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Can you believe you are almost at a full year!?!
It is crazy how time flies!
Let’s jump right into a day in the life of an 11-month-old.
This is our day-in-the-life and yours may look much different and that’s ok!
Bedtime
Before we jump into a fresh morning, let’s quickly start with bedtime.
Our 11-month-old goes to bed right around 8 pm. We are typically within ten minutes of bedtime each night unless it is a special occasion.
We have finally made it to the point of sleeping through the night completely and without any feedings.
It is rare, but on the off chance they wake during the night simply rocking for a few minutes will get them back to bed.
They independently sleep in their room in their crib.
After the last nursing session for the evening, we do a diaper change and jammies. Lotion is optional depending on the night.
We then grab a quick drink of water and brush their teeth.
Teeth brushing has only started in the last week, so don’t feel bad if you haven’t started yet.
The sound machine gets turned on and the room is dark.
Outside the room, we do hugs and kisses with Mom, Dad, and big sis. Our 11-month-old then gets a pacifier and a few rocks in the bedroom before being placed down.
Recently they don’t care for the rocks and just want to go to bed. They have also been napping really long.
They seem to be extra tired, so maybe going through a growth spurt.
Morning
Ok, now that we have the night before established, we can jump right into the morning.
Our 11-month-old gets up at varying times. It can be anywhere from 7 am to 8 am.
For their first birthday, one of their gifts will be the HATCH night light.
We slowly work towards them waking up at more consistent times using the light.
We are a family that thrives on routine. We are not rigid with it, but it does help our family keep balance and run smoothly.
Schedules are not for everyone, but for us, they bring peace and consistency.
Whenever she wakes up we immediately nurse. I need to start working away from this but am not overly concerned about it yet. Sometimes before nursing, I will offer a drink of water.
Outing
After nursing was complete we got dressed and ready for the day. Big sis goes to daycare full time, while our 11-month-old goes to work with me.
My schedule is a story for another day, but today I was off.
We ran big sis to daycare because my husband needed to go straight to the shop to get work done on his car. Typically he takes our toddler to daycare.
After the daycare drop off we ran to the grocery store. Tried to make it a quick trip, but you know how that goes.
Once back home, I took the opportunity to get all the bags in the house along with the 11-month-old. I got them going with solids for breakfast while I put away all the groceries.
Moms find little tricks like this to get stuff done. She needed to eat and I needed to put stuff away. I intentionally did not feed her before going to the store.
Breakfast
Breakfast for my 11-month-old was raspberries, blueberries, green beans, peaches, crackers, and veggie straws.
She also had water in her 360 cup.
At 11 months some babies are really getting the hang of cups and food, while others are still really struggling.
My 11-month-old got the hang of eating and drinking quickly. Our first child took much longer, so I’ve been on both sides with it.
Playtime with an 11-Month-Old
After getting cleaned up after breakfast we transition into a bit of playtime.
I try to keep playtime simple. We play on the floor with a few toys. Sometimes I sit with her if she is craving that closeness, and other times she is ok being independent and I will get some household work done.
If I am set on getting housework done and she wants attention, sometimes I will just carry her along with me while doing a task.
If I need to get my bed made she can sit on the floor with a toy while I do so. This changes her environment too.
I make a point to already start doing toy rotation. I would rather have only 3 toys out at a time but change them every few days rather than get 10 toys out and have to clean them all up daily.
For more information on toy rotation check out The Top 3 Reasons Why Every Home Should Use Toys Rotation.
Could you imagine playing with the same toys every day? How boring!
At 11 months old your baby is learning. They have been learning every single day, but as they get older it becomes more and more obvious.
They may be only crawling or fully running around. Playtime can look different for every child.
If you haven’t already, this is a great time to start incorporating reading.
Morning Nap
The first nap is typically around 10:30 am. We can go either direction depending on the day and when they woke up that morning.
Lately, our 11-month-old has seemed tired. They are possibly going through a growth spurt.
When it is nap time they happily go to bed. We do a diaper change, turn on the sound machine, grab a pacifier and do a quick rock before going to bed.
On a bad day, the first nap will be 45 minutes. A typical day is about 90 minutes. A long nap could be over 2 hours.
