Nourish

Our bodies are remarkable creations. What I find almost as interesting as a woman's ability to grow a baby and bring it into the world is the fact that our bodies are amazing enough to know that that's not enough.

Our bodies cover for the fact that the baby it just brought in to the world cannot yet survive on its own- so the body provides milk. Milk that is made for the specific baby the body created. Milk that changes in composition based on the season of year, and changes over the seasons of the baby's life. Through the milk the body attempts to pass on the experience it has gained through all it has been through, saying Here, this is what I know of the illnesses I've suffered, hopefully you can be stronger because of my experiences and not have to suffer them as well.

I never set out with a "plan" on how long I was going to breastfeed my babies for. But I knew that breastfeeding seemed natural and right, and that we couldn't afford a year of formula anyway. Owen weaned at 11 months. I was getting ready to have eye surgery, and Owen was just as happy to take his portable sippy cup and run his busy self all around without a reason to stop!

Jonas has been happy nursing and would let us know when we forgot it. Jonas has been known to chomp on any bare skin he can find (dad and brother included) until Mama realizes what she's forgotten, and Mama has been just as happy to continue nursing as well.

It seems, though, that our nursing days may be soon coming to an end. Daddy is a great husband and has always been supportive of my nursing, but he set out a stipulation many months ago, saying that Jonas could nurse, "until he starts asking for it." And this last week Jonas has started "asking" for it, tugging at the hem of Mamas shirt.

Now Jeremy's a reasonable man, and I know that if I felt like Jonas and I should continue nursing, that he would be accommodating. But Jonas is getting older--sixteen months next week--new opportunities are opening for him. New adventures are coming his way. I think he's ready to start making some new "big boy" steps. So sometime here, not today. . . not tomorrow, we'll finish nursing.

But in the meantime, we continue to nurse, continue to spend special mom and baby time. I continue in admiration of my body, praying that life will give me more of these opportunities--more babies to nurse-- but for now taking every opportunity to appreciate the blessings I have already been given, and not take a single quiet moment for granted.