Adios, Breastfeeding!

Zoë is weaned.

Phew!

I don't know why, but nursing had turned very painful again towards the end of last week.  Couple that with a new quirky behavior in Z: that she'd fall asleep on the boob, but when I slipped it out she'd scream bloody murder and LUNGE to latch back on and start vigorously nursing again, over and over and over again, well, it was just time.

So Sunday I told P let's give not nursing a shot.  I could always nurse later or tomorrow if it didn't work (we've skipped evenings before, on a few occasions, when Z stayed at Papa/Nana's).  My only hesitation was after her shower and dressing in her sleeper, she happily said, "Boobie time!" and I was nervous.  But I said, "No, no boobies tonight.  Want to climb up the stairs to your room and read a book?"  And she said, "Oh!", which means yes (she used to say, "Oh yeah!", but now she's dropped the yeah), and up we went.  I sat in her chair and told her to pick out a book.  We'd read 3.  She did and we did, and after the last one she said, "One more!" and I said, "No, let's let Daddy put you in bed."  And she walked over to P and he put her in the crib.  She whined a bit and asked for kisses, so we both gave and recieved kisses, and then we left her.  She whines/plays/sings/talks for a bit in her crib, then crashes on her own.

And it has been that way every night since.

Also, I haven't watched TV since she weaned!  I would always watch the first half of a program while she nursed and then finish it off before bed.  Now I never even start it.  I actually kinda miss TV, maybe tonight...

Funnily enough, I don't really miss breastfeeding.  I thought I would.  And I suppose I do, a bit.  I miss just cuddling the Z while she falls asleep all sweetly.  But I don't miss being stuck on the couch, the pain, and the obligation.  I don't know - I did it for so long, I guess the end feels a little anticlimactic.  But what else do you say?

Z was exclusively breastfed for the entire first 5.5 months of her life, except one bottle in the hospital (grr).  Then we added solids, but breastmilk continued to be her only drink aside from the occasional bit of water through a year.  At that time I quit pumping and we introduced cow's milk and slowly started weaning feedings until we were down to morning and night only.  I think it was around 15 or 16 months that we weaned morning, and then did only night through 20.5 months.  And that is all.

If I had it to do over, I'd do it again, and if I have another, I will do it again.

Baby Kisses

I forgot to mention that I pissed off a few (dozen) fire ants at Wolfie's on Saturday.  I've got big giant welts all on my legs.  Last night I was sitting there drying off the baby after her shower and she pointed at my leg and said, "Ant bites!"  I was actually really excited about this because how did she know they were ant bites and not mosquito bites?  Then she said, "Ouch!"  Then she proceeded to kiss each one and say, "All better!" while my heart proceeded to melt.

Weekend Wrap-up

I don't even know where to start!

So my parents finally sold the Farm.  They moved to a house less than a mile away from me on Thursday.  So that is awesome.

For some reason this time of year at work I just start to overload.  It is why I always vacation in July.  I just... have to.  It isn't logical or explainable.  But I'm *there*, y'all.  So I took 4 hours off on Friday so I could stay home.  I read a book (Calico Joe by John Grisham, fun read, fast, great if you love baseball!), did and folded tons of laundry, watched some TV and generally tried to relax.  I needed it.

Saturday we went to AD's house, and seriously, I'm frustrated with that whole situation.  P's family got in movers and junk removal people, but they still didn't entirely clean the damn place out.  ARG!  And they didn't find 1 thing that they expected (and want) to find, so I'm guessing now it is on us to clean it out, and we'll have to open every box looking for the thing.  Not gonna lie: miffed.  And I'm starting to stress a little because I think we're right in the middle of prime renting season, and we're nowhere near ready to go.  But we also closed 1 of the accounts on my financial to-do list that morning, so yay, us!

That evening P's buddy's band was playing at a place called Wolfie's on Lake Conroe.  Loved that place!!  It was on the lake, totally family friendly, and food was decent.  They had a little sandbox/playground thing that Z loved loved loved.  A fun time was had by all.

Then Sunday was a normal Sunday, except we ate dinner with my parents.  Because they live here now!!

(Oh, and I ran over to their house.  In the afternoon.  With the stroller.  What???  It was only 96 degrees.  Ish.)

They grow up so fast!

Tuesday I wore a new necklace.  Big, for me.  When I went to pick Zoë up from daycare, she kept touching it and saying, "Necklace".  I said, "Yes, that's Mommy's new necklace.  Do you like it?"  I was expecting her to say, "Oh yeah", which is standard response for yes currently, but instead she looked up, right into my eyes, and said, "I like your necklace, Mommy."  Seriously.  I was floored, more by the sentence construction and the conversational aspect of the interaction than by the sentiment.

This morning I was wearing an old standard, but still loved, necklace and she was messing with it, so I asked her if she liked it.  This morning I got, "Oh yeah".  I kind of laughed about that, but then she looks up at me and said, "Cute!"  (Which sounds like "coot".)  This morning I was floored by the coot. :-)

And here's a coot one for you:

A Crap-ton of Non-crap books

Edge of Dark Water by Joe R. Lansdale: good book.  Adventure story, interesting, colorful, and fast paced.  Graphic descriptions of dead bodies.  Set in Texas (add a star!). 

Royal Wulff Murders by Keith McCafferty: lots of description of fly fishing should immediately appeal to people who have knowledge of that.  Nice depictions of nature.  And for the mystery - well, I didn't catch on until about 2 paragraphs before the main character did, so that means that bit was well done!  Disliked the romances - one love interest was too stereotypical and not robust enough as a character, and the other was left open.  (I smell a sequel?)

The Cove by Ron Rash: wow.  Just.  wow.  It wasn't what I expected, wrapped in a box with a neat little bow.

