Little Mister - Snapshot in time

At 15 months you:

• Still light up the room with your grin
• Say 'na-na' (banana), 'app' (apple), ohno (Oh no!), da-da-da, wa-wa (water), nooooo (with a great MN accent), yeah, mah (mom/milk - said when wanting to nurse), ba (baby), mo (more)
• Animal sounds: woo for woof, mow for meow, roar for tigers, dinosaurs and zebras (?), nah for neigh, bah for baa, open and close mouth for fish
• Change your food preferences daily, but pasta, bananas, watermelon, cooked broccoli and pears are almost always a hit.
• LOVE to read. So different than your sister at this age. Will grab a couple of books and come find me or dad and plop down in our lap to read. Lately you like Go Dog Go, The Eye Book, Brown Bear, Mr Brown Can Moo and any picture book that has dogs or tigers.
• Are still nursing once a day, usually right when I get home from work or just before bed. You aren't too happy about my dwindling milk supply.
• Climb whatever will support you. Chairs, tables, couches.
• Adore your sister.
• Are thrilled when you see airplanes, dogs and fans.
• Do not like the bath. At all.
• Tolerate swimming pools.
• Would climb stairs all day if possible.
• Still don't have much hair.
• You like to be gripping something at all times, but don't seem to prefer one toy. Lately you carry around a tiger and zebra and 'roar' with each one.
• Have discovered the popper push toy and take it all over the house. I love it because it's tells me where you are.
• Do a little shoulder shrug dance when you are happy or eating something you like. I live for that little dance.
• Have 6 teeth on both top and bottom (including molars)
• Get very, very angry when I take the phone away from you.
• Do not like cows milk.
• Clap for yourself often.
• Like to play the stinky feet game. You lay on your back and I bring my nose to your feet and say 'pew-eee.' You laugh and bring your feet to my nose over and over.
• Suck your middle two fingers on your left hand and hold your 'softie' (blue blanket) up to your face with your right hand. We call you Linus.
• Have very little fear or apprehension in new places. They all beckon for your exploration.
• Have adjusted to day care. You walk in happily, but also run happily into my arms when I pick you up in the afternoon. I miss you all day.
• Still enjoy seeing the world while perched upon my hip.
• Seem to understand so much. This morning you had this discussion with your dad: Do you want cheerios? Noooo. Do you want to read a book? Noooo. Are you ready for breakfast? Yeah.

Is that your final question?

My little thinker seems most inquisitive at bedtime.  We read a book or two, then turn out the lights and talk about the day.  She uses the one on one time to ask a number of questions.  The subjects she covers baffle me with their diversity and scope.  She would ask questions for hours if we let her, but after about 10 minutes I tell her "one last question."

Here are a few of her recent 'last' questions:

When can we go back to the water park AND why don't dinosaurs live anymore AND are dogs and dinosaurs friends?  (like the 3 in 1?  she is efficient...)

Did you know that there was grass when dinosaurs lived?  Because dinosaurs eat grass.

 

How did God die?  Because He is in heaven and you don't go to heaven until you die. Quite an easy one to answer at night to a 3 year old.

 

Why aren't sharks and dolphins and sperm whales in swimming pools?

Scenes of Summer

The little guy slept through most of the fireworks. Little A tolerated them, thanks to her patient Aunt Erin who held her hands over her ears for the entire 30 minute show.

Sno Cones part two

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CPS is spelled just like it sounds

Little A showed off a new skill last night - asking how to spell a word and then writing the letters as I called them out. Her first sentence? "{her name} loves swimming pools." It was so cute. She has memorized how to spell 'pool' and this morning while she was decorating a flag for a little school project she wrote 'pool' across it (in red and blue).

I asked if she needed the yellow crayon and she said 'mom, have you ever seen an America flag with yellow?' like I was some kind of moron. Which I am, of course, but she shouldn't know that yet. Still, have you ever seen an America flag with the word 'pool' on it? Who is the moron now?

Did I just call my 3 year old a moron?

Go ahead and call CPS.

So, yeah, it's hot here

Will someone turn me into CPS if I feed my kids ice cream and/or popsicles and/or sno-cones every day? Because it is hotter than Hades lately and those are the only things that make it bearable.

I took this picture while in a complete standstill in traffic. And no kids were in the car. So don't turn me into CPS because I take both hands off the wheel and take pictures of my dash while driving.....

Saturday Sno-Cones

Mama's Milk

I think my nursing days are coming to an end. Little Mister is about to hit the 15 month mark and I think it's time. It's a little bittersweet. Or a lot bittersweet. Still, he has yet to be a great sleeper and I fear I've let nursing become a crutch for both of us. He is only in the last month sleeping from 7:30ish to 5:30ish, but several mornings he'll wake up between 4 and 6 wanting milk. If I nurse him there is a 50:50 chance he'll go back down. If I don't, he stays up, crying and we both start our days too early and too grumpy. He needs more sleep and I need to break the cycle he seems to be on. If he woke up happy and rested and then wanted to nurse, I might not be considering weaning. This past week has reaffirmed my decision on timing after a rough stay in a hotel over the weekend and a really tough two mornings for both baby and Husband while I was traveling. Little Mister has only had 2-3 bottles in his life, so it doesn't make sense to try to introduce a morning bottle now. He needs to transition to waiting for his (solid food) breakfast

He'll go to sleep easily without nursing. He will nurse happily if I'm home, but will also go down fine without me. I may try to keep the night session only, if my supply will keep up. I weaned Little A around this age too, but she wasn't as attached as he seems to be.

