Sample 11-12 Month Old Schedule

Hi there!

We're still here in Boston and it's still cold.

Now that you've been updated on that, let's get down to business.

Cali and I have come a long way in the past several months as far as her sleeping and eating go. Through a lot of trial and error, we've gotten to a very comfortable routine/schedule and I thought I'd share with you how that looks most days. I wrote a while back on the issues we dealt with after her 6 month shots and how it took sleep training to regain some of my sanity. If you're interested in a non-CIO approach, check out that post. It worked wonders for us.

Anyways, after we settled the bedtime issue, we tackled naps and after trying a variety of methods ("wake times", winging it, etc.), we finally settled on what is called the By the Clock (BTC) method. I believe that every baby is different and everyone has to figure out how their child thrives the best. I finally managed to see that Cali needs a strict routine - much to my dismay. No matter how much I tried to discourage a strict routine, it was obvious that's what she needed to function best. Baseball life doesn't necessarily lend itself to things like structure, planning, or schedules, so I was a little worried about how hers would fit into our lifestyle. Luckily, after a couple weeks of following the schedule very strictly, I found that occasional variations (naps in the car, skipping a nap, or later/earlier bedtime) don't disrupt the overall routine. Also, since putting this schedule into place, Cali has no problem falling asleep for naps or bedtime in strange places when we travel. I think the comfort of knowing what is coming makes it easier to adjust when she's in a different home and/or bed. 

Her favorite game right now is "hide and seek"

As far as the eating goes, she pretty much refused solids until after her 10 month mark. Overnight she went from refusing all solids to eating anything you put in front  of her. Except purees that is. After she decided to dive into T's dinner one night, I started feeding her very, very, tiny pieces of finger foods and realized she'll eat anything as long as she has control over it. Every now and then I manage to sneak in some pureed meats or kale but for the most part, she pushes my hand away. She eats a lot of fish, sweet potatoes, avocados, carrots, and bananas. She's still nursing and on most days she nurses 4 times. Lately she's been teething and wanting to nurse more for the comfort of it but when that happens, I just go with the flow. We're only 3 short weeks away from her FIRST BIRTHDAY (how did that happen?!) and after she turns 1, I'll work more on trying to get the majority of her nutrients from table foods. Until then, I'm enjoying the continued bonding moments of nursing her, seeing as how that's the only time she let's me cuddle her.

So here's what a normal day looks like for us:

7:00(ish) - Wake/Nurse then we lay in bed for as long as she'll allow and finally get up to play

8:00 - Breakfast of avocado, banana, coconut fat, or anything I can get her to eat

10:00 - Nurse/1st nap

11:30-12 - Wake up/Lunch of meat and veggies

3:00 - Nurse/2nd nap

4:00-4:30 - Wake up and play

6:00 - Dinner of meat, veggies, and some sort of fat 

7:00 - Nurse/Bath/Bedtime routine (change, read a book, prayers)

7:30 - Asleep

Between her first and second nap is when we try to get out of the house for the day. We'll run errands, go to an indoor playground, or just window shop at the mall. Anything to get out and moving. Also, I really try to make sure that Cali is getting enough healthy fats in her diet. This is what Dr. Sears has to say about fat and the baby's brain:

The most rapid brain growth occurs during the first year of life, with the infant’s brain tripling in size by the first birthday. During this stage of rapid central nervous system growth, the brain uses sixty percent of the total energy consumed by the infant. Fats are a major component of the brain cell membrane and the myelin sheath around each nerve. So, it makes sense that getting enough fat, and the right kinds of fat, can greatly affect brain development and performance. In fact, during the first year, around fifty percent of an infant’s daily calories come from fat. Mother Nature knows how important fat is for babies; fifty percent of the calories in mother’s milk is fat.

There are a number of studies on how important (good) dietary fats are to the growing baby. Some of my favorites are fish, avocado, and coconut milk fat. To feed your baby the latter, buy a can of whole fat coconut milk. Check the ingredients and make sure that coconut milk is the only ingredient listed. Place the can in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, the fat of the milk should be separated from the milk itself. Scrape of the fat and feed it to your baby! Cali likes it plain or mixed with fruits of some kind. 

It take a lot of play time to wear this girl out for bed.

I hope this helps some of you that are looking for a schedule for you and your child. It took us a lot of trial and error but then again, I'm learning that that's what parenthood is: one big case study.

Do you schedule? No? Tell us in the comments!