Winding down...

...or should I say "drying up"...

*For any male readers out there, this post is in regard to "womanly", "motherly" issues...if you catch my drift. Just warning you!*

So, this past week, I officially "turned off the faucet", so to speak. That's right, I finally weaned Nora completely. My initial goal was to nurse for a year - which, when she was just a few weeks old, seemed like an eternity. Don't get me wrong, nursing went pretty smoothly for me overall. And, I must say, that oxytocin stuff is AMAZING. I think I seriously got a kind of breastfeeding high. I know this is not how it goes for every woman, so I felt really, really thankful for such an experience.

I didn't realize I would be as emotional about weaning. But, as the end drew nearer and nearer, the lump in my throat got bigger and bigger. It means that this unique part of Nora's relationship with Mommy is over - that there may never be the same extended snuggles or sleeping in my arms (Nora just doesn't fall asleep in our arms very easily). I guess in the end, what weaning really means to me is that my "Baby" really isn't a baby anymore. She's growing up, starting to make her own decisions (and testing Mommy and Daddy's boundaries), feeding herself and things will never be like they were before. This revelation has definitely motivated me to enjoy each day with Nora all the more, because tomorrow she will be a little more grown up, and the next day, and the next day. And, that is how it should be.

Nora on her Birth-day

Our sweet toddler