A bittersweet ending...

I don't expect anyone except a mommy that has been there to understand this, but this weekend has marked the end of being a nursing momma. It is a sad and joyous occasion all at once, and I can finally say I am no longer conflicted about the decision to stop.
I have several friends that made it to the 12 months and beyond mark- they are working momma's and stay at home momma's, so either way it is absolutely possible to do it. When I made the decision to nurse, they were my idols, that was what I was striving for. Dann however, always the realist in these occasions told me to make that the overall goal, but set small goals in between.

Goal one was to get her to latch... check.
Goal two was to go a month... Check
Goal three, three months... Check
Goal four, pump at work enough to send to daycare each day... check
Goal five, six months... Check

Once we started introducing solids into Ashtyn's diet I noticed my supply went to hell fast, and then around 7.5 months pumping at work stopped completely. However, goal six was still 9 months... check
By not pumping at work I was still giving her the AM feeding, and her evening feeding which to me still seemed like a good thing. That was working out well until her top two teeth finally dropped. Nursing was incredibly uncomfortable, and Ashtyn's attention span was admirably shorter then that of a butterfly. The evening feeding took a hike right after she turned 9 months old.
Then she started teething again, and uncomfortable went to excruciating. The decision to stop became a no brainer when I feared she might take some of me with her during our next nursing session. Considering my supply had gotten so low I wasn't really that worried about it, and so far I don't seem to be having any issues.
I really enjoyed my time being that sole food source, I wouldn't trade those times with her for anything and I know whenever we welcome Baby Galster #2 I will do it again without any question. I have to admit though, I'm really excited to wear fun bras again, and not having to plan my life around her next feeding is a huge relief.
To all the moms that made it to one year and beyond I applaud you! To all of those that want to nurse their baby, regardless of how long it is a wonderful expereince and truely worth any discomfort and are thinking about taking that route (regardless of how long) it is so worth it!

~S~

Ashtyn's 9 month player profile

On Sunday Miss Ashtyn turned 9 months old, holy cow!
Height/ weight- She is 28 inches tall and weighs in at 17 lbs.
Foods- This girl LOVES her Puffs! Especially the dehydrated yogurt dots, but if it means she can feed herself then she's all for it. About the only thing she doesn't like is mixed green veggies, those are not her fave.
Clothes- 9-12 month pajamas, 6-9 month clothes, and between a 2-3 in shoes.
Teeth- Her top 2 front dropped so we're up to 4 total.
Toys- Her stuffed Bella (although the real puppy is still a bud too), her play table, wubba nub, my car keys, and tubberware (especially the Cool Whip container!)
Fave Activities- Swimming, going on walks in her stroller, giving hugs and kisses, pulling herself into a standing position, bath time, snuggling with her stuffed animals, and feeding herself.

Ashtyn is a very happy, very vocal (my little squawking dinosaur), healthy and smiley little girl. Everyday I get to watch her gears turn as she discovers something new. Her smile can light up the darkest hour of my day, and I am amazed at her dexterity and determination with everything that she tries. I can't believe that 9 months has already gone by, and I can't wait to see what the next nine months and beyond have in store!

Random ramblings

It's now June, this year is almost half over and I really don't even know where it went. My baby will be 9 months old on Sunday, is it sad that I'm in denial? I'm not going to go into too much detail since I plan on posting her 9m player profile early next week, but holy cow! Every single day there's something new, there are times when I look at her and she just seems so grown up. Our sweet baby girl is becoming a very independent and vocal little lady. She is a joy and a pleasure, and without a doubt the thing that makes my day no matter what else is going on. Her laugh, smile, hugs and sloppy kisses are the bestest thing in the entire world!

Then there is the man that is the reason that I have my little monkey- the second best thing in my life, 2n! Dann is such an amazing husband, father, friend, partner, and everything that falls in between. I have moments when I am crazy and neurotic and he just laughs at my absurdity. I have others when I am stressed and sad and he's always there with the best hugs and a bottle of wine. He is my biggest fan, but not afraid to talk me down and put me in my place when I need it. I know I have a "strong personality" and that I can be a lot to handle but he brings out the best in me and loves me at my worst. I don't think you can get any better then that!

There are lots of other exciting things going on in my life right now, but since my world revolves around the above fore mentioned I figured I should start there.
I've been interviewing at work, I'm hopeful that it will turn into a promotion and a new position in the near future. The funny thing is I fought the path I'm heading down for so long that I didn't see how much potential was right in front of me. I've been in my current job for almost 3 years- and I love what I do. I work on a fun team with great people and best of all we buy the fun, young product you see in all of DSW's stores. While it's been fun and educational I've hit the top of what I can do as an MSA. I've said that buying is what I want to do, and I still believe that to be my eventual stop but before I can get there I need to get some experience in Merchandising. I've avoided this step thinking that I could just "skip" it (somehow in my mind that was going to happen, then I realized I work in Corporate America and I have a lot I need to learn). Well skipping isn't really an option, and as I learn more about the Merchandising role the more excited I am to get into it. I know that the job isn't glamorous, but it's something that will put me so far out of my comfort zone that I'm really jazzed. It will also give me a skill set to be one hell of a good buyer once the time comes, watch out everyone! :)

So family and work are what take up most of my time, there's also those two little fury children that live with us also. They've had quite the life change in the last 9 months, and I have to give them a lot of credit for handling it as well as they have. Bella thinks that Ashtyn is her personal puppy, and now that she is capable of handing food off under the table Bella really loves her. Lacey doesn't really pay much attention, as long as she has someone to snuggle with, and someone to feed her she's pretty happy. Last month she had to get 14 of her teeth pulled, my poor pup is going to need some dentures! Thankfully she's adjusted just fine, although eating corn on the cob now poses a bit of a challenge.

Alright, well I could continue rambling but I'm going to wrap this up and enjoy the rest of my evening with Dann. Until next time!

~S~