The end of an era: Nursing

This will probably be a random, jump around post, but I wanted to document some of my feelings right now. Lilah and my body have decided it is time to finish yet another babyhood step in our house. Last night I had my last nursing session with Miss Lilah, which will probably be my last nursing session of my life. Oh goodness let the waterworks start. I nursed Addison until she was 8.5 months then she moved to formula. I remember being very ready to be done with pumping, nursing and all of it with her. Plus my supply pretty much just plummeted at 8 months with her. This time around I have savored every single moment. Pumping has never bothered me. I was very determined to make it a year with Lilah, so in the beginning I pumped so I would have a HUGE oversupply for her. I even had so much that I was fortunate enough to be able to donate approximately 800 ounces to another baby in need. We almost made it to a year. I am disappointed that I did not make it to that absolute one year mark, but she will be just fine. When I nurse her now she is just so unsatisfied, there just isn't enough left so I have to supplement as well. She seems happier when I just give her a bottle so that she doesn't have to work so hard for it. So in order to have a more peaceful bedtime experience we are moving on to bottles. I have a some milk in the freezer that will last her a couple more weeks and then it is on to cows milk. We have been mixing and giving her cows milk already just to make sure she will take it. Of course like with everything else she has done just fine and loves it.

I have been so thankful to have an easy and enjoyable time nursing both babies. I really enjoyed the bonding time and just the perk we have as a woman to be able to do such an amazing thing for our children. I will truly miss this part of my life. As I sit here with tears streaming down my face, I am amazed at how fast the time has passed. I feel like I just had Lilah yesterday and now she is walking and ready for new and exciting phases. As sad as I am that this part of their lives is over, I also feel tremendously blessed to have theses beautiful girls as my own. I am absolutely loving every moment and new phase that we enter. In my eyes they are perfect and I thank God daily for giving them to us to raise. I love every minute of it and try to remind myself that it just doesn't get any better than this. Thank you God for these blessings and the blessing you gave to me to be able to successfully nurse my baby girls.