Breastfeeding! The saga of the tatas.
*Note: this post talks about breastfeeding, pumps and other assorted boob-related things. If you’re sensitive to that stuff – don’t read anymore!*
The summer has wonderful and full for our family. Birthdays, travel adventures, pool time and watching my two little boys learn together and grow some more. I am still rather astounded on a regular basis how quickly my little ones have gone from squishy, portable blobs of cuddly, drooly goodness into mobile, vocal, opinionated, funny little people!
I am looking forward to a cherished friend’s wedding in a few weeks, and am starting to make preparations for the trip as it involves plane travel out of the country (not too far out of the country, it’s in the Bahamas, but still). If you remember my posts from May about our European extravaganza, it was at that time the the hubbs used all of his vacation days for this year. I was given the “A-Ok” to attend this fall event without him, but with our youngest son. I am proud to say we are still nursing and I figured all along that I’d be taking little man with me so I wouldn’t have to speed up the weaning process and rush the rest of our breastfeeding experience. However, the closer the trip gets the more nervous I have become about traveling on my own with a small toddler. I know he’s a good traveler, and I know we’d be fine once we got there and just do what we need to do to accommodate his needs as well as mine. I was also prepared for the “mood” of the weekend for me if I had a baby with me. I’d have afternoon naptimes, bedtimes, and other baby-related restrictions for the duration and would be at Zeb’s mercy in certain ways. Not being able to cut out the nursing cold turkey (and not wanting to for that matter), my mom and husband have gradually talked me into leaving my munchkin at home and taking along my trusty breast pump! It had completely slipped my mind because this particular kiddo has never wanted a bottle. Like, never ever. So what milk I did pump in the first few months of his life sat in the freezer unused until I deemed it time to toss after the 6 month mark of being in the freezer. Liquid gold! Down the drain! ~sigh~
So, I dug out my Medela pump last night and sterilized the parts again so I can start pumping now to build up a little reserve for him while I am gone. It might be in a sippy cup, but it’ll be mommy’s milk and I doubt he’ll forget how to nurse in 4 days time. I can pump while I’m away to keep the milk production active and see how it goes when I get home. I feel like we’re about ready to wean soon anyway, we’re down to just three feedings a day, and Zeb is 13 months old. We wrapped it up at 15 months with Evan, so I was aiming for this general time frame. My bosoms have been either giant, squishy preggo boobies or giant, portable, milk-makers (or for a span of about 3 months they were BOTH at the same time!) for 4 years now. Mama needs her boobs back to herself for a while! Let’s see how deflated they get 
and see what my new bra size is.
My bosoms have been a steady DD since high school. Pregnancy #1 upped them to a DDD. Nursing baby #1 I was buying G-cups (Good Golly!!!), then back to DDD for pregnancy #2 and now back to G for nursing. The ladies are gonna be a DD-extra long, I’m afraid. I’m gonna have to roll them up and tuck them in my pockets. But the money I saved on not using formula for two kids, I can spend on pretty push-up bras! HA!
ANYWAY, so I now feel better about leaving him at home while I’m away knowing he will have some of his mommy juice available and that I won’t run dry. And is it bad that I’m just a smidge excited that I’m going by myself? I have a Thursday-Monday mini-vacation in the Bahamas all to myself! It’s weird! It’s crazy! I’ll be part of all the wedding festivities and events, I can stay out later in the evenings, catch up on a book (or two?!) and just….relax! I feel selfish being giddy about it, but I think any mother would, especially when the kids are this little.
My mom is amazing and wonderful for taking over kiddo care while hubbs is at work, and I hope a few days of boy bonding will be a pleasant and uneventful experience for all three of my men.
So…cheers to a mama vacation and some mental rejuvenation! I’ll post again about the wedding – on the beach right before sunset??? Yes, please!
This will be me in a few weeks =)
