501 days
The end is finally here.
Saturday it was decided to be the end of nursing. While I could tell that things were winding down, I expected some resistance to going to bed without nursing. What I didn't expect was for Emmett to say "nigh nigh" and roll over in his bed and go to sleep. That was it....
That was it!?! After all the pain and tears, the sleepless nights, the hours of being hooked up to that evil machine - pumping, the months of spending every lunch at daycare, the horrible bras, the sticky lanolin and breast pads, feeling so burnt out and tired, the teeth .. Urgh the terrible milk blister that lasted for 5 months! It was so, SO difficult. So this end feels.... odd..... but nice?
I suppose that means it was the right time.
A battle would have made me feel guilty and sad. This might be a little anticlimactic, but I am left feeling.. I don't know.... successful.
.. and maybe a little sad that my tiny, baby bear cub doesn't need me the same way anymore.
I can't believe I actually saw this to it's natural end.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
MN trip highlights PART 2
Before we headed back to the Twin Cities, we walked around Duluth a bit more before getting back into the car for a long ride. It seemed to work. Emmett got to get a little energy out so he took a pretty good nap on the way home. I think his favorite thing to do was throw rocks into the lake.
Meanwhile, I stood in the windy walkway trying to keep the stroller from blowing out into the lake. Also, in Duluth, I think I could be a model!
On to Hotel room # 2. Another Residence Inn. This one didn't feel as nice as the first one, but it was still nice. Turns out Handicap rooms are a lot easier to childproof. Emmett was excited to see another Pack-n-Play.. and wanted to play the "nigh nigh" game again.
It wasn't as nice a room, but the people that worked there were INSANELY nice. Even the janitor woman was super cheery and cooed all over Emmett. Now that I think of it, I didn't see one male worker there. So maybe it was kinda creepy, like a Wicker Man type colony of female hotel workers, there to harvest kidneys. Or not. I also saw the entire Dairy Princess entourage in the lobby. If I had been more quick thinking, I woulda had them sign something. Like a Land O Lakes box.
That night we just chilled in the room, eating peanut butter sandwiches watching Elmo videos. Hoping to get some re-packing done and some sleep before our big day at the fair.
CABLE TV!
FAIR!!!
Things learned at the fair. Tiny Tim Donuts are not as good as Tom Thumb (duh). The Poncho Pup beats the Pronto Pup (an upset) Kiwanis Malt shop just may be better than the Dairy building. (how did we completely miss the dairy building?) Sweet Martha's Cookies doesn't make the cut when you really are not hungry (and you want to save your points for more important things like beer) Who knew... Brian loves Lefse so much. Too bad he never met my Grandma Ann. As soon as she would have learned he loved lefse, she would have made it for him EVERY time she saw him.
Oh man, I am obsessed with the lefse. Sigh. I think the worst thing I ate was the Big Fat Bacon, it was just a letdown of chewy bacon meat. I guess the name should've warned me. I do wish I had tried a couple more things like the Minneapolis Pie.
I think the fair was a hit with Emmett. He did get tired and really didn't get to walk around as much as he would have liked, which caused the occasional grump, but overall he was really good. This trip to the fair a bit more of a "highlights" tour. Quick trips through buildings, favorite foods.. We might not have spent as much time in places that I would have really liked, but we got a good feel of the whole fair. I'm excited to take Emmett back when he is a bit older. We were joined by Andre & Kim and the Kafkaseseses. Once again, so great to see them.
Sad we missed the Giant Slide.
I know! I think we thought of it on our way out the gate.
Our last night we stayed in the hotel. Picked up some salads and a Turkey sandwich for Emmett, which he seemed to enjoy. We packed, showered.. played "nigh nigh" and headed to bed early to get up even earlier to get to the airport. (I of course didn't sleep more than a couple hours... sigh)
It all went so quick. And it was ungodly early to get up and get ready, hahah.
Apparently, when we are tired and looking at a 4 hour flight with Emmett.. That first class upgrade is too good to pass up. It was great. I was pretty nervous about it. Before we had gone on this trip I was reading about how to keep kids entertained on planes.. and ran into a lot of things about how babies should not be allowed in first class. I imagined everyone being pissed at us. But, it did help (the Baileys coffees didn't hurt either) There was so much more room. Emmett was able to sleep pretty well, and he was easier to wrangle (and walk around when he needed) Totally worth the price. I suppose it will be our last for a long time. I think the next time we go on a flight we'll have to buy him a ticket so no more first class. We should have eaten 5 breakfast sandwiches and drank a lot more.
Upgrading to first class might have been the best decision I've made this year. The flight attendant coming by with the boozy coffee and the extra space was worth it. Yes, I wish I had eaten more! The worst thing, to me, about the whole flight experience was lugging around all the stuff. That stroller almost killed me!U
All in all I'd say it was a good trip. At times it was like pulling off a bandaid. A little painful, but something we needed to do. Now that we have this trip under our belt the next one will be so much easier (I hope). Emmett was a trooper. He traveled really well for a little guy. If he didn't have to be wrangled and strapped down so much (car seats, strollers) he would have been much happier. I think if we keep it up, he'll be able to travel really well when he's a bit older. For me it's always a little bittersweet to go back to MN. There are things I miss and things I am glad to be very far away from. Going back reminds me of the life we used to have. In some ways that life made me happier... in other ways this life makes me happier. I wish there was a way to have both.
