Today is my first baby's 3rd birthday. We've been nursing 3 years now. This morning as we lay in bed nursing, I held him close to me and remembered holding him in my arms for the first time, that tiny bundle, and putting him to the breast for the first time, his head and mouth, impossibly small compared to the big boy he is today. We didn't have an easy road at first. He was admitted to the NICU two days after he was born and kept there for a week, ultimately for no reason, but I was unable to breastfeed him during that week and rented a hospital-grade pump. Once he was home, it was hard to transition him off the bottle, but I kept trying and by the end of January, when he was 2 months old, he was off the bottle and 100% breastfed. Then I had to go back to work at the beginning of March. I pumped while at work but he was never a big fan of the bottle. I would go to the daycare and nurse him at lunchtime. I hated leaving him and quit my job in July to SAH. We were both so happy--no more pumping, no more bottles! Being with my baby all the time was the best thing in the world...and it still is. He nursed all throughout my pregnancy this past year, through the long months when I had no milk and my nipples were so sore I could only nurse him for a few minutes at a time--he understood and would stop immediately if I asked him to. Now his baby sister is here and he is having a hard time sharing the milk with her--there have been times over the past 2 months when I wanted so much to wean him, but each time he nurses I see how much it means to him and I know I can't take that away from him. There have also been times over the past 2 months that I have been so grateful for my nursing big boy--engorgement relief, mastitis relief, and he has helped give me the abundant milk supply that has allowed his sister to grow so healthy and big so quickly.
I can't believe 3 years has gone so quickly. It seems I have blinked and he has gone from that fuzzy-headed newborn to this talkative, inquisitive, smart and gorgeous little boy. But he will always be my baby, especially when we lie down each day to nurse.
Happy Birthday, my sweet Jackson Elvis. I love you!
I can't believe 3 years has gone so quickly. It seems I have blinked and he has gone from that fuzzy-headed newborn to this talkative, inquisitive, smart and gorgeous little boy. But he will always be my baby, especially when we lie down each day to nurse.
Happy Birthday, my sweet Jackson Elvis. I love you!
yeah!!!!!!!!
