 | Diary Navigation:
|
April 8, 2004
Today I was typing up our new company Telecommuting Agreement, and kept typing “lactation” when I was intending to type “location.” Which led me to believe I should address something that has been on my mind lately.
How the hell am I going to wean Hana? She is quickly approaching her 2-year birthday mark, and I just don’t want to nurse her past 2 years. I’m not against the practice of nursing toddlers (um, obviously), I’m not against anyone else nursing past x, y or z age (anymore. I used to be). I just don’t want to be breastfeeding anymore. I’ve put in my time, and I’ve had enough.
So just stop, you say? Well, here are some wrenches in the wean-with-ease plan:
a) Hana loves to nurse.
b) Hana is fanatic about nursing.
c) Hana falls absolutely apart, crying, chasing me around, tearing at my shirt, falling on the floor, pounding her fists (etc etc) at the mere suggestion of me saying “no” to her nursing.
d) Hana will soon be moving & entering a new daycare (big changes in the life of an almost-2-yr old)
e) I have no freaking idea how you wean a toddler who is showing absolutely no signs of self-weaning.
f) I’ll miss it too. I get all weepy at the thought of no longer having that connection, even though I’m really ready to stop.
g) My breasts will likely shrink to a size that will be SMALLER than pre-pregnancy and nursing, which would be closely equivalent to….NO BOOBS. Granted, this is not a real solid argument, as I can’t breastfeed my children until they are entering college, but…OK, so I’m a bit vain.
Does anyone have any advice to offer? I should consult the Dr. Sear’s Breastfeeding Book that Melissa gave me shortly after Hana was born. In those first few months, it was a godsend, but since we got the nursing routine down pat around month 2, I haven’t had to consult it much. I guess its time to crack that spine. If I can find it.
Which leads me to…selling our house. Our house has now been on the market almost one week, and we have had approximately 8,254 sets of feet walk through our home. Our agent tells us we’ve had an “above average” amount of potential buyers come through, and that we’ve had an “extraordinary” amount of hits on the agency website. Good, good, all good. As of last night, we have 3 offers, but we’re not reviewing offers until Saturday, so I have no clue what they might be. We’re crossing our fingers for a bidding war. We’ll see. The pessimist in me is betting their low -ball offers and we’ll potentially be bummed out come Saturday. I hope I’m wrong, and if I believe the (positive) comments of the people I’ve witnessed walking through, I should be. Knock on wood.
Our home, as it were, is no longer our own. It looks like a showcase (as much as a 1500 sq ft house –circa 1946- with vinyl siding, non-designer furniture and stock lighting can look like a showcase) and I cringe every time Hana steps over the threshold and begins her methodical path of destruction through each meticulously arranged/cleaned room. In the last 4 days, I have not been in our home (prior to 8:30 in the evening) for more than about 10 minutes without being greeted by realtors and their tag-a-longs, usually well-groomed young couples who bear a striking resemblance to…well, us. Which is good, all good. I am just finding that I have a strong predilection towards changing my clothes in privacy, without strangers walking unannounced through my front door. Hmmph. Go figure.
I heard an original name the other day (i.e., I’m thinking in terms of “baby name”) that I took a liking to, and went to look it up in my “Beyond Madison & Montana” book (whatever it’s called). Couldn’t find it. Its packed away in the caverns of our “new” basement. I wanted to use my Nambé serving platter for a BBQ this weekend. Couldn’t find it. It too has already moved into the new house. My skin is breaking out more than average, and last night I went to grab a cotton ball to dab in some witch hazel. Couldn’t find the cotton balls. And so on and so forth. As I said, our house is no longer our own.
I’m just keeping my eye on the target. Keeping my fingers crossed that the house will sell quickly. After a quick & intense bidding war. And soon we’ll officially be moving into our new home. Which brings on a new set of headaches and endless to-do lists. But I won’t get into that….yet. I am getting very, very excited.
Yesterday morning I got pulled over on my way to drop Hana off with my mother-in-law. I suppose it technically was an “illegal U-turn” but really, Officer, EVERYONE does it right here. That didn’t pan out so well. He also wasn’t impressed by my insurance card that expired in March of 2002. All the same, luck was on my side because he only ticketed me for my expired insurance card (a $540 fine in the great City of Seattle), which will result in only a $25 administrative fee when I produce proof of my current insurance.
We went to the Mariner’s game last night. Second game of the season. They lost., but what do I care? I don’t really like (or get, or try to get) the game of baseball. But I do like going to the games, being at the stadium with all those fans, in the fresh air, eating peanuts and most importantly, drinking $8 domestic beers. We had dinner at the J&M Cafe in Pioneer Square beforehand. Big, juicy, greasy burger & fries with a Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Perfect. Just what I needed to refresh after a hellish day. We were using my parents tickets and they have stellar seats, so my husband and our friends (who enjoy the game of baseball) were happy. I had my beers, so I was happy. Hana was with her aunt & uncle. It was a clear, crisp evening. The sunlight reflecting off the glassy downtown highrises was stunning. The sunset over Puget Sound was exquisite. Life was good.
Today is a sunny, beautiful day and the weekend temps are predicted to be in the 70’s. I am a happy girl. We’re reviewing offers on Saturday morning and then having a farewell BBQ at our house in the afternoon (sure to go late in to the night). To hell with the realtors, we say. For one afternoon we are taking our house back. Wait, make that two afternoons, since we’re also having Easter dinner at our house. But I don’t imagine the traffic will be thick on Easter Sunday. Sunday morning we’re going to Mass and then off to my great aunt & uncle’s house in Bellevue (10 minutes east of Seattle) for Easter brunch. Easter is primarily a day for just stuffing ourselves with food, not unlike Thanksgiving except that on Easter we can also usually go out on the patio with our mimosas. Ah, mimosas. Looking forward to those.
Till next week,
Jessica
P.S. Seriously, if you have good toddler weaning tips or techniques, please share.
P.P.S. I answered some, but not all, of the most recent posts on my board. I intend to get to the rest of them soon. See, I’m getting better… For the 2 (or so) of you who requested a link to the pictures of Hana, I promise I’ll send that out soon.
 |  |
|
want to keep a diary on iParenting?
Authoring a diary on the iParenting network allows you to chronicle your family's story, preserving it for years to come. It's also a great way to get the most out of the iParenting community. Click here to start...
|
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families. 
