A Piece of Cake, Please, with a Side of Gravy

By Megan

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Well, we did it.

Peabody and I have officially made it to the one year mark in our nursing relationship. We’ve had a busy weekend celebrating his birthday, so the realization that we’ve finally reached the goal I set for us long before he was born didn’t really hit me until last night, as we sat together in our big red chair in his bedroom, rocking and nursing, my sweet baby boy lying cozily in my arms, his warm little hands pat-pat-patting away on my chest as he quietly enjoyed his pre-bed milkies, and me drinking in the sight of his soft, peaceful features as I pondered the events of the fading day. Peabody’s so caught up in the business of being a one-year-old lately that I’m rarely allowed to just hold him and gaze at him the way I yearn to, so I’m glad I’ve got a sure-fire way to capture his attention at least few times a day.

I’m delighted we made it this far, and I don’t imagine either of us instigating weaning anytime in the very near future. He’s finally resigned himself to sipping a little cow’s milk or water from a cup during meals, but he makes it clear in no uncertain terms that I’m still his favorite source of liquid refreshment, and I’m perfectly okay with that right now. The road we’ve traveled, particularly the first five or six months of it, hasn’t always been smooth – we’ve weathered nursing strikes, supply woes and plenty of painful teething and biting – so now that we’ve gotten everything all figured out and it’s mostly just easy and pleasant, I can’t really see rushing to END it. Now’s the time to relax and appreciate the partnership we’ve worked so hard to create and perfect.

I don’t feel fanatical at all about extended nursing. I just feel like quitting now would be somehow cheating both of us of the simple, good stuff we’re experiencing now as a reward for our patience and perseverance through the early challenges.

I have no idea when either one of us will be ready to call it quits, but I do know that it feels great not to be counting down months, weeks or days in my head anymore. We’ve reached the summit, and now we can coast slowly down the other side of the mountain together, enjoying the beautiful views and basking in our joint accomplishment.

Good to know it’s all gravy from here.

Megan regularly mixes cake, gravy and metaphors at FriedOkra.

14 Responses to A Piece of Cake, Please, with a Side of Gravy
  1. Jemma
    August 10, 2009 | 11:40 am

    Yay!!! I’m so happy for you! CONGRATULATIONS!
    I fully understand the sweetness of acieving what you previously felt you lost out on.

    I feel you on the extended nursing thing too. I just was so happy to make it to a year anything else was extra…. my boy decided on another year and a half of extra! I’ll be interested to see what Peabody reckons 😉

  2. Kellyn
    August 10, 2009 | 12:56 pm

    I am happy for you that you made it to your goal. Sometimes, that goal seems so far. I am proud that you didn’t give up during the rough patches.

  3. cherie de castro
    August 10, 2009 | 1:26 pm

    that is too cute, congratulations!!

  4. Maegan
    August 10, 2009 | 1:44 pm

    Zeke & I are 2 weeks from his 1st birthday — which was my goal, too. But, I also don’t see any rush to wean. I’d like it to be a natural, smooth progression over time. Beautiful post!

  5. Melissa
    August 10, 2009 | 2:45 pm

    CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! On ALL of your accomplishments this year. You’ve earned your coveted spot on the comfy, red chair. May you spend many more hours there. :o)

  6. melissa
    August 11, 2009 | 2:58 am

    Thank you! its a nice post which comes close to home in a way. Although I am not an extended nursing fanatic either, I now realise that its the only thing that will be left for me soon and no I will not rush to cut it off!

  7. deziray Click
    August 11, 2009 | 2:40 pm

    Love the post! That is Exactly the way I felt when my daughter reacher the one year mark, so thanks for putting it in writing. There are so many benefits for you and your son with nursing past the 12 month mark! Actually the Immunologic Components in Human Milk goes up during the 2nd year of lactation! Good Job, mommy!

  8. Carrie
    August 11, 2009 | 9:25 pm

    Awww…sweet! I’m glad it’s going so well for you – my son was a really bad biter at 11-12 mos, so I ended up weaning him b/c I couldn’t take any more! But next time I would go longer, if it was going well. 🙂

  9. The Gang's Momma
    August 11, 2009 | 10:10 pm

    Very sweet post. I remember the joy I felt nursing my four bios. All of them weaned themselves at varying ages and stages. And I cried every time. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. – even when I was already pregnant with the next one. Enjoy – it is one of the sweetest, simplest, most pure parts of parenting, in my opinion.

  10. T with Honey
    August 15, 2009 | 10:50 am

    The bliss you describe is well deserved and a wonderful accomplishment.
    As I sit here typing this with a hot pack on my aching leaking breasts I hope I will feel the same way 11 months from now.

  11. Barbara Manatee
    August 15, 2009 | 11:03 pm

    I nursed my twins as long as each would allow. My son weaned himself at 8 months after deciding he liked the bottle better (he was already only nursing on 1 side at that point…) but my daughter and I made it past 12 months. I think once we hit that point, I just couldn’t decide “when” to call it quits. Part of me was ready to be done and she seemed to be as well…she was only nursing at bedtime at that point.

    I still remember that day that I said “this is it”. She, of course, had no idea it was her last time to nurse. She ate fine and seemed no different than any other night. I, on the other hand, cried through the whole feeding and wondered if I wasn’t ready after all. I blogged about it too…(makes me want to go back and read it again…). The next night was tough. To just give her a bottle – she cried at first and reached for me…but seemed to settle down a few minutes later and accepted the bottle just fine.

    I am now 7 months into exclusively BF’ing my 3rd son. Its been wonderful to me to get to nurse him all the time. I had to supplement with the twins as I just couldn’t keep up once I went back to work. THe lil guy does get a bottle once in a while and will have to take them regularly again when I return to work in a week…but its been such a pleasure to get to do this for so long with him. I am certain we’ll make it to a year and really am not sure we’ll stop then if he still wants to keep nursing. I think knowing he’ll probably be our last baby…I’m not in a hurry to let go of that…I’ve loved it!

    Congrats and good luck!

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