MOMMA LOVE - NURSING MEMORIES

It was pretty hard to get Cakes to stop nursing. I kept hearing about "self-weaning" and stuff, but that didn't really seem to be something she was interested in. I think she would have happily nursed until she went to college.

But, after about a year of effort, I finally got Cakes weaned a few months ago. Now, if I could just get her to sleep through the night ....

Which leads me to my Momma Love post this week. I, as usual, had ended up in bed with Cakes in the middle of the night. Good parenting? Maybe, maybe not. Good for getting a full night's sleep? Absolutely! So, Cakes started moaning and groaning, and I hopped into bed with her before she woke up Bean.

Cakes, eyes still closed and half asleep, wrapped one sweet little arm around my neck. With the other hand, she grabbed my hand and began to "nurse" on each of my fingers. Of course, she was disappointed with each one, and moved on to my knuckles, also with no success. Then, still holding my hand, she lay there smacking her lips, as if dreaming of nursing. Since Bean never showed any interest in nursing, it's funny to see how profoundly it affected Cakes. Months after weaning, she's still finding comfort in "nursing" in her sleep (and in digging around in my cleavage every chance she gets ... but that's another post for another day).

For more stories that remind us all how great it is to be a mom, check out In the Dailies.

WEANING

I realized tonight that I haven't given a weaning update. Here's a quick rundown:

Day 1: Screaming throughout the day. Begging for "bed booby" at regular intervals. Ninety minutes of screaming at bedtime. Sleep from sheer exhaustion.

Day 2: Moderate screaming periodically throughout the day. Several requests for "bed booby." Ninety minutes of screaming at bedtime. Sleep from sheer exhaustion.

Day 3: One to two requests for "bed booby." Accidental breastfeeding while distracted by Bean, resulting in one tantrum. Thirty minutes of screaming at bedtime. Sleep after several minutes of calm.

Day 4: No requests for "bed booby." Ten to fifteen minutes of screaming at bedtime. Sleep after several minutes of calm.

Day 5 through 13: See "Day 4."

Day 14 through present: No requests for "bed booby." Declarations of "My don't wanna go to bed," followed by a resigned sigh of, "Alright." Sleep after several minutes of calm.

Now, to be honest, I am still nursing her in the middle of the night if she starts to squirm and fuss. But, I make sure that she is not fully conscious and, thus, not fully aware of the fact that she is being nursed. Plus, it makes the transition easier for me. How many of you have read Pioneer Woman's blog when she talks about the mama cows being separated from their calves for sorting and ... um ... fixing? Those teats don't look too pretty!

But, I think we've reached a turning point. Last night, Cakes actually slept through the night! This is the first time she's ever slept through the night in her entire life! Yes, I am blessed with children who don't sleep through the night until after their second birthday. I don't know what I'll do if I ever get a full 8 hours of sleep again. It seems like such a distant dream!

Aaah. I remember those times when I was single, and it was Saturday, and I would be in that "sweet spot" in bed. You know what I mean? That perfect position with the perfect blanket coverage that makes your whole body tingle with relaxation? Of course, my cherubs are worth the sacrifice, but now I'm beginning to think I may be able to experience that again someday! Now, if only I could find someplace here in the South to get a good bagel ...

Hey, go to my friend Tanya's website and vote on her next hairdo!

BACK TO THE BEGINNING

When I first started blogging, I was trying to wean my youngest child. Here's the scenario:

Bean refused to nurse. Having never had a baby before, much less tried to breastfeed one, I had one very frustrating week full of breast pumps and lanolin. Finally, I gave up and gave her expressed breast milk until my supply was gone (about six months).

So, when Cakes came along, I was determined to nurse her exclusively for a year. And I did. And then it was 18 months. Now, she will be two in less than a month. And she still won't stop nursing.

And so, after discussing with my pediatrician, I've decided that we need to just go cold turkey. I mean, when your kid can walk up to you, request "booby," and then specify, "Okay, that booby now," it's time to freaking wean. Don't you agree?

Yes, it will be agonizing for my child. And agonizing for me. Has anyone seen Pioneer Woman's posts of their poor cows' engorged teats? Yeah, it's not going to be fun. Couple that with the fact that Cakes has that wonderful habit of screaming until she projectile vomits. Yeah. Yeah.

Here we go!

THE WEANING CONTINUES

And, we have another puke day. Things were going well, and then there was some frustration with putting a toy "Daddy" into his minivan. That inevitably led to requests for "boobie," which were denied, thus resulting in 30 minutes of screaming, one vomit, and no nap so far today (it is now 3:19 p.m.).

In happier news, we all went to the bank and Blockbuster today, and Bean was wearing her big girl panties. This is the first time we've ventured out without some form of bladder/bowel protection on her, and she didn't have any accidents!!!! Very exciting!

ADVENTURES IN WEANING MY 18-MONTH-OLD

So, today is Day 2 in the weaning of Cakes. Yesterday did not go so well. There was an hour and 30 minutes of tantrums, interspersed with five projectile vomits. The rest of the day was relatively calm; and, I must admit, I nursed her when she woke up at night. I was planning to go cold turkey with her, but I was just so paranoid about more vomiting at 2:00 a.m. So, we're going "boobie-free" during the day. Once we get that down, we will tackle those night-time feedings.

So far this morning, Cakes has only requested to nurse once, and she was easily distracted by a sippy cup full of "appa-jee" (aka, apple juice). I heave a tentative sigh of relief, and hope that the rest of the day goes this well.