A Girl's Only Post

Before you read any further, if you are a male, you might not want to continue reading as today's topic is breastfeeding. So just know, you have been warned. 

The day for starting to wean Westley from breastfeeding has finally come and the emotions that I'm going through have come as quite a shock.  Before Westley was born, I really didn't have a strong feeling one way or the other as to whether I would breastfeed or bottle feed.  I thought I would give it a try, but if it didn't work out, I wasn't going to be heartbroken.  As those first few sleepless weeks got underway, he took to it very quickly even though it took forever for him to eat.  I had heard so many friends say "stick with it for 6 weeks before you make your mind up."  So that's what I decided to do.

There were definitely some very hard days and weeks.  I thought a couple times about giving it up, but I decided to continue to push through it.  It's a complete 100% commitment.  I have found that fewer and fewer women do it. Now please know I don't in any way judge anyone that doesn't.  I think it's a personal choice. However, I have not appreciated being judged myself.  And throughout the last few months at times I have been made to feel like a crazy, hippie for doing it.  At times it has been very inconvenient but I have also had to get creative sometimes.  I have fed him in the back of the car and been stopped by mall security, fed him on a public bathroom toilet, and have mastered the art of pumping and driving in order to save time!  So it's been quite an adventure and I thought I would be rejoicing when the time actually came to starting weaning him.

But just like everything else that has shocked me about being a mom, I have been surprised at how sad I am to be giving it up.  I thought I would be thrilled with the freedom it finally brought.  I have gone from feeding him 8 times a day to 4 times a day.  But in those first few months I was spending 7/8 hours a day feeding him, starring at his precious little face.  Those were the moments/hours that we really got to know each other over this last year.  During that time, I watched each new facial expression that he was developing, I watched his eyelashes grow in, sometimes he would just stare at me until I would smile at him, at times he wanted to hold my hand, and after he is done even now he just lays there and giggles and babble new syllables that he is learning.  So it became a time that was about more than just feeding, but it was "our time," just me and him nothing else in the world mattered.  And although in my heart I know it's time, it's still very hard.  My little boy is becoming a big boy.  But gosh, I am more than thankful that I stuck with it and have some sweet memories that I will always cherish.

Catching up on the past Two Months

Times have changed around our house quite a bit over the last two months. The days are longer, Westley is awake a whole heck of a lot more, he is constantly on the move, and the time I have to myself continues to decrease.  Therefore, not one blog has been written in months.  I hate it because I have missed documenting so many things.  But I can't go back, I can only move forward.  So let's see if I can catch you up on what we have been up to......

Halloween Weekend:
Westley started crawling for the first time and our lives haven't slowed down since.
We took our first long trip to Birmingham and got to catch up with so many dear friends and show off our little bundle of joy.  And our little Westley was probably the cutest little banana for Halloween that anyone has everyone seen.  We went door to door for about 30 minutes and that is about all the fun the West could stand.

 

 Book Worm at the Library:
We have started a new weekly activity of going to the local library once a week.  It's a fun time of reading books and singing songs.  The music portion is definitely his favorite.  Granted it's only 15 minutes, but it gets us out of the house and we have met some new friends, which has been a lot of fun.

One wild and crazy day:
I can already tell that Westley is already going to be that boy.  He has a lot of personality already and is going to give us a run for our money.  In just one day, he chewed up and ruined his bed in 5 minutes, and then pulled up for the first time.  We must be getting pay-back for things we did to our parents.

More teeth:
More teeth just keep coming in and unfortunately they are going to be big ones, just like his mamma!  But they are just so darn cute and that toothy grins gets me every time. And with those teeth he has been eating everything in sight.  He loves some:  turkey, ham, black beans, peaches, pears, mandarin oranges, bananas, and we are just starting to try some more veggies.

Thanksgiving:
Thanksgiving was so much fun this year being Westley's first and we had a dear friend, Clynton, stay for the holidays and we loved having him with us.  Westley was dressed up super cute, (as cute as you can get for boys clothes) and he was the cutest little turkey out there.  He had a little trouble with separation anxiety while we were with everyone, but we all have bad days, don't we?!?  He learned to clap over the holidays and after months of teaching him "more" in sign language, it clicked and he is doing it back to us!

Random:
Here are a couple more of my favorite pictures from these past few weeks.  He is getting bigger and that strong willed personality is coming out a little more each and every day. The boy has found his voice and is blabbing and talking a language that we do not understand but we know he is trying to tell us something. He is crawling faster and faster each day and is pulling up on absolutely everything.  Having a mobile little one has kept me on my toes, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

 

Christmas Holidays:

This was the first Christmas holiday that I have really enjoyed in a few years.  I believe it was partly due to the fact that all my holiday shopping was done by December 1st, but mostly, I think it was watching West discover everything for the first time was just so much fun.  He didn't bother the tree, but he loved looking at all the lights and playing with the kid friendly ornaments I put down at the bottom of the tree.  As far as presents, he didn't have an interest at all in opening them, but once he saw what was inside, he loved playing with all of his new toys.  It was such a sweet holiday with friends and family and I look forward to each year as he begins to actually know what it going on.  

Our little boy is just not so little anymore.  Sweet Westley will be 1 in just less than a month and it's hard to believe.  This year has been a complete whirlwind for Brad and myself but gosh, life is so much richer because he is in our lives.  

Loving Fall

I haven't done very well this month keeping up with the blog, I need to do a better job.  So I vow for the 2nd or 3rd time to do better.  Because so much has happened and there is so much to catch you all up on.

My oh my, the days have been busy but so much fun this past month.  Our little boy is not so little anymore.  He is 9 months old today and I can hardly believe it.  He's really not a baby anymore and each day he is doing his best to remind me of that.  No more rocking him like a little baby, he hears the word NO a lot more these days, and his personality gets a bit more strong-willed each day.

One of the things I have looked forward to the most this fall is visiting a pumpkin patch as a family.  I was so excited to get some cute pictures of West with all the pumpkins.  We ventured out a few weeks ago and to keep it nice, we probably won't return next year.  Keeping with my new theme, of trying to stay positive, it was a long drive for a disappointing display of pumpkins.

West has also started to get really distracted outside and enjoys playing in the dirt a whole lot more than smiling for me taking pictures.  So the combination of not the best pumpkin farm and a sweet little boy who didn't want to smile, it wasn't one of our favorite adventures out to say the least.  But we still captured a few cute shots and it will be a fun memory looking back to see his head down in every picture.  

So here are a few shots from our day:

Since I didn't get any smiles at the pumpkin farm, I thought I'd try to get some in front of our house.  We have a tree that has the prettiest leaves this time of year and as they started to fall I thought I would try to snap a few photos of West in the leaves.  Once again, even with me singing and Brad dancing around, nothing could capture Westley's attention like the dirt and leaves.

So, here was my second attempt at some fall pictures:

Distraction #1:  Passing cars

Distraction #2:  The leaves taste so yummy

Now that's a pretty cute one, more like a half smile, but we'll take it

This is one of my favorites

Now looking back there were some cute ones and I have to admit the camo pants are my new favorite outfit for him.  I love the shots of Brad and West the best!  Brad is such a good sport letting me take so many pictures.

It has been a fun fall and we are loving this weather.  And today a local methodist church made my wish come true of getting some fabulous pictures with Westley. They were so kind and told us to take as many pictures as we wanted and so we did.  Again, not a lot of smiling from our little man, but some super cute pics that I must share.

I am finally happy.  A cute pumpkin picture.

 

And West even picked out his own pumpkin to take home

So I am a happy mamma now.  We've finally got our cute fall pictures!  Now to start worrying about what to put on the Christmas card....