There was weeping and gnashing of teeth, for sure, but Appah came to the rescue with a sippy cup of milk in hand (I love that guy) and G took it and drank it like the big boy he is now. I couldn't help but feel a little sad, but I think I felt more proud at that moment. As G lay in the crook of my arm, and I patted him, I said over and over, "Good job, guy! What a big boy!" and I felt so thankful for 13 wonderful (and sometimes not so wonderful) months of nursing. It started out pretty rough, and I didn't know if I would even make it through two months of breastfeeding...then I said I wanted to make it through maternity leave, then 6 months, then I went through a frantic period of emotions as I tried to decide whether or not to wean early to get started on our FET, and then decided to relax and give G a year of breastmilk.
Wow -- what a year! And what an experience! A beautiful experience. PLEASE LET ME BE CLEAR: It's definitely not one of those things you need to bond with your child; but I'm so glad I got to share it with G. We tackled our first mountain and totally enjoyed the journey...eventually, at least. And we got through the rough valley of trying to wean. And now, we go onto bigger challenges and mountains as we find new ways to bond as momma and son.
In addition to his big boy sippy cup stage, he's also now in the 1s room at his daycare, and he's adapted like a champ. I was a little worried because he had THE BEST teachers in the whole wide world in his infant room, and his BFF had a rough transition to 1s a month ago, but when I went to pick him up yesterday, he was all smiles, dances, and cuddles. I'm so thankful for his easy-going personality.
He's also becoming quite the walker! He started taking steps about 3 weeks ago, and now he's getting steadier...a short video of this new feat:
Yah...he pretty much melts my heart with that smile whenever he falls into my arms after a walk. And then we clap and cheer for him. *We* being me, Appah, and G. The boy is such a ham!
I guess you might be wondering what the dealio is on the FET front. Let's just say that we're praying that the fall of 2012 will bring us a new bundle or two of joy. :) More to come...but in the meantime, please pray for AF to come soon, and for her to come back again soon thereafter so we can get this show on the road!
