, and I couldn’t wait to get home to tell your father. We both just laughed out loud when I told him and even your big bro Hudson came over and we had a family hug together.

What I have learned having a second baby

I think some of my biggest fears were ” how will I be able to love equally? “how will I be able to give equal amounts of attention to both”? I have definitely learnt not to overthink and complicate things and to go with the flow. I am a planner and I learnt to scrap all my plans A-Z and to just live in the moment. While in my belly you gave the strongest kicks, and i knew you would be fearless and strong willed, but that you would also be gentle and brave. Ive learned that I am not a supermom, but have accepted that I am just human and that I can only do so much. What worked for Hudson did not work for you. Hudson loved to be swaddled, you didn’t. Hudson didn’t love sleep, but you did. With Hudson I only started driving after two months at home and going out to public places. With you, I started driving after 2 weeks and we frequently went to the mall and went out for walks. With Hudson I always second guessed myself. With you I trusted my gut.

Most asked question

The most asked question I received about Levi was his sleeping habits and what I did to get him to sleep through from such a young age. From the minute they brought him to me at the hospital, I used the Gro Friends Ollie the Owl Sleeping Aid

When Hudson was a newborn, he would often wake up during the night with a wet nappy and I would have to change his clothes and then try and get him back to sleep again. With Levi we used different nappies and they never leaked at all. During the first few weeks, I would wake him up for his feeds, but when he turned about 3 months old, I would just let him sleep and wake up by himself if he wanted to feed. A nurse at the hospital told me to do this. His weight was correct for his age- he loved his milk, but loved his sleep even more. We do the same routine every night since he was a newborn. We bath the boys every second night, in Summer Hudson would get a bath every night. Then I rub him with baby oil (during summer) and in winter I started using baby rub from Pure Beginnings. The boys go to bed between 19:00-19:30 and we wake up at 06:00. I think things would have been harder if Levi didn’t sleep so well. I started work in February this year and getting ready with two kids early hours of the morning is not easy, especially if they are at different schools and I had to be at work no later than 7:45 in the mornings. It took awhile, but we started getting into a groove.

First Birthday Pictures

Leroné from Nouvelle Vie Birth Photography was the first person to see Levi being born and it was so special that she also took his first birthday photos. You can read and view more about Levi’s birth here. Leroné is also offering a range of photography services over at Collaborate South Africa

I bought the cake and cookies from Nectar and Spice and I can not be happier. I sent Margaret a copy of the print of Levi’s romper and she just made my idea come to life. Levi’s romper is from RosieBee Children’s Clothing. I actually bought this when he was about 2 months old, so its a size 0-3 months and it still fits like a dream. I love the fact that you can buy a piece of their clothing and know that you are buying a quality garment. You bring us so much joy, my boy. Happy first Birthday Levi!!!!! We love you!!!!!!