And That's That

For all the things I've written about on the blog, one I've barely mentioned is nursing. I know breastfeeding is the popular term, but truly I prefer nursing. Breastfeeding sounds so, well, like we are talking about my boobs as opposed to feeding my babies. And I really don't want to talk about my boobs.

Anyway. I'm done nursing. Rather, Elliott is done nursing. I can't even tell you what day was his last day. Sometime mid-August. Much like Colter, there was no active weaning. For awhile, he was down to only morning and night feedings, then I was out late one night and he went to bed without nursing, and without a fuss. So I stopped feeding him at night. The morning feeding hung in there for a few more days, mostly because Elliott and Colter don't always get up at the same time and I could nurse Elliott and then we would all eat breakfast together. Then there were a few days in a row where they were up at the same time and we just came downstairs and ate breakfast straightaway. And he never missed a beat.

Both boys were completely weaned, with no fuss, right around ten or ten-and-a-half months. Sometime after Colter stopped nursing, a friend told me about an article she read that most kids self-wean when they begin to walk, part of an evolutionary thing because they are physically able to move away from their mothers on their own. I don't know the science behind that, but it fits with my boys; Colter was walking steadily by the time he weaned, Elliott began cruising furniture and taking little steps around the time he stopped nursing.

I also heard, sometime between Colter and Elliott, about the weaning method "don't offer, don't refuse." Basically, don't sit down and try to feed the baby, but if he's looking for it, don't push him away. I think I pushed nursing longer with Colter, but was more along these lines with Elliott. I just let it be on their own time, and wasn't worried about the calendar or how old they were.

I am glad that nursing was, overall, a pretty easy and natural experience for me both times around. There was a bit of a rough start with Colter, but both boys took to it well and I got comfortable with it. It was a huge help to have Keith be so supportive, and extended family and friends that accepted and accommodated us while each of the boys were nursing. Keith and I both felt that it would be the best thing for our boys and our family, and I'm glad to have done it for them. I am lucky in that I didn't have to pump very much or very often, and I give a lot of credit to moms who go back to work and stick with nursing and pumping. I'm not sure I would have been as committed if I had to hook myself up to a machine instead of my baby.

Just like nursing bras, nursing is not one-size-fits all, and I'm not a lactation specialist, so my experience is almost certainly going to differ from any other mom's. Here's the little bit I can offer though, just in case it might be useful to someone else. It helps to mentally commit to it beforehand. It takes a couple weeks for mom and baby to get really comfortable with it, so stick with it. (Someone told me three weeks is the magic number; that sounds about right.) A Boppy is really nice to have. I never got the hang of a nursing cover but I've seen other people use them and really like them. Sometimes it was tough to always be the one on-call for feedings, or to leave a gathering to sit and nurse. I found when the daytime feedings tapered off, I missed that break built into my day where all I had to do was sit and feed the baby. And maybe read a book while I did it. Lanolin or some other protective cream is your friend. Watch out when the teeth come in. Don't worry about all the hype that sometimes accompanies nursing; I know people that are comfortable nursing at a table at a restaurant, and I preferred to sit in the car, a dressing room, or on a quiet bench somewhere when we were out and about. Find your comfort zone, and let it be about you and your baby. It doesn't need to be a statement.

With all that said, I am fine with it being finished. I am glad to not have to worry about where and when to feed a baby, and what to wear to make it easier and avoid flashing anybody. (Anybody who knows me and has been flashed, I'm sorry. I really tried not to go all National Geographic on anybody.) I guess the research says nursing creates all kinds of bonding chemicals that are important early on, but I did not feel any need to extend that bond by nursing beyond infancy. Believe me, these kids are bonded. They won't leave me alone.

All in all, nursing being over feels rather anticlimactic. I am not sad it is over,  nor am I ecstatic to be done. From the start, nursing my babies felt like the most natural and right thing for them, and for me, and it is only natural that it runs it's course.

I am going to miss that built-in calorie burner though. I will have to go a little easier on the nightly bowl of ice cream now.

And since a post wouldn't be complete without a picture, here's a little photo challenge for you. Can you guess whether or not I'm nursing Elliott here?

And the answer is: who cares? Look at the smile on Colter's face!

Happy 7

Seven years today. Seven years of being married to a wonderful man, a thoughtful husband, and an amazing father.

I'm so lucky to have found such a good man to put up with me. Happy anniversary Keith!

Grinching

I have been told a story of my brother and cousin piling every last one of my brother's toys on his bed, sitting on top, and telling my mom they were playing Grinch.

Colter has never seen the Grinch, but somehow he knew exactly what to do, all on his own.

And, like the original Grinch, he likes to be pantless.

There used to be toys here...

I think, perhaps, it is time to pare down the toy selection.

Chatting with the C-Man

Ready for some more of Colter's wisdom? Here's what has made us smile recently.

Colter: Elliott had big hands. Now Elliott has little hands. Elliott took off his big hands and Elliott put on his little hands.