I miss Minneapolis like crazy. But I have no idea if we could ever move back, no fantasy transition ever make a whole lot of sense. I agree that we should keep doing trips as Em gets older, it was great watching him in new places and meeting people!
Meanwhile, I stood in the windy walkway trying to keep the stroller from blowing out into the lake. Also, in Duluth, I think I could be a model!
On to Hotel room # 2. Another Residence Inn. This one didn't feel as nice as the first one, but it was still nice. Turns out Handicap rooms are a lot easier to childproof. Emmett was excited to see another Pack-n-Play.. and wanted to play the "nigh nigh" game again.
It wasn't as nice a room, but the people that worked there were INSANELY nice. Even the janitor woman was super cheery and cooed all over Emmett. Now that I think of it, I didn't see one male worker there. So maybe it was kinda creepy, like a Wicker Man type colony of female hotel workers, there to harvest kidneys. Or not. I also saw the entire Dairy Princess entourage in the lobby. If I had been more quick thinking, I woulda had them sign something. Like a Land O Lakes box.
That night we just chilled in the room, eating peanut butter sandwiches watching Elmo videos. Hoping to get some re-packing done and some sleep before our big day at the fair.
CABLE TV!
FAIR!!!
Things learned at the fair. Tiny Tim Donuts are not as good as Tom Thumb (duh). The Poncho Pup beats the Pronto Pup (an upset) Kiwanis Malt shop just may be better than the Dairy building. (how did we completely miss the dairy building?) Sweet Martha's Cookies doesn't make the cut when you really are not hungry (and you want to save your points for more important things like beer) Who knew... Brian loves Lefse so much. Too bad he never met my Grandma Ann. As soon as she would have learned he loved lefse, she would have made it for him EVERY time she saw him.
Oh man, I am obsessed with the lefse. Sigh. I think the worst thing I ate was the Big Fat Bacon, it was just a letdown of chewy bacon meat. I guess the name should've warned me. I do wish I had tried a couple more things like the Minneapolis Pie.
I think the fair was a hit with Emmett. He did get tired and really didn't get to walk around as much as he would have liked, which caused the occasional grump, but overall he was really good. This trip to the fair a bit more of a "highlights" tour. Quick trips through buildings, favorite foods.. We might not have spent as much time in places that I would have really liked, but we got a good feel of the whole fair. I'm excited to take Emmett back when he is a bit older. We were joined by Andre & Kim and the Kafkaseseses. Once again, so great to see them.
Sad we missed the Giant Slide.
I know! I think we thought of it on our way out the gate.
Our last night we stayed in the hotel. Picked up some salads and a Turkey sandwich for Emmett, which he seemed to enjoy. We packed, showered.. played "nigh nigh" and headed to bed early to get up even earlier to get to the airport. (I of course didn't sleep more than a couple hours... sigh)
It all went so quick. And it was ungodly early to get up and get ready, hahah.
Apparently, when we are tired and looking at a 4 hour flight with Emmett.. That first class upgrade is too good to pass up. It was great. I was pretty nervous about it. Before we had gone on this trip I was reading about how to keep kids entertained on planes.. and ran into a lot of things about how babies should not be allowed in first class. I imagined everyone being pissed at us. But, it did help (the Baileys coffees didn't hurt either) There was so much more room. Emmett was able to sleep pretty well, and he was easier to wrangle (and walk around when he needed) Totally worth the price. I suppose it will be our last for a long time. I think the next time we go on a flight we'll have to buy him a ticket so no more first class. We should have eaten 5 breakfast sandwiches and drank a lot more.
Upgrading to first class might have been the best decision I've made this year. The flight attendant coming by with the boozy coffee and the extra space was worth it. Yes, I wish I had eaten more! The worst thing, to me, about the whole flight experience was lugging around all the stuff. That stroller almost killed me!U
All in all I'd say it was a good trip. At times it was like pulling off a bandaid. A little painful, but something we needed to do. Now that we have this trip under our belt the next one will be so much easier (I hope). Emmett was a trooper. He traveled really well for a little guy. If he didn't have to be wrangled and strapped down so much (car seats, strollers) he would have been much happier. I think if we keep it up, he'll be able to travel really well when he's a bit older. For me it's always a little bittersweet to go back to MN. There are things I miss and things I am glad to be very far away from. Going back reminds me of the life we used to have. In some ways that life made me happier... in other ways this life makes me happier. I wish there was a way to have both.
I miss Minneapolis like crazy. But I have no idea if we could ever move back, no fantasy transition ever make a whole lot of sense. I agree that we should keep doing trips as Em gets older, it was great watching him in new places and meeting people!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Elephant in the Bathroom
I only heard the laughing from the bathroom, but apparently, while Emmett was taking his bath, he stood up in the tub, looked down at his weiner, raised his arm over his head and uttered his impression of an elephant noise, and started to pee. Then he giggled.
That's my boy.
That's my boy.
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