I made it to a year. I'm still nursing my Bean two to three times a day, but the dreaded PUMP has been shelved until number two (if there is a number two) comes along. Actually, I shouldn't say "dreaded" pump - that wonderful device allowed me to feed my baby breastmilk even when we were apart.
When Bean was consuming the most - around the six month mark - it was quite satisfying to pump and get six to eight ounces, plus a couple more for the freezer. But once she was eleven months or so, I'd massage my breasts and vary the pump speed and drink mug after mug of lactation tea and try all sorts of tricks to increase the flow, only to eek out an ounce or two....hardly worth the time spent drawing the blinds, assembling the pieces, pumping for fifteen minutes, and then cleaning everything afterwards. It was taking me several pumping sessions just to make one bottle.
I don't think I realized that the last time I pumped would be THE last time. I don't miss it (the way I'm sure I'll miss nursing after Bean is weaned). And I REALLY don't miss pumping at work. Luckily, working from home 4+ days a week meant that the in-office pumping sessions weren't that frequent. Another bonus is that I have an office at work with a door and blinds, which makes it very easy to get the required privacy. My "Mommy things in progress; please come back in 10 minutes" sign and the hum and whir of my pump behind the closed door raised some eyebrows (oh well). My boss is a dad, and I know he supports my breastfeeding efforts; but I also know that the thought of or the sight of my pump makes him uncomfortable (to which I shrug my shoulders and keep on pumpin' - it's my daughter's health and well being at stake here, after all).
Anyway, it's a relief to not have to lug the pump into the office, find 20 minutes three times a day, stash the little bottles in the community fridge, and then make the 1.25 hour drive home with them on ice.
So, while I'm glad to be done with my pump, I also am immensely grateful to the thing. It allowed me to meet my breastfeeding goals and keep my Bean healthy while working full time and even having a (very) occasional night out. And for that, it's worth its weight in (white) gold.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
One year.
My Bean is a year old. That a year has passed since she came into our lives is incomprehensible.
In this one year Bean has...
- Nursed herself from just under 8 to 20 pounds
- Learned to hold her head up
- Learned to roll over, first back to front, then front to back
- Learned to sit up
- Been extremely healthy
- Made a best friend in her silly dog Moomoo
- Learned to sleep through the night
- Brought joy to everyone who knows her
- Smiled and laughed more than she's cried
- Eaten and thoroughly enjoyed a wide variety of foods
- Spit up 8,374 times
- Learned to roll from one end of the room to another
- Learned that crawling is a more efficient mode of transport
- Had her picture taken by mom/dad at least a million times
- Cut three and a half teeth
- Learned to say "Dad-dee" and "Mum-mum" and "up" and "yeah"
- Developed an obsession with the dog's food dish and several other off-limits items
- Discovered a whole new world in her view as she pulls up on the furniture
- Taken a few hundred walks in her stroller
- Outgrown three huge bins of little pink clothes
- Cultivated a belly laugh that sounds exactly like her dad's
- Finger painted (her paper, high chair, shirt, face, hair)
- Learned to say "Aaaaah" (and then crack up) after drinking from her sippy cup
- Decided that mom's car keys, cell phone, and lap top are her very favorite toys
I too have learned a few things in this short year...and have experienced more joy (and less sleep?) than in all my other years combined. I still haven't lost the baby weight (not even close), some days I don't find time to shower, my house is in a state of perpetual disarray and dog-hair-infestation, and I bitch at my hubby (and the poor dog) way too much. But all in all I'm proud of what I've accomplished in this one year. Parenthood is challenging, exhausting, selfless, dirty, frustrating, and downright wonderful. And the Bean amazes me and melts my heart on a daily basis. On to year two!
In this one year Bean has...
- Nursed herself from just under 8 to 20 pounds
- Learned to hold her head up
- Learned to roll over, first back to front, then front to back
- Learned to sit up
- Been extremely healthy
- Made a best friend in her silly dog Moomoo
- Learned to sleep through the night
- Brought joy to everyone who knows her
- Smiled and laughed more than she's cried
- Eaten and thoroughly enjoyed a wide variety of foods
- Spit up 8,374 times
- Learned to roll from one end of the room to another
- Learned that crawling is a more efficient mode of transport
- Had her picture taken by mom/dad at least a million times
- Cut three and a half teeth
- Learned to say "Dad-dee" and "Mum-mum" and "up" and "yeah"
- Developed an obsession with the dog's food dish and several other off-limits items
- Discovered a whole new world in her view as she pulls up on the furniture
- Taken a few hundred walks in her stroller
- Outgrown three huge bins of little pink clothes
- Cultivated a belly laugh that sounds exactly like her dad's
- Finger painted (her paper, high chair, shirt, face, hair)
- Learned to say "Aaaaah" (and then crack up) after drinking from her sippy cup
- Decided that mom's car keys, cell phone, and lap top are her very favorite toys
I too have learned a few things in this short year...and have experienced more joy (and less sleep?) than in all my other years combined. I still haven't lost the baby weight (not even close), some days I don't find time to shower, my house is in a state of perpetual disarray and dog-hair-infestation, and I bitch at my hubby (and the poor dog) way too much. But all in all I'm proud of what I've accomplished in this one year. Parenthood is challenging, exhausting, selfless, dirty, frustrating, and downright wonderful. And the Bean amazes me and melts my heart on a daily basis. On to year two!
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