Weaning & Growing Up

I’m finally weaning Salem.  Remember when I almost did?

It’s a long time a comin’.

Hard to believe that my lovey-love was this small.

Now she’s practically a grown-up.

She talks.  Her favorite words are Asher, nose, Mommy/Daddy (she get’s these confused sometimes), yay!, hi.  Today she said “strawberry.”

She has personality.  She throws things when she doesn’t get her way.  She snuggles with blankets or her stuffed bear & softly says “babe-y”.  She climbs on top of tables just to see how high she can get & likes to swallow pool water.

And she loves nursing.

None of my kids were like her in this way.  This girl does not want to give it up.  But I do.  I’m done.

When Salem wants to nurse, she comes comes up to me & says “babies, babies,” & beats both hands to her chest.  She repeats this over & over until either 1) I feed her, or 2)  I distract her with a book, something to eat or drink, or animals.

She loves animals.

Especially Narny, my parent’s cat.

Joseph & I have a trip, just he & I, planned for next month before he goes off to bootcamp.

It’s our first ever, leave-the-kids-for-a-week, kind of trip.  It will also be our 8 year anniversary.

Since we got married, especially after having kids, we have made it a high priority to do weekly dates & semi-annual getaways (usually to B & B’s), but we’ve never done anything longer than a day or two.  Mostly because of money & also because I was nursing.  So Salem, will need to be weened by then.

I’m down to just one feeding a day.  It’s really nice to have a bit more independence, but by the same token, I’m having a reflective, sort of sad, why-do-these-kids-grow-up-so-fast kind of moment.

Salem is 17 months.  The same age Mali was when I weaned her.  I think it is time, & I think I can be proud of the fact that I gave it breastfeeding a good 17 months.

I was going through some of my photos, I found these of Mali at 10 months. (Remember these pictures?)

Look at those cheeks.  How I loved to kiss them.   She was our chunkiest baby because she loved to sit.  Really.  She would sit & watch, listen, content with observing.  

Those feet!

Such a happy baby.

Today is Hyrum’s birthday.  He’s 7.

Mali’s birthday was a week ago.  She’s 4.  We’re having a combined birthday party with the local cousins & family today.

Swimming, a pinata, cupcakes.  Joseph’ll head up a water balloon relay race.

Here are some more pictures that get me teary-eyed.

Hyrum 3, Mali 10 months.  Always the loving older brother.

I want to capture this smile in my mind, remember how he was my responsible, little man.  So eager to please.

Narny, again.  (Same cat.)

knew time would go by quickly.  But that doesn’t make the process any easier on a mother.

It’s hard, knowing my moments with my children are numbered.  That their days as free, happy, energetic children are not forever.

 ♥♥♥

Do you have trouble letting go of stages of life?  Seeing people that you love grow older?  

If you’ve nursed & weaned before, when did you know it was time?   Were you ready for it?  


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