Mami & Me: My ten milestone wins in Motherhood

After two years of parenting, I can say that being a parent is not easy but it certainly is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. I have to constantly applaud myself for being the best mom that I can truly be.

Constantly questioning whether you’re a good mom is what makes you a good mom. As a first-time mother it can be a little overwhelming adjusting to the new you but it’s totally worth it. Below are ten of my milestones that I consider wins in my Motherhood journey. Buckle up because it's been a wild ride!

First Milestone: Walking 

The first time my son decided to walk was such a beautiful family moment. We were visiting my in-laws in Los Angeles. And I remember we were all eating at the table except for my son. He was on the floor playing with his toys. Next thing you know we all stood there quiet because my son decided to take his first little steps. My son was about 13 months old when he decided to walk. Not only was this my first milestone as a mother but it was also my first bittersweet moment with my child.

Learning to become independent

From holding his bottle to actually eating his food with a fork was another accomplishment for his independence. From putting his shoes on his little feet to now just telling him to put his shoes on has made my life a little easier. From wiping his dirty little hands or wiping the food of his cute face to actually doing it himself is another bittersweet moment. Now that he is getting older he does a lot more around the house. He even helps me clean and do laundry. That’s a big win in Motherhood if you ask me. 

Learning his colors

No one ever told me this but along with being a mom we are also teachers for our children. As a parent we have to make sure they start talking so that they can learn their colors, numbers and ABCs. My son, Levi, who is two years old, can identify up to nine colors: blue, red, yellow, pink, black, purple, brown, yellow and orange. While pointing to his colorful dinosaurs, he can also name each color. As a mom, it’s fascinating for me to see him do this. Not only can you teach your toddlers with their own toys but you can also teach colors by pointing out various objects in their environment.

Brushing his teeth

Levi’s dental journey started when he was an infant. My partner and I would clean his gums regularly with a soft cloth. Around six months old, after all his teeth were coming in, we began brushing his teeth with non-fluoridated toothpaste. When children are taught to brush their teeth at a young age, their daily routine and their first visit to the dentist will be easier. To this day my son Levi enjoys brushing his teeth and it's one of his favorite things to do. He even knows that too much candy can give you cavities.

Awareness of potty training 

By the time my son was 14 months old, he started to tell me when his diaper was full and when it needed to be changed. And then for some reason he stopped communicating with me. As he started to turn two he began to communicate his restroom needs again. Even though my son is still not completely potty trained, he will come up to me and let me know when he has a dirty diaper or when he needs to go sit on his little toilet. I take that as a win because potty training is hard!

Bilingual toddler

Raising a bilingual child is not for the weak. Sometimes I need to be on high alert because I never know which language my son is going to talk. He can speak in English, he speaks in Spanish and sometimes Spanglish, too. Some of the word he says are: mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, bye, hi, snake, no, yes, sí, vete, agua, manzana, se cayó, trabajando, más, otra vez, buenos días, aguacate, leche, aquí, dinosaur, milk, eat, juice, book, car, truck, train, plane, phone, head, hair, nose, chin, cheeks, teeth, ears, eyes, forehead, chair, chips, carrots, found it, sun, moon and many more. My son is half way from turning three and his vocabulary is expanding rapidly in both languages.

Sleeping Schedule

Yes, it’s normal for your baby’s sleeping schedule and nap schedule to change as they grow into little independent toddlers. As much as I love routines, when it came to implementing my toddler’s new sleeping schedule every night, it took a while. Not only did I have to stick to it, but so did my partner and my son’s grandparents as well. It was a team effort. As of right now he goes to bed by 8:00 p.m. and he sleeps through the night. So, that means I get to sleep about 10 hours when I want to or I can stay up late and regret it in the morning.

Veggies & fruits

Implementing veggies in my son’s diet is a must. Before he was two he would eat anything that I gave him including all types of vegetables. Now that he is two and a half years old, he's gotten a taste of other foods like eggs, chicken nuggets, cereal, rice and soup, so he doesn't eat veggies as much. But he will definitely eat broccoli, carrots, potatoes and even avocado. And let’s not forget all the fruits that he can eat, which include oranges, pineapples, bananas, apples, raspberries and blueberries.

Weaning him off the bottle

It has only been a couple of months since he stopped using the bottle throughout the day. The transition was easy, and of course I made it fun. I made sure to buy him sippy cups that would catch his attention. For example, anything that he likes, from dinosaurs to trucks to even one of his favorite cartoon characters like Bluey. But keeping him off the bottle at night was the biggest challenge of them all. Thankfully, we reached this milestone last month.

Getting him to go on the swings

My son, Levi, loves those trips to the park, especially because he can play with other kids and get on the slide or play with his ball. But he has always been scared of the swings. Just two days ago he overcame his fear and he actually liked it. 

If there is anything I can help young mothers and fathers with, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at amairani@latinomedia.org. ¡Feliz Dia de las Madres!

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