Julia's Child by Sarah Pinneo: this one isn't going to bring the literary world to its knees or anything, but if you're a mom who has ever stressed out about what you are feeding your kid, this main character will be stealing the words from your mouth.  Nice beach read if you're that mom.

Home by Toni Morrison: never have liked Toni Morrison.  Still don't.  WTF, seriously?  I just don't get it.

Redshirts by John Scalzi: Love, love, love, loved it!!  Such a fun read.  If you are a Star Trek fan, or if you make fun of "Star Trek physics" or non-sensical plots, read this!  I totally Trek-geeked out, laughed, and seriously enjoyed.

Foto Friday

Talking on the phone to Gaga in Daddy's manties.

Reading on her own personal chair.

There was a TV up in the corner.

Putting stickers on Mommy.

Stickers!

My littler Sharer.

Reading

The background: So, I'm a librarian, right?  Librarians have master's degrees.  And professional organizations.  Well, I'm in my local professional organization and I'm trying to be a better professional.  So I volunteered to be on this committee that creates a list of recommended adult fiction reading each year.  I didn't really know what I was getting into.  Seriously.  You remember how my goal was to read 12 books in 2012 (goal already met - I missed reading!)?  Well, my committee activity just started and OMG I could have to read 120 books in this next year.  120!

I'm offering this background so we can all understand why I'm going to be posting more about books.

I've already finished 3 books this June.  All for the committee:
Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron.  Sacré Bleu by Christopher Moore.  And Arcadia by Lauren Groff.  Here's my take on these 3:

Running the Rift is about a runner growing up during the lead-in to the Rwandan genocide.  I decided to read it for the running.  The running is there, but it isn't a novel about running.  It is a novel about ethnicity, personal identity, love, and hope in the face of unimaginable circumstances.  This book was NOT a depressing read, and it could easily have been.  Best book I've read in years.  Go read it.

Sacré Bleu is... a fun read.  With art.  You know you want to read a novel in which one of the main character's name is "Poopstick".  You know you want to.  (On a serious note, well researched, *believable* fiction, despite the fantastic.)  One note: I had to read this on the iPad and not the (base model) Kindle because there are clips of the art that I couldn't see on the Kindle that really added to the story.

Arcadia. I didn't like Arcadia.  I went through this phase when I was a kid where I imagined myself to be metaphysical.  In which I was an observer of the world and the way it worked, and I had these moments where I imagined I could feel events moving, the earth moving through space, that there was something deep going on that no one else could notice.  That is what this book is.  But I moved on, and Bit doesn't.  And the language - it just got on my nerves.  Not to be an ass, but sometimes washing clothes is just washing clothes, you know?  Also, I didn't think the ending was sufficiently fleshed out.

Now I've started on Julia's Child, which I can already tell I'm going to enjoy, and the Royal Wulff Murders, which is also shaping up to be a fun read.  More on these and many Many MANY more to come!

I Got Told

She, waving a bottle stolen from my unused make-up drawer around, "'Sat, mama?"
Me, grabbing the bottle to twist it around in her fat baby hand and read the label, "Ummm... spirit gum remover, baby."
She, "No mama! Issa BOTTLE!"
He, laughing from the other room, "Ooooo, you got told!"
I guess I did.

Working on AD's House

P's grandmother is sending movers to pack up AD's house next week.  So we went over last weekend to get more of his things.

I found this little box with a mirror-window on the lid.  It was one of those that you have to figure out the correct way to slide the lid to open it.  I kind of struggled with it, but for some reason I was bound and determined to see what was inside.

It was this.

A stack of pictures featuring Preston... and me.

And one was the last picture I ever took with my beloved Papa.  (Pronounced Pawpaw.  But he isn't a cat.  So spelled Papa.)

I don't know how AD had a copy of that picture.  But I do know that she was the kind of woman who had a picture of me and my Papa and her Preston wasn't in it, but she saved it.  She saved it in a really pretty box.  She saved it because she was love.

I hadn't really broken down and cried over Aunt Dollie until I found that picture.

Goal Review

Goals for the Year:
Lose 12 pounds in 2012.  Weight on 1/1 was 138.8.  Weight on 5/1 was 133.2.  Weight on 6/1 was 134.4. 
Read at least 12 books (other than to my child) in 2012.  4 books (The Epic Love Story of Doug and Stephen and the Shades of Grey trilogy) read in May, bringing the grand total to 12.  Goal met, woohoo!!  (And I'm not going to stop there.)
Race 12 times in 2012. None this month. Holding at 1.  Sickness really derailed racing plans this month.
And I have one other secret 12 goal. 2 more to add, making it 7.

Goals for May:
Continued progress towards 2012 goals.  Half-check.
Food... have fun for my birthday, then go moderate for the rest of the month.  Well, I had fun for my birthday...
May is the month of the bike.  I need to spend A LOT of time on my bike.  Done, yay!
Also, May is the month of consistency on the run. 3x per week.  Period.  Fail - sickness really screwed me up for the last half of May.
Race this month.  Damnit.  Fail.  Sickness.
Financial goals: get the moms off the accounts  (FINALLY DONE!!!!), balance/consolidate, get AD's POD accounts into P's name (DONE, YAHOOOO!!!!), get P into direct deposit (FAIL).  2 for 3 is success for me!

Goals for June:
Continued progress towards 2012 goals.
Food - clean it back up before the July blow-out that will be Paris.
Consistency on the run. Swim once a week, and bike outside, wrapped up in Another Mother Runner Challenge - before the July blow-out that will be Paris.
Race this month.  Damnit.
Financial goals: Liquidate 2 accounts with 2 firms and reallocate to existing accounts.  Liquidate one of AD's accounts and reallocate to existing account.