If you are a mom struggling with naps, I will tell you every baby is different. My first baby struggled with only taking short naps. My second has been so much more successful. I don’t honestly feel like I have parented any differently.
Lunch
When the nap ends, we go straight into nursing for the second time of the day. We may wait about 15 minutes and then go to lunchtime.
Lunch today:
Peas
Graham crackers
Taco shells
A little shredded pork
Blueberries
Mango
I am making an effort to give my baby variety and trying to stay out of the pantry as much as possible while pulling fresh foods from the fridge.
A trick I have started is to buy a bunch of fruit. I used to stress about waste, but instead, once everything gets a little soft and close to turning bad, I will throw it in a blender and feed it as a pure. If I don’t have much to use, I will mix it with applesauce if needed.
Outside Time
After lunch, we chilled for a little bit. I got everything cleaned up from both of us eating.
Because I had the day off, I wanted to surprise my husband by getting the yard mowed for him. I started during the morning nap but didn’t get it done so now I was ready to give it a try.
I have never tried mowing while my baby is awake. I took the round exerciser thing outside and put it under a tree so she would be in the shade.
I gave it a try and she was totally fine just watching me mow. She got some nice outside time, and I got a task done for our household. Mom Win!
Once done mowing and getting everything cleaned up, we chilled for a little bit inside.
Afternoon Nap
Around 2:30/3 pm my 11-month-old nurses for the 3rd time. We nurse and then within a few minutes go down for the afternoon nap. The nursing is not part of the actual nap routine though.
The afternoon nap will happen anywhere from 2:45 to 3:15 pm. This will depend on the duration of the first nap.
This nap will be anywhere from 45 minutes to over 2 hours. It varies with the day. 90 minutes is the average.
Dinner
Following the afternoon nap, we would typically have some cuddles and wake-up time.
Sometimes we will have a snack if we are not close to dinner time yet. On other days we will nurse around 5 pm. This time is changing as we are getting closer to weaning.
On this day the afternoon nap was from 3:15 to 5:45. That is pretty long for my daughter. So today we skipped that 4 th nursing session. Dinner would happen soon so I decided to skip it and see how we do.
Dinner was at 6:15 tonight.
Bedtime Routine
After dinner, we had some play time in general. This can be in the living room or on nice days we go outside. It often depends on how much clean-up time is needed from dinner. If it was a big mess kids play in the living room. If it is a quick clean up we all go outside.
At 7:30 pm my 11-month-old nursed for the 4th time today. Typically this would be the 5th feed, but we skipped that 5/5:30 nurse.
I am comfortable weaning my baby. We will not be completely weaned by 12 months, but I would like to be completely done by 14-16 months. This may not be for everyone, but it is what works for me.
Bedtime is right around 8 pm.
I went through the bedtime routine earlier, so I won’t go through it again. I will say we enjoy a very consistent bedtime routine. We are a family that works well with routines.
Some people may find them restrictive or suffocating, but we find them peaceful.
For us, we feel it brings our children comfort. They know in general what to expect. We try to be very consistent in routines and how we handle situations.
When our baby turns one, we are going to start introducing the Hatch Night Light and Sound machine.
The version we have for our toddler is adjustable from our phones which I believe is essential!
We are going to work toward getting our now 11-month-old to start waking up at more consistent times. Again, this helps us stay on routine.
I’ll talk more about this process, but in general, we start teaching our baby that we come in when the light is green. It is a slow and gentle process. Our baby does not cry or wait for extended periods.
For us, it is like an adult having an alarm clock.
How A Strong Night Time Routine Can Improve Your Mornings Each Day
Conclusion
That’s a wrap. That is a full 24 hours with my 11-month-old. We are not a perfect family with a perfect life. This is simply a real example for you parents that are curious about what other 11-month-olds may be doing.
Keep enjoying your babies. They are growing up quickly with that first birthday right around the corner.
I have a couple of articles linked with gift ideas for a one-year-old. Check them out and share them with any moms that are in similar places in life.
Check Out My Articles
How to Best Shop for Baby’s First Christmas
The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Best Gifts for a One Year Old
4 Benefits of Introducing the Hatch Night Light While Still in the Baby Crib