Sam’s been really in the process of weaning for, oh, let’s say, the past two years. But the past month or so, he’s really cut down. He was still nursing at least once or twice a day, but only for a few minutes, and every now and then, he’d skip a day entirely. Last night, he stayed awake with Marc and I went to bed. Sam had napped from 5:30-6:30, and was wired when I went to bed around nine.
He hadn’t nursed all day, I don’t think. Looking back, I can’t remember if he had nursed in the morning. I think he did, at least for a few minutes. But either way, he had gone all day, and when Marc carried him into bed, he stayed asleep. He didn’t wake up until after nine thirty this morning, and I immediately offered breakfast.
Around eleven, he called me into the living room and said, in this tone of pride and excitement, “Mommy, I fell asleep last night with NO OOBIES.” I said something about how proud I was, and how wonderful it was that he was all done with nursing. I asked if this meant that he was going to save the oobies for the new baby, because he was so big, he didn’t need to nurse anymore. He high fived me, and agreed enthusiastically.
Marc’s not here tonight, so I was sort of stuck. If Marc’s here, I can just have Marc handle bedtime (and by that, I mean that I’ll go to bed and Marc and Sam will sit up and watch random “boy tv” like the military channel until Sam dozes off in his lap). But without Marc, Sam’s always nursed to sleep with me.
I asked Sam where he wanted to go to sleep tonight, since he was going without nursing. He wanted to sleep on the couch. I read him several stories, changed him, and brushed his teeth, and then I put on a cartoon for him to watch and I went into Jessie’s room to read to her. I could hear him talking back to Diego for a while, and I was in there for about a half hour. (Jessie asked if I could start reading the Harry Potter books to her – and I’m loving that she’s so into it).
I came out after reading to Jess, and my big boy was sound asleep on the couch.
We’re done. After three years, five month and two weeks – we’re finally and at long last DONE WITH NURSING. I feel like throwing a party or celebrating. I’ve waited so very long for this day, and am surprised to find my eyes filling with tears as I type this. It’s such a major milestone for Sam – and one I had long despaired of ever reaching with him. I’m finally done nursing.
And I’ve got sixteen glorious weeks to enjoy my breasts all to myself until the next baby comes 🙂
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