Check out the current issue of Breastfeeding Today (link below) for my essay about my son, who was born prematurely at 27 weeks gestation, weighing 1 pound and 15 ounces, and spent the first three months of his life in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
When Baby Boy was in the hospital, I pumped milk every two hours around the clock for almost three months. My story shows that it is possible to breastfeed successfully even when you encounter many obstacles. In addition, my story shows that providing breast milk can have tremendous emotional benefits to the mother, and can provide a feeling of connection between a mother and her baby, even when physical contact is limited.
But my story is also about the science and technology behind caring for premature infants, and in general, about dealing with challenges in your life. I wrote about this experience because nourishing my premature baby is the most important thing I've ever done. It is the one thing I will always be the most proud of. Can you remember a time when you did something really important, at a time when you were challenged?
View the article ~ In the Table of Contents, click Mothers' Stories, then advance a few pages.
Constant Motion. That's right. He Never Stops Moving!
Here are the Big Things (that I can remember) that have happened since I wrote last:
Little Man started walking (around 18 months old)....and then running and climbing, and he hasn't stopped since.
We sold our house, bought a new house, and moved (I hope we never do any of this again.)
My Grandpa now resides (permanently) in a dementia unit of a local nursing home. This is hard to accept but it is the safest place for him.
My sister and her son came home, after living in another state for 12 years, and not seeing them for over a year.
Little Man started talking, just after his 2nd birthday.
I am obsessed with food blogs and have been experimenting with a plant-based diet (ever since watching Forks Over Knives when I was on maternity leave. FYI ~ FOK is available on Netflix streaming).
I started a new job a year ago as an Instructional Designer and have done a fair amount of traveling, including a trip to Boston this summer.
Hubby and I took our first solo trip post-Baby Boy, to Santa Cruz, CA to attend my friend A's wedding.
That is everything I can remember for now.
I feel like I remember specifically when Baby Boy became a toddler, if that is possible. He had been working on crawling/standing/walking for a few months, and then suddenly, one weekend he was all over the place, digging through the kitchen cabinets. After that he was everywhere, and signs of him were everywhere. I would open a kitchen cabinet to get a pan and find several colored stacking cups, or a half full sippy cup.
Best Smile Ever
The other day I once again felt that Baby Boy had made another shift. I was sitting at a stoplight when I looked to my left and saw two girls in a truck next to me, looking my way and laughing and giggling. Do I look funny, I thought? Is there something on my face? Then I looked in the rear view mirror and saw Little Man playing "peek" with these ladies, flashing them his biggest smile, and then turning his head to hide from them, and repeating the process.
Two years have passed and Little Man has become a gentle, loving soul who likes to give hugs, make funny faces, run, and climb. (He can also be a very spirited and stubborn 2-year-old, but I won't tell those stories right now!) Here is a typical conversation with the Little Man, when he wakes up in the morning:
"Winnow." (window), he says pointing at the window.
"Open. Button. Goge." (soft "g," like "mirage") (I want to open the garage door).
"I wanna go home."
"We are home," I tell him. We have lived in our new house for six weeks, and he still asks to go home. "Where is home?" I ask him.
"I wanna go shopping," he replies. "Go Boppy's."
I start to respond but he cuts me off. "Nose," he says, placing his index finger on my nose. "Eyes," he says. I shut my eyes as I see his finger approaching....
It occurs to me that I have always been so focused on getting to the next stage: sitting up, rolling, crawling, standing up, walking, talking...It's mind boggling that all these amazing accomplishments happen within two years. I always want to move ahead, yet I don't ever want to forget any of this.
