FREEEEEDOM!

A rather important event occurred at our house this last week.  I've been running around with my face painted like Braveheart, screaming "FREEEEEEEDOM!"

Well, not really.  But I feel like it.  The event?  I finally weaned Tessa.  [Note: This post was scheduled for last week, but after cutting her off for a few day after a nasty biting incident--which I vowed was the END--we relapsed for a few days.  But it's been five days now since the last nursing session, and I think it's safe to announce that we're officially DONE.]  And I can't say how huge this is for me.

You see, I've been either pregnant or nursing for eight and a half years.  EIGHT years of growing other humans.  Let's break this down:

*39 months of pregnancy 

(Nine months for each girl plus three months from a pregnancy that ended in miscarriage)

*64 months of nursing 

(Chloe = 22, Piper = 15, Sadie = 15, Tessa = 12)

I think it's worth noting that I never had more than four weeks between weaning someone and falling pregnant with the next (in fact, the Piper nursing/Sadie pregnancy actually overlapped for three months).  I did have three months between the miscarriage and the Chloe pregnancy, but we're pretty much talking eight years STRAIGHT.  2002 was the last time I had my body all to myself.   Also,  I never pumped or supplemented for any of the kids for the first six months of their lives.  That means I did ALL the feedings for 2 years worth of newborns.  That's right.  EVERY SINGLE FEEDING, night and day (and it also means that I could never leave the baby for more than 3-4 hours).  I take full responsibility for these choices (and they totally were choices--having so many kids, not supplementing, choosing to nurse for so long, etc).  But now you understand why I look so exhausted these days.  And why this is such a big moment for me.  And why I have the urge to dress up like Braveheart. 

When I found out I was pregnant with Tessa a good six years into this stint, I wasn't sure I could make it.  Physically, mentally, spiritually.  I was worn out and more than a little daunted by just the physical requirement alone (don't even get me started on the mental bit).   But I set a goal that I wanted to nurse her for 12 full months (I not only wanted to follow the recommendation of the AAP, but I also wanted to be fair and let her have close to what I let Sadie and Tessa have.  And yes, I openly admit that I enabled Chloe's nurse-aholic tendencies back in the day when I only had one kid.  But I learned a hard lesson back then and never made the mistake of trying to wean an almost 2-year-old ever again).  It wasn't easy meeting that crazy goal.  After nine months of severe nausea, a horrific delivery that left me with a broken tailbone, three bouts of mastitis, and a baby that refused formula (I was going to supplement this time but never figured out how to get Tessa on board with the plan.  And I just plain REFUSE to pump.  I hate it more than anything--even waking up 3-4 times a night to feed a newborn, obviously!), I did it.  I made it the full twelve months.  Completing this goal that I set 20 months ago feels like one of the biggest accomplishments of my life.  [Note: Tessa actually deserves a lot of credit here.  She made up for her first six months of refusing formula and went crazy for baby food.  She weaned herself down to two feedings a day pretty quickly after that which made it much easier to  reach that original goal!]

A scripture in Genesis caught my eye a couple of months ago:

                       "And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned."  Genesis 21:8

I love that it used to be a tradition to celebrate this major event.  It's one I wanted to adopt in our family.  Carter agreed to let me mark the occasion of weaning our last child in a very special way.  I get to go here:

to visit:

and see:

&

I leave in less than a month for my long weekend in Manhattan.  I have been trying to go visit my sister for two years now.  I'm excited I get to finally go!

FREEEEEEEDOM!!!!!!!