Colter: I'm just growing horns.

(Conversation about carnivals going on at the dinner table.)
Colter: That's what Carmela has in her belly. There's a carnival in her belly.

Colter: (to me) I'll get taller and you'll get littler and then I'll babysit you.

Colter: (after sneezing several times in the yard) Sometimes I just put my snot right in the grass.

Colter: Horseradish mustard? That's what the horses put on their cheese sandwiches?

Colter: (watching a truck pull a tractor backwards) The truck is going forwards and the tractor is going backwards. They are going in both directions at once.

Me: Look, that's a picture of your baby cousin in Carmela's belly.
Colter: I think Carmela just ate my baby cousin.

Colter: (stops in his tracks while walking) I just ran out of walking.

Colter: Dear God, please keep my family safe and happy and healthy. Almonds.

Colter: (slapping his forehead with his hand) I am just cracking my head and I will be a pistachio!

Colter: Why are your toenails red?
Me: Because I painted them.
Colter: Why did you paint your toenails red?
Me: Because I wanted them to be pretty. Would you like me to paint your toenails?
Colter: No, my toenails are already pretty.

Our friend Mego: How old are you?
Colter: Old enough!

(While at the pharmacy)
Colter: Who is that man?
Me: He's the pharmacist.
Colter: A farmer?
Me: No, a pharmacist.
Colter: He has hair like a farmer.
(The pharmacist had dark hair and a beard like Popper, the #1 farmer in Colter's life.)

Colter: (building a pillow castle) Elliott, come in! We'll cover ourselves with pillows and live happily every after!

Colter: (looking at Elliott's belly) He just has another baby inside him.

(Colter has been using the word "love" a lot..."I love this pickle. I love this cartoon. I love this tractor.")
Me: Do you love Elliott?
Colter: A little bit.

Me: (tucking Colter in) I love you.
Colter: Ok.

Canfessions

Here it is.

I do not like canning.



I don't hate it, but it is not anywhere near the top of my list of ways to spend a day. Or an afternoon. Or even an hour. It can be tedious, and time consuming, what with all the washing of jars, chopping of fruit or vegetables, cooking things down, heating things up, bringing to a boil, keeping at a simmer, packing and wiping and tightening and loading. And then you still have to do the dishes.

On Sunday, Keith and I worked on peaches together, which was a nice change from doing green beans, carrots, pickles, tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes on my own. And I'm not picking on him about that, it is just that he's at work and though he is more than willing to help when he gets home, who wants to still be canning at 9 at night? So I do it during the day, often to the music of small boys yelling at each other.



Maybe if I had the house completely to myself, I would settle into a rhythm as I worked my way through whatever produce needed to be dealt with. I would be able turn on music I enjoy and actually hear it, I could work my way through the dishes as the canner bubbled away, instead of attending to the needs of little men, I could grab a handful of crackers instead of needing to stop and fix lunch. (I bought a book of recipes for small-batch canning, thinking it would be easier to do in my days of frequent interruptions. Except I found myself doubling and tripling the recipes to use up cucumbers and tomatoes. I foiled my own plan.)

But truly, though I do not enjoy canning, I am always left with a smile when I survey shelves full of the fruits (and vegetables) of our labors. Things from our garden that, without canning, we would only be able to enjoy for a short season. In the winter, I am glad to have vegetables close at hand and easy to heat up and fill our bellies with. I am happy to know exactly what is going into our mouths and nourishing our bodies. At least we can be responsible for a portion of the food we eat, and Colter and Elliott will grow up understanding where food comes from, how it grows, and just how much work it takes.

So the tomatoes are still going crazy and I see more chopped tomatoes and salsa in our near future, and of course there will be applesauce in the fall, but things are winding down. I will say that canning was a bit more pleasant this year, as we didn't have as many hot and humid days when the steam from the canner makes it feel like it is going to rain inside. Maybe by next summer, Colter will be big enough to wash the jars...

More Dirt

Leave it to Popper to one-up us on the dirt pile...

Then Keith got in on the action with some smaller-scale equipment and built roads with Colter.

Who knew good, clean fun could get a kid so dirty?

Cabbage Salad

My mom-mom shared a new cabbage salad recipe with us, and I'm kind of in love. Keith likes it too, but says it's still a tie with the coleslaw I often make. I think this salad actually holds up better over the course of a couple days, and soaks up more of the flavor, which is nice because it usually takes us that long to get through it.

4th of July Cabbage Salad
from my mom-mom's friend Jane

Toss together:

1 head of cabbage, chopped or shredded, or 1 bag of coleslaw
4-5 scallions, sliced
1-2 cups toasted almonds (I went with about 1 cup slivered almonds; Mom-mom says peanuts work too)
2 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional – I put in sunflower seeds because I had them on hand)
1 package chicken-flavored ramen noodles, broken into pieces

Mix dressing together:
Flavoring packet from noodles
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss together.