So, as I realize my days as a nursing mom are numbered, I can't help but look back and ponder.

I can't imagine feeding my babies any other way. Both kids were exclusively breastfeed and I'm proud of that. It wasn't always easy. It took a lot of commitment. With Little A I had to contend with pumping at work and when traveling. With Little Mister I had a series of very painful plugged ducts, coming almost weekly for a few months. I came really close to quitting with him because of that, but pushed through. Once I knew I was going back to work, I wanted to nurse him for the first months he was in day care to help with his immune system and to give him some bonding time. He still got sick a lot the first month, but I wonder if it would have been worse. Who knows?

I know not everyone can breastfeed. I do think everyone should try and should try for at least two months. It's considerably more challenging if you work outside of the home and my hat is off to all those working moms who pump for months. Not all jobs are flexible and some moms are, sadly, left with no choice. Still, I don't think breast-feeding is an all or nothing deal. Some breastmilk is better than none and I think most moms could find a balance.

For a stay-home mom, I don't see why you wouldn't nurse your baby. It makes life so much easier, especially if it's the second or third child. You can feed the baby while tending to your other kids without missing a beat. No running to the kitchen to make a bottle. No extra dishes to wash. No putting the older child on hold. It also gives so much freedom when you are out and about. No bottles or formula to bring along. No worries about being out longer than planned and not having an extra bottle or formula.

I'm not a 'lactavist.' Not much of a public nurser. I always choose a quiet corner or secluded bench. Yes, breast-feeding is natural, but no, I don't think that means everyone around needs to see. It is so easy to do it discretely and makes it more comfortable for everyone. In fact, I sometimes think the lactavists are harming their cause more than helping with their very public 'nurse-ins,' breast-feeding pictures on Facebook, nursing toddlers (and older) and overall in-your-face attitude. I wonder if some new moms and moms-to-be are scared by that and think that if that is the only way to breast-feed, they'll choose formula. I think Leche League is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, I found their website and books to be helpful when I had questions or problems, but, on the other hand, they are so all or nothing that it can be off putting. I remember picking up a copy of the LLL manifesto, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, when I was getting ready to go back to work with Little A, hoping to find some good tips about pumping and keeping up the nursing relationship when separated. Instead, in the chapter on working, most of the text is dedicated to trying to convince the mom to stay home and then, after laying on the guilty, acquiescing that if you must work (you horrible mom, you), you should try to bring your baby to work with you. Right. Because that is so very practical and realistic. So,my take was, instead of saying 'good for you, you want to keep nursing and take on the added challenge of pumping,' I was left with 'you unloving mom who is leaving her child, good luck to you both.' On a side note, Working Mom, Nursing Mom and So That's What They're For were both much more helpful.

I'm not sure if I can chase another tangent in this post.

Takeaways: breast-feeding: good, tough at times, so very worth it. Sleeping: also good and I hope we'll get more of it soon.

Oh, and I'll so miss the metabolic bonus. I suppose I'll have to watch what I eat a bit more now. And dig out my small bras (at least there is not trap door latch).

My Da-Da

My grandmother passed away last Friday morning. Her memorial service was this past Tuesday.

She was a remarkable woman. A lover of knowledge, truth, her family, her God, her country. Tiny yet feisty. Fiercely independent, but equally classy and ladylike to the very end.

She lived a long life and lived the last 26 years as a widow. She lived on her own for the last 26 years and she cherished her freedom and being in her own home. She spent most of her 70's and 80's serving 'little old people' (her words) through Meals on Wheels, even though several of them were younger than her. She served her family, friends and church tirelessly.

So much of who I am can be traced back to her. She encouraged me to pursue knowledge, to value my education. Even though she is from the generation in which most women did not work outside of the home, she loved that I pursued a higher degree and had a career. She also loved that I was a mom and adored my kids. Little Mister brought so many smiles to her when she was in assisted living after her hospital stay. I know that God used that boy to bring joy to her during some dark days.

She introduced me to dainty pastries, tea type sandwiches and dishes and scones.

She never forgot a birthday, even as our family grew to include grandkid spouses and great grandchildren. She kept my college mailbox full of cards and letters, always making me feel loved and remembered.

Good-bye Grandmother. You will be missed.

It's all about portion control

I present to you my green bean harvest for the year. Six. That's 1.25 for each of us.

So, I better stick with my day job, because I'm clearly not ready to feed my family with my own two hands just yet.