Nursing in 2s

It has been quiet a journey, this breastfeeding experience....

At 2 hours old, it is 12:40am on Wednesday February 16, 2011; nursing you is a rush of new, yet familiar feelings.  There is a sense of great relief and encouragement that you were able to latch on right away.  You are warm and smell of new baby.  I feel your skin against mine and hold you tightly.  I am excited about your birth and so pleased to finally meet you.  I am hopeful that we will have a long and lasting nursing relationship.  Sleep is one of the furthest things from my mind.

At 2 days old, on Thursday; we are discharged from the hospital.  You're bilirubin levels are elevated, but we are sent home anyways as nursing is going well and the doctors seem confident they will continue to go down as you are nursing so well.  Little did we know I would faced with a delay in lactogensis II and you would end up back in the hospital on day 3.  But day 2 is of no worries.  We snuggle, we cuddle, and we nurse and nurse and nurse some more.  You and I are learning about each other.  I am experimenting with various nursing positions learning what you like (and don't like).  We spend a lot of time laying on the couch and in the bed.

At 2 months old; it is April 15; and we are hitting our stride with nursing.  I am developing an oversupply and we are working on the best way to combat that; eventually settling on 4 to 6 hour nursing blocks.  I am starting to get worried about going back to work in another month, but confident about my ability to pump breastmilk for you because I have been pumping at home (ever since that jaundice experience) and I know the pumping is making the oversupply worse, but I so want to reach the 6 month breastfeeding mark with you.  I am starting to feel confident we will make it to that mini-goal.  You cluster nurse for hours on end in the early evening.  You also love to nurse lazily over time and it takes upwards of an hour to nurse you before bed time.  I feel like I am missing out on time with your dad and brother; but I know this is just a phase and it will pass.

At 2 years; on February 15, 2013; I am wondering how we got here.  Don't get me wrong I know how we got here, one day at a time.  I am in awe of our ability to have nursed for 2 years.  Nursing you now is typically short 5 to 10 minutes at a time and you like to switch sides frequently, especially at bedtime and this drives me nutty.  You like for me to name-off body parts for you to point to while you nurse.  You giggle when we do "nose".  You call nursing "boobies".  I often wish I picked a different name for nursing.  Sometimes I wonder if I will ever nurse another child as long as you.  I think about how we are slowly weaning and following your lead.  I feel a little sad and a little liberated when I think about the time we'll no longer be nursing.  You insist that I hold my breast while you nurse.  You get mad if I don't.  I get lost staring in yours eyes while you nurse; and my heart overflows... often times I fight back tears of joy.

Chitter Chatter

Monkey is starting to become very vocal - he loves chit chatting.  He'll babble and babble and babble; like he's having a real conversation with you; except you have no idea what language he's speaking.  All kidding aside he is picking up new words weekly now.

Here are some of the words in his ever expanding vocabulary:
Dada
Mama
Ay (for Ray)
Bi-Bo (big brother)
Ki-Ki (pronounced key-key, kitty)
Hi
Bye
Mmmmmmm (yum, he loves telling us when something tastes good)
Gen (again)
Ut-Oh
Uppie (for doggy/puppy)
Ish (fish, he LOVES watching fish)
Kah-Kah (nasty, gross, poo-poo, don't touch that, etc to the rest of us)

For Giggles

Breastfeeding makes me happy.  You know this if you're read my blog before.

But not just my breastfeeding experience makes me happy.  I get happy when I hear about others doing the same, and I really enjoy seeing breastfeeding messages in day to day living.  I love that Lois breastfeeds Stewie, and I laugh out loud (for real, not an LOL) when I read Baby Blues in the Sunday paper and the comic strips features a breastfeeding joke.  Sometimes those jokes almost seem like inside jokes, something that only breastfeeding parents can relate to.

Yesterday while poking around on the big ol' world wide web I came across Baby Blues World Breastfeeding Week 2009 (I said I was poking around) tribute.  You can find the whole thing here, but I wanted to take some time and share with you some of my favorites.

You'll need to click on them to enlarge.  My comments are attached to each.  Enjoy!!!

Or in the church parking lot hoping you don't flash Monsignor.
Or in the parking lot at the grocery store, with your winter jacket as a nursing pillow.
You get the idea.  Monkey loves nursing in the car because I let him play with the steering wheel when he's done.

I actually sing Monkey this song while nursing him.  Turkey likes to come in and chat during these times.
Usually to tell me he wants something (to eat, play with, TV time, or to buy).
Monkey does not like to be interrupted during these times and will sit up and stare at him until he leaves.

Yeah, especially now that he has a tooth.

Nearly 13 Months

Dear Monkey,

You are nearly 13 months old, and it's been a while since I update everyone on you; so I figured today was a good day to do so.

You are a very soft and snuggley baby, that is when you let us snuggle you.  You do not like being snuggled, or held back, when you see there is much playing to be done.  You also do not like snuggling when you are grouchy, you prefer to crawl around and whine.

Speaking of crawling, you are becoming quiet a pro at crawling and venture all over the house when given a chance.  You are now just starting to crawl on top of or over things; but you are pulling up like a champ and cruising along furniture.

Your favorite word to say is "ya", and you also say "dada" and "ma".  You sign "more" all the time, especially when you are told you are "all done".  We are working on learning how to sigh "yes", "no" and "drink".

You are super ticklish, and love being tickled and have the cutest little laugh.

Speaking of love, you love all of your toys - especially your jumper and anything that lets you put things in and take things out.  At night you sleep with your baby and your seahorse.  When you nurse you fiddle with your baby's ears.  And for some reason you've taken to wanting to nurse on your changing table - this I cannot explain but it makes you very happy.

As I mentioned you are still nursing; but you LOVE food.  I said you loved to play, and love your toys; but this I really mean you LOVE.  Food makes you so excited, to the point where you stretch out your arms and legs and shake while waiting for food.  We've yet to find a food you don't like; and you are a very adventurous eater.  I don't think I could pick anyone food as your favorite, as you will eat and enjoy anything.  I keep telling your daddy that we're in trouble once you get teeth.

That's right, you're nearly 13 months old and have no teeth.  You are "this close" to getting your first tooth; I am beyond excited for this.

You are also "this close" to getting your first hair cut.  I did give you a little trim a few weeks ago, but it's really getting to be time to properly get it cut.

Your clothing size is 18 to 24 months, but that's just because you are so tall.  If it wasn't for your cloth diapers all of your pants would be falling off your hips.

So Monkey, that's you in a nutshell at nearly 13 months.

Mama Love You!!!

PS I think I may actually finish your nursery in the next few weeks.

First Word

Nope, not Monkey.

This day, 7 years ago, at 6 months of age Turkey said his first word: "bath".

We were at Nana's house and had just finished dinner and it was bath time, and I looked at him and asked him if he was ready for his bath and he reached his arms up and said "bath".  Which Nana echoed, and then Turkey kept saying "bath, bath, bath" over and over again.  While we carried him upstairs, and ran the water in the tub and gave him his bath.

Bye 9 months of age he was also saying: Mama, Dada, Ba-Ba (eat), Nana and Nun-ni (good-night).

He's been talking for 7 years now, and we haven't had a moment of silence since (OK, it's quiet when he goes on vacation with my mom... at least it's quiet